This is Scott.  Scott is a sweet, gentle boy.  He is deeply loved and wanted by his parents and older siblings.   He enjoys playing with his cousins and visiting his grandparents.  He loves going to Bible class.  He is in many ways an old soul- thoughtful and mindful.  His favorites things include monster truck rallies, climbing trees and riding bikes.  He reads wonderful stories with his mom each day from the books all over the house.

This is Luke.  Luke is also a sweet, gentle boy.  He is deeply loved and wanted by his parents and will be the oldest of three boys.   He loves visiting his  family members that live far away.  He has lots of friends at church and is in many ways an old soul- always thinking big thoughts.  His favorites are playing with his toy cars, wrestling with his dad, and climbing anything.  Everyday, he loves to read with his mom and will often  pretend to read to  his baby brother.

Many people love Scott.  He especially loves his Granny.  He is very good at making and building things.  As he grows up, he learns how to weld and drive semi-trucks.  He knows how to care for horses and cherishes his cat, Cinnamon.

Many people love Luke, too.  He also loves his grandparents.  He is very good at sketching and pushes himself to be physically fit. He has a bucket list of many daring adventures, like sky-diving, which he has  already crossed off. 

As you might see, 

Scott and Luke have many things in common.  

Scott and Luke have more in common than you know...

They are both dyslexic.

By the second year in second grade, Scott was identified has having a reading disability. He was 8 1/2 years old. His parents tried to get him help in all the ways they knew how.  Teachers tried to help Scott in all the ways they knew how.  School was hard for Scott.  Instead of practicing reading, he wanted to be outside doing things he was good at- riding motorcycles, daredevil tricks on his bike, planning his gas station.  He already knew he just couldn't read.  Reading felt too hard!

By the second year of kindergarten, Luke's mom and teacher knew his reading discrepancies were too big.  He was identified as being dyslexic.  He was 6 1/2 years old.  His parents and teachers agreed that he should have explicit, systematic phonics instruction through an after-school intervention.  He then went home and practiced more everyday with his mom.  He wanted to be outside and play, but he wanted to learn to read like his friends.  Sometimes reading felt too hard, and Luke and  Mom would both cry.  But Luke didn't give up!