#071 - Is reading a struggle? Check for these signs

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💡 THOUGHT

The Diagnosis Wasn't The End of the Story

When her daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, everyone said, "Well, good – now you know what's wrong."

But did she? Krystle Cordingley had spent four and a half years trying everything to help her daughter read. At age 11, she was reading at a first-grade level despite year-round schooling and multiple interventions. They got the diagnoses - dyslexia and ADHD. They tried all the recommended programs. Nothing worked.

Krystle started making a list of trades her daughter could learn that wouldn't require reading or writing. But something didn't feel right about giving up.

She started looking for other explanations, and her research led her to convergence insufficiency - a rarely-discussed but treatable vision condition discovered in the 1980s. Working with specialists and drawing on her background in biology, Krystle developed exercises to help her daughter's eyes work together properly.

Now 13, Krystle’s daughter reads at a college level, processing over 800 words per minute.

Krystle founded Vision Reading Academy to share her methodology with other children overcoming convergence insufficiency.

Hear the full story on the latest episode of the OpenEd Podcast (or read the transcript)

📊 TREND

Of Labels and Learning Disabilities

Labels and diagnoses like dyslexia can serve an important purpose. They help families access resources, find support communities, and, in many cases, identify the problem that unlocks crucial services and accommodations.

About 25% of children receive a dyslexia diagnosis, but as Krystle discovered, this catch-all label masked a more specific vision issue and tried to solve an ocular-muscular problem with a cognitive treatment.

Just as there's no single type of learner, there's no single type of learning challenge - or solution.

The problem isn't the label itself - it's stopping at the label.

🛠️ TOOL

Is Your Child Struggling to Read? Check for These Signs

Many parents wait for their children to "catch up" with reading – and some kids do just need more time. In fact, pushing reading too early can backfire if it leads to frustration and dislike of books and reading. But if your child is in 2nd or 3rd grade, wants to read, yet still struggles with the basics, it might be worth checking for these specific patterns:

• Can read smaller words but struggles with longer (5-7 letter) words

• Unable to recognize the same word when it appears again a few lines later

• Starts guessing at word endings/suffixes

• Has trouble remembering what they just read

• Shows signs of frustration with reading

Vision Reading Academy specializes in helping children overcome these challenges through:

• One-on-one certified coaches

• 30-minute sessions twice weekly

• Eye exercise program customized to each child

Visit visionreadingacademy.com for information or to schedule a free assessment.

Remember: This isn't about vision acuity (seeing clearly) – it's about how well the eyes work together as a team.

(WORD) OF THE DAY

Convergence (kun-VER-juhns)

From the Latin "convergere" meaning "to incline together," convergence is when two things come together at a point. In vision, it's the ability of both eyes to turn inward to focus on close objects – like the words on this page!

Fun fact: Even chameleons, famous for their independently moving eyes, need to converge their vision when catching prey. 👀

That’s all for today!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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