No One Is Perfect.doc

No One Is Perfect By Suzanne Bertrand Whats wrong with me? Those were the words that rolled through my mind when my mom took me to a specialist to help me with my reading problem. Im thirteen, and through my years in school I never understood why spelling was so difficult, yet I loved to write. Listening came easy, but I never understood what I read. My grades were above average, and since I was quiet by nature, the teachers didnt notice that I was having difficulties. My mom felt there was a problem when it took me three hours to do homework every night, even, with her help. I began to hate school and kept my frustrations buried inside. Mom complained to the teachers that they were giving too much homework, and they told her no other parents had voiced the concern. Reading out loud in class was embarrassing. If I made a mistake, students would yelp out the word that I messed up and it sounded as though everyone was yelling at me. Finally, they recommended that I be tested by a psychologist. She diagnosed that I had a problem processing information, calling it a reading disability. The psychologist wanted my parents to get me a tutor to help me catch up in reading and told me that I had to talk to my teachers and tell them to repeat something if I didnt catch it. Patience was the key. I needed to go slower in order to understand what I read. The tutor worked with me in the summer, using flash cards tto to help me learn sounds, but even better, she helped me gain confidence in myself and allowed me to discover the ways that I am smart. My “enrichment” class at school taught me how to do homework and review for tests, and my teachers gave me extra time to do class work. Mom or dad would read out loud from my textbooks at night so that I understood the lessons better. The best thing that happened to me was finding my best friend, Katrina. She was the smartest girl in the class, and yet she still asked me for help! I felt my confidence grow even lar