Silent Elephant “e” Stops the Words and Letters From Jumping Around

In my last email (link here), Josie’s shared with us how she used to struggle with learning to read, write and spell and how differently she learns now because of Silent Elephant “e”™.

What a change from the shy, introverted, frightened of failure young girl I met to the beautifully confident and self-assured high school student she is today. Her life turned a complete 360.
 
Josie’s revelation about how the letters and words used to jumble up for her when she was reading and how the activities and strategies in Silent Elephant “e”™ stopped them from doing that made me so much more aware.
 
As I am teaching, I’m listening to my students for greater understanding. I’m listening more carefully as they share with me.
 
Just last month one of my seven-year-olds told me the letters were jumping off the page when she was trying to read!
 
I stopped short! This put me in my careful listening mode.
 
In the past, before Josie wrote about her experiences, I may have just listened politely to this little one without truly understanding what she was trying to explain to me.
 
She was really asking for help.
 
She was feeling comfortable enough in our relationship to share what she thought other people would think was silly—after all, letters don’t jump off a page.
 
But they did for her. 

Now because of Josie’s brave sharing of her own journey, I approach comments like this very differently. I know I need to know more.
 
I know I must ask questions and I must ask the right questions. I have to truly understand as well as I can what is going on with my students in order to guide each of them to becoming the successful reader I know they will become!
 
I knew I needed to honor what she was experiencing, so with this little one, I began gently asking questions to help her share more of what she was seeing such as:

• Do the letters jump up towards your eyes? (“No.”)

• Do the letters jump onto empty, blank space on the paper? (“No,” she replied rather sadly. I could tell that she wished the letters did land in a blank space.)

• Do the letters land on top of other letters? (“Yes.”)

• Do the letters land on top of other words? (“Yes.”)

• What is it like to see letters jumping on top of other letters and other words? (“It’s very hard to tell exactly what letters or words I am supposed to look at. It’s very messy.”)

I knew she was feeling very frustrated with trying to read, but sharing her frustration with me about the letters jumping around was helping her relax a little.
         
I suddenly remembered my dyslexic daughter telling me when she was little that tall letters slid across the lines to hook up to other words. She said tall letters from the next word would slide over to the word she was trying to read, so she would often add those sounds to the word she was reading. When she pronounced the word wrongly out loud, she realized it was incorrect because it was out of context. She would then struggle to correct it.
 
I have always sensed my daughter’s and my struggling students’ frustration. I have always known of their pain and sense of helplessness.

But now, I am so pleased that I can truly offer them hope, because I know from Josie’s experience that Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”™ is helping many children. (Here's the link to Josie.)
 
When I think about what Josie shared, I’m excited because I KNOW that my young seven-year-old will soon no longer experience the letters jumping off the page. She will soon be reading fluently and feeling confident.
 
I also realize, happily, that Silent Elephant “e”™ has probably helped many of my students who never mentioned the letters and words moving but experienced them stopping as they learned to read with Silent Elephant “e”™.
 
This is a wonderful realization and a happy understanding to share.
 
Silent Elephant “e”™ is the answer! Silent Elephant “e”™ is here to help. It stops the movement and jumbling of letters and words that some dyslexic learners experience when they try to read. It sets their life on a success path.
 
This is such a good feeling - there’s a path to success laid out ahead for them. It’s fun, it’s engaging, they love it – it’s Silent Elephant “e”™!

If your child has ever quietly mentioned letters or words moving around, contact us. We will set up a path of success.

If your child is dyslexic, contact us. Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”™ was written to ensure that dyslexic learners learn to read. It teaches them the way they learn by activating all parts of their brain with fun and engaging activities throughout every lesson.

AND, even if your child is not dyslexic, they will also love learning to read with Silent Elephant “e”™. They will fly! (This little kindergartener never looked back. Here's the link to her story.)
 
Click here to explore our website. Click here to email us for information.

"The Words and Letters Would Jumble Up" - Josie in Her Own Words

She Shared How the Letters and Words Moved

I had no idea how the sweet, shy girl who walked in my door would open my eyes and stop me in my tracks.

