Our solution to reading difficulties

In the act of reading entails the visual perception of the letters, which are then translated into meaningful words in the mind. A child who finds it difficult to read is very likely suffering from a disconnect in this process. In order to learn to read correctly, a connection between his vision and his cognitive functions must be strengthened or created.

Thus, the ability to read potentially exists in every child in potential; we need only to lead him or her to actualize this ability. We do so by using the following tools:

• We have absolute faith in the child’s eventual ability to read.
• We convey this belief to the child openly and honestly.
• We identify the child’s strong points — where his thought processes flow and connect correctly – and use them to strengthen his weaker functions.
• We incorporate the totality of the child’s senses in the reading exercises: such as touch, movement, hearing and sight.
• We relate to the totality of the child’s personality, and all areas of his life, both those associated with learning and those unrelated to it. This allows room for the child’s interests and experiences to enter the learning experience, which can positively affect his progress in overcoming his problem.
• We not only work on the child’s reading ability, we work on his attitude to reading. We celebrate even the smallest degree of success in order to promote a change in the child’s attitude toward reading in general, and his perception of his own learning ability, specifically.
• We adjust ourselves to the child, in order to identify those topics and interests that can be integrated into a personalized learning method, to which we are exclusively suited.
• We act from a place of full confidence in the future success of the child’s learning ability, undeterred by any challenging situation, either due to our own abilities or the child’s ability.
• We strive to be creative, to be surprised, and to be flexible in use of various learning techniques, in order not to be limited to static and predefined patterns of thought and practice.
• We create a positive atmosphere: both the physical setting and the emotional one — smiling at the child, making him laugh, praising and empowering him, and placing him at the center of our attention. On the other hand, we demand that he invest himself in the process, and believe in his abilities.