The Gift of a Perspective Shift

Not all gifts are physical. Sometimes understanding is the best gift we can give one another.

This holiday season, we encourage everyone to give the gift of a perspective shift to the students or kids in your life.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

– Atticus Finch

Today’s video highlights the importance of putting oneself in the shoes of a struggling reader. Most of us can relate to feeling overwhelmed at school or work – it’s a common human experience. Unfortunately, it’s equally common to forget how frustrated kids and teens, especially those with dyslexia and learning disabilities, get over the course of a school day. Many students we work with are using every ounce of their brain power on a daily basis, to try and get by, and to fit in with their peers. Many students have simply given up thinking, “Why try if no one will understand me or help this make sense?”

Struggling readers want to be better, however, they may not be fully understood. They tend to dive inward, blaming themselves, feeling less than and building poor compensation strategies to try and get through the school day. Parents and teachers can switch gears in the right direction for struggling readers, if they understand how their students are feeling, what motivates them, what discourages them, and what instruction works to get them where they need to be.