Dear Mom,

Bless your heart. My first response is to pray with you at this moment. So let's do that.

Jesus we love you. We rest in Your overwhelming mercy and tender love for each of us. Lord when the sorrows and the frustrations of this life threaten to bow our spirits, we trust in Your care and the graces that are available to us each moment of every day. Lord we ask that you calm our fears and anxieties. Lord we ask for the grace sufficient to trust our spirits to Your healing. Lord we ask that You empower and inspire this dear mom as she faces the challenges that are upon her at this moment. Lord please allow that she have the time necessary to rest in Your embrace, so that she might experience the power of renewal during the quiet. Inspire her to find methods of teaching that will aid her son in reading. Lord we know that You have created our children for good and in this truth we find our strength. St. Ann pray for us. Amen.

My first suggestion is to calm your fears concerning reading. Many students, boys in particular, are slow to learn the skill of reading. The most important factors to take into account are really simple. Make certain that your son doesn't need corrective eye wear or that he has a slight disability with regard to reading such as dyslexia. You might find that speaking with your health care provider beneficial.

Keep reading out loud to your son and encourage him to read along with you as he feels comfortable. I would strongly suggest that you purchase the book entitled The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. This book is a breakthrough for all parents and teachers who are sincerely trying to improve their child's reading and reading comprehension. You probably have a copy of the book in your public library.

Remember that each day that your son gains in maturity will help him along the path to full reading. Do not be discouraged. Reading out loud to your children improves their ability to read to themselves. However it is important to keep in mind that mastering reading is not unlike mastering any other skill, all children develop at different rates according to their uniqueness. This is so important to remember. Reading is the master skill and as such it needs plenty of patient encouragement.

Please step back from the issues that are so vexing. Perhaps another homeschooling friend would be available to read with your son or to even tutor him for you. This may help you to step back and recharge for the day to day work ahead. My daughter has severe dyslexia. The best step I ever took was to have another homeschooling mom tutor her for a time. Each day Ms. Debbie would tell me how well Madeline had done and how much she was accomplishing. This helped me greatly as it was a positive opinion that encouraged me. Because I was so close to the situation, I was unable to see the forest for the trees.

I admire you very much and will be praying for you this evening as I go about my night chores. You are going to do great, just take a deep breath and spend some alone time (perhaps after Mass, let your husband watch the children) with the Lord. He longs to comfort and uplift you for the work ahead. Go forward into the truth that if God allows a challenge He will gift us with the resources necessary to handle the challenge.

Let us offer up our prayers for all those children who are learning to deal with blindness. Lord let their tiny fingers work to understand Braille and let the world open up to them through the loving attention of teachers and parents.

Sending out a prayer,

Rita Munn