Official Kids Mag is specifically written for kids ages 5 to 12. It contains activities and stories ranging from kid heroes, cooking, gardening, STEAM, education, fun facts and much more every month.
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many other children. "We didn't want our kids watching TV all day," said Mrs. Martin. "They couldn't play with neighborhood friends. We could only do so many games and crafts and dance parties and baking. So what did Addi start doing? She started reading. That girl read and read and read. It made my heart sing!" Addi discovered that she loved reading graphic novels. Her favorites were "The Babysitters Club," the "Dogman" series, and a few others that she read over and over. It's interesting to note that the Dogman novels were written by Dave Pilkey who himself was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as a child. Sometimes Addi couldn't get to sleep at night, so she would read her graphic novels for hours. And what do you think her mom's reaction was? Did she scold Addi and make her turn out the light? No, she didn't even mind when her daughter stayed up late, and she was excited that Addi had found books she loved to read. "She seemed to bounce back easily during the day at school. I think reading for enjoyment is one of the most important things that kids and adults can do, and it's a big passion of mine as a reading teacher." Addi always tested below her grade in reading but last fall as a fourth grader she tested a grade above. "Her highest score was in vocabulary," Mrs. Martin said, and explained it was because of her teachers, her hard work, and those graphic novels she read on her own. "They may not have as many words and paragraphs, but they can have high levels of vocabulary. We were so proud of her!" And Addi is pretty happy too. "Now I can read so easily. Mrs. Dominguez (Shaw's reading specialist) has taught me how to do 'vowel- consonant-vowel' when I come across a hard word. Reading is fun!" She likes reading about history, puppies and fun facts. Last June the family moved to the Tontitown area, and Addi and Cruz changed schools. At first they were upset to leave the school and friends they loved, but Shaw Elementary has turned out to be a great school and Addi gets the same helpful interventions she did at Hunt. If you were to meet Addi, you'd quickly see "she's a girly-girl," as her mom points out. "She loves sparkles and glitter. She loves wearing dresses. She is beautiful on the inside and out." Her dad thinks she's quite a kid, too. "She's caring, loving, and fun. She always worries about others being happy and hates it when others' feelings are hurt." And Cruz said with a grin, "Addi is funny. She's really funny!" Besides reading, Addi enjoys riding horses and takes riding lessons. She's also artistic and loves to draw and paint and make up stories with her toys as the characters. "We love listening to her create these characters and the little voices for each one," Mrs. Martin said. For parents with dyslexic children or other learning abilities that affect reading, Mrs. Martin advises taking away phones, tablets, video games and TV, or at least limiting their use. "That might seem harsh, but as an educator working with students who claim to hate reading, it's because they struggle. Instead of practicing their reading, it's easier to pick up a device and stay entertained. Take your kids to the library, let them pick out what they want to read. Allow that discovery and curiosity to occur in a book rather than social media or YouTube. Let them read 20 minutes a day. If they're really into something, they'll read even longer!" – says a girl who beat dyslexia fun, ' "Bright solutions for dyslexia," a facebook group that shares research and support. resources mrs. martin recommends (find them on the internet): arkansas' r.I.s.e. program (reading Initiative for student excellence) to provide a sound foundation in reading that's good for students with dyslexia and all students. the International dyslexia association ✔ ✔ ✔ www.officialkidsmag.com • march 2021 • 41