720x540 (Original: 720x540)More than 80% of the participants during the Dyslexia Summit were teachers. The group was a mix of private and public school educators from all levels: kindergarten, primary, secondary, and even higher education. The exchange of stories and experiences that took place proved that reading difficulties like dyslexia don’t just go away as a person grows up. Without proper intervention, a struggling learner will remain struggling even to adulthood.

We are not trained

The participating teachers all agreed that they have received no proper training to recognize and respond to symptoms of dyslexia. Some even confessed guilty of leaving struggling readers under the “bata pa kasi” category. However, as evident from what a college professor shared during the open forum, some children don’t simply surpass their struggle. Instead, they remain struggling and clueless or mistakenly labeled due to their difficulty.

We need partners

Given the lack of training, the educators asked about ways forward that they could take. Some of them immediately approached members of the Instant Reader™ (IR) Team to discuss how to bring the much-needed assistance to their local community. Some also expressed interest in getting further training and starting their own IR team in their respective areas.

Our children need compassion

Undoubtedly, teaching is a profession more driven by a yearning to serve than to be served. One word that was mentioned repeatedly throughout the event was “compassion”—compassion for struggling learners, compassion for those who are stigmatized because of a difficulty they didn’t inflict on themselves. “It is not their fault,” Teacher Vicki emphasized.

Much work is left to be done in the education sector, especially for learners who have skills not at par with what is usually expected for their age. Instant Reader™ pledges to continue to support the sector through its services, training and seminars, and CSR projects.