Today Josie’s a bright, happy, full of life, confident young teenager. She often makes me giggle while we are working together. She is not the person who walked my door.

Josie began tutoring with me because she struggled with reading, writing and spelling. At that time, she was so painfully shy that she could barely lift her eyes to look at me—her self-confidence was rock bottom.

It was obvious after visiting with her for just a few minutes, that she is a bright, intelligent girl. I knew I could help her, and so our journey began.

During the time we have worked together, Josie diligently persevered with a positive attitude attempting every learning task I presented to her in Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”™.

I have seen subtle changes in her as her reading, writing, and spelling skills grow. She is now a smooth, fluent reader with excellent comprehension!

I have watched her self-confidence blossom. Now her head is held high; her shoulders back as she smiles self-assuredly when I ask her to read and when I ask her questions. Her eyes meet mine with strength and confidence.

My heart bursts with pride for her every time she walks in the door.

A few weeks ago, Josie reached a place of feeling so secure in herself that she felt at ease sharing how she used to struggle in reading and learning. She shared what she sees now when she reads words and how my tutoring and Silent Elephant “e”™ has helped her.

I sat in amazement as she shared. I listened silently. My heart went out to her.

I felt that I understood much of what she was telling me and I could empathize with her, but I also felt that there was so much more she wanted to share if she could find the words (and SO much more I wanted to understand).

I asked her if she would write about her struggles to explain to me exactly what reading used to be like for her and how it has changed. I also asked her to write about her feelings. This is what she wrote:

“Prior to tutoring with Linda, when I looked at words, they appeared scrambled and jumbled.  Random letters from other words on the page would combine with the actual letters within a word I was trying to read.

Linda has taught my brain how to break down words, so when I’m focusing, I don’t see scrambled or jumbled words anymore.

I am able to read and see all of the phonics rules we learned by imagining the colors we used for each rule. If I have to read a tough word, my brain will picture the color parts that I need to read the word. I also remember the colored posters that I learned for the rules.

First I look for prefixes, suffixes and root words. Next I look for where the purple line(s) will be to divide the word into syllables. I listen to the syllable parts in my head. I look for small words within the word. Usually by then, I get the word. I don’t have to do all of these steps all of the time.

I like reading more now than I used to. When I was younger, I hated reading. I would get so frustrated. I didn’t want to read.

I really liked picture books, and I loved being read to.

I still don’t like to read out loud in class.

After tutoring with Linda, I love to read. It’s fun. ELA (English, Language Arts) is my favorite subject in school now. Josie Age 13”
 
Are you as stunned as I to learn of all of her difficulties and challenges; that letters moved around on the page and were scrambled and jumbled? When I read her beautifully written piece, I sat amazed.

In all the time I have tutoring her I never knew that letters were moving around the page for her!

I did actually notice when Josie first began coming to tutoring with me that she was having difficulties with clarity and focusing in on words when she was reading. I asked her mom if she would consider taking her to an eye doctor. Josie did need glasses and wears them now.

The glasses do help with clarity, but they can’t stop the letters from moving on the page. What stabilized the letters on the page for Josie were the colors and the teaching techniques I use in Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”™.

Josie’s confidence and ability to share her experiences and feelings opened a giant door for me.  Because of her, I am asking better questions of my struggling students. I am asking them what they are seeing on the pages. This is continuing to open doors of understanding for me.

I thank Josie from the bottom of my heart for feeling the confidence to share and helping me become a better teacher. She has helped me understand the importance of Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”™ yet again. Without Silent Elephant “e”™ she would be a painfully shy 13-year-old desperately struggling to understand her world instead of the confident, head high student who moves about her classrooms feeling in complete control of her learning.

Next time I will share the experience of two more students who answered, “What do you see on the page?”   It’s eye opening.

If you are questioning whether someone in your life is dyslexic and you’re not sure what to do, feel free to contact us.

Linda Katherine Smith-Jones                              Nina Henson