Reading in primary and secondary school was difficult, so I avoided the task. I’m a self-diagnosed dyslexic, even before the term was commonly known and accepted among educators. I read slowly, had to repeat reading a text before it made sense, was uncomfortable reading out loud, was terrible at spelling, and would omit, transpose, or add letters when reading or writing. My grades were poor, and by the 6th grade, I was correctly diagnosed as having a bad attitude. I recall Mr. Blakley (Parker Heights Grade School) telling me that I was a “smart kid,” but I had to do better and pay attention in class. He reported the same diagnosis to my parents, which must have been hard on them since Dad was a high school teacher. Their firstborn son was a dull study.
My mother read to me at bedtime, which I enjoyed. I still recall the first book she read to me: Biography of a Grizzly by Ernest Thompson Seton. My love of books was imprinted early on, but I had to learn to enjoy the reading experience. She didn’t know I was a better listener than a reader.
The Mitigation:
As stated above, my dyslexia diagnosis is my theory born of experience. The same can be said with how I mitigated the symptoms, meaning I found a way to live with what ailed me. After discharge from the Army, I re-entered Yakima Valley College and was motivated to succeed because I had seen what failure looked like. The YVC library had study carrel desks where I could concentrate on reading and rereading, ignoring distractions. I am not suggesting that a study carrel is a cure for dyslexia. Would that it should be that simple. I was learning to mitigate the disability with concentration and memorization, a skill I learned in DeMolay. It also helped that I was motivated to succeed like never before.
See my list of current readings here.