“Bob, Stop Teaching Kids to Read”

For over fifteen years, while I was a special education math & science teacher, I would take 15 to 20 minutes out of a very long 75 minute math or science class and have my learning disabled students complete lessons in a software called Academy of Reading®. It was an incredibly effective teaching strategy. Students would improve anywhere from two to five grades in a semester.

But on a Friday afternoon in March 2009, this all came to an abrupt end. I was called over the PA to the vice-principal's office and was ordered to stop teaching kids to read in my math class. The ruling was that I could only teach math curriculum in math class; using math time to learn to read was no longer allowed. 

All of these IEP students were functionally illiterate. This particular class was a very challenging, multiple exceptionalities learning disabilities class. Not one of these twelve students was able to read their grade 9 math workbook as most of them had a reading level of about grade 5. Many of these students were smart, right brain dominant, and on the severe end of the dyslexia spectrum. Not one could do basic arithmetic, such as their timetables.

I pleaded my case to the principal. I pointed out the marvelous research by Dr. Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Reading Research at Tufts University, which showed that students who had dyslexia or who were struggling to read almost always struggle with arithmetic too, and that helping these students become readers would improve their arithmetic skills. I shared a paper I had brought back from the International Reading Association’s annual meeting entitled, “The Problem with Math Word Problems are the …. Words”. 

It was like talking to a brick wall. It wasn’t that I wasn’t successful in teaching reading. In fact, the trustees had recently chosen me for the Outstanding Teacher Award based on my success teaching students with dyslexia to read. But their edict was that reading could only be taught in English class. I implored, “Show me a high school teacher who teaches reading? Reading stops being taught after grade 3!” I continued, “All these kids have an IEP – it is written in their IEP that they are to be taught to read. Teaching them to read is legal!” I got nowhere. The decision was final. I could no longer teach these kids to read. The inflexibility of the system would no longer allow it.

So I retired in June 2009, after a great thirty-four year career. In 2010, I spent a wonderful twenty weeks as a reading consultant for a school district in BC. I got invaluable primary/junior experience there.

In June 2011, I launched onlinereadingtutor.com. The vast majority of our students have an IEP for reading disabilities, including dyslexia, and are able to improve their reading fluency in our training. In fact, Online Reading Tutor is even more effective than my classroom!

Parents, I share this with you to let you know the incredible ignorance in the teaching profession about reading and dyslexia. Reading instruction is oftentimes nowhere to be found in teaching colleges. One needs to take a special Ministry course on reading instruction. Very few teachers do because, unless you are a primary teacher, reading instruction is not part of your curriculum.

If your child is a struggling reader or has dyslexia, they almost certainly will get no help with their reading after grade 3. They will get lots of technology, but they won’t be taught to read. 

If your child is in this position, you can download our app and begin their training today! With 20-30 minutes each day, your child can train anytime, anywhere on our mobile app and become a fluent reader.