She Doesn't Even Know

Homeschooling is right for my family.  It just is.  I had another confirmation of that today, and it was a big one.  Basia has learning disorders including dyslexia.  I have mentioned her dyslexia to others because I do not want others expecting things of her that she just cannot yet do.  I have also mentioned dyslexia to Basia and have explained to her that her brain works differently than the brains of many others.  She knows that she thinks in pictures and not in words.  She knows that there are tricks to help her learn spelling words and math problems, and they often involve creating pictures in her mind.

Today a lady from church stopped by with some books.  She leads the Wednesday night program that Basia attends, and we've had a lot of contact with her.  She knows about Basia's dyslexia.  She has been so generous in giving us books and Tae Kwon Do gear that her grown children no longer use.  She brought another load of Value Tales books today.  They are great biographies, and Basia really enjoys them. 

The lady told Basia that she knows Basia has trouble reading, so she thought that she would enjoy more books for us to read to her.  Basia got a strange look on her face, and it hit me.  Basia does not know that she has trouble reading!  She is in a class of one 1st grader, and she is the very best reader in that class.  She makes progress all the time, and she feels good about the books she is now reading.  She has no trouble at all with her dyslexic reading program, and she considers herself a reader.  The only time she feels bad about her reading skills is when she is around her cousins.  She always feels the need to have a big chapter book for bedtime browsing in order to fit in.

If Basia were in traditional school, she would soon notice how much more quickly and easily many children learned to read and understand their math.  She would be reminded of that way too often.  I love that, for now, she gets to read a harder book, and she feels a big sense of accomplishment.  She doesn't know that some her age could read all the books she will read this school year in one afternoon.

She gets further and further behind in math, but the girl is making serious progress--for her.  A worksheet that took so much time and anguish a week ago took her a few minutes this week.  That's big.  She was proud and so was I.  She does not have to know that it was kindergarten level work and that many preschoolers could have completed it.  She doesn't know that I have had to start writing my own worksheets because there is no curriculum that I can find that teaches the way she needs to learn. 

She is learning every single day.  She is a very smart little girl who happens to learn differently and at a different pace than many other children.  I am so happy that she knows that and that we can provide her an education that honors that. 

And, by the way, when the church friend left, I told Basia that I had no idea why she thought Basia had trouble reading.  Basia agreed that she must have been confused.  That is music to this mother's ears.