Storm started school January 2007. She seemed to progress at a steady pace. In 2008, in Grade 2, I noticed that her reading was not up to scratch. I spoke to her first teacher (she had four different teachers in Grade 2), and was assured that Storm was coping at a steady pace. This carried on until the third term, when the teacher advised me that Storm had a reading and spelling problem. I told her that I had picked that up, but according to the other teachers, Storm was doing fine. In the fourth term her fourth teacher advised me to take Storm for an assessment. She was diagnosed as being ADHD. She passed Grade 2 and in 2009 started in Grade 3.
I told her teacher that Storm would need to sit in the front of the class and asked her to give Storm some additional attention. She assured me this would happen, but it did not. Instead, it was suggested that Storm be sent to a remedial unit at one of the schools in the area. Reports etc. were submitted and both Storm and I went for an interview. Storm started at the remedial unit in May 2009.
As she had not improved substantially to move to Grade 4, Storm repeated Grade 3 in 2010. I was informed that, if she did not improve, she would need to go to a long-term remedial unit. In my opinion Storm was not long-term remedial unit material. She passed and went to Grade 4 in 2011.
During this time I looked on the Internet to see if there was anything I could do to assist Storm. I found Edublox and contacted Marj in Hillcrest, Durban. The clinic had not yet opened and I resolved that I would need to try something else. During the last term of 2010, I contacted Marj once again, who then advised me that a clinic was going to be opened in 2011. I contacted Marj periodically to find out about the clinic. Storm was still battling with reading and spelling, and her teachers were not very confident that she would improve enough to be able to go to mainstream in 2012.
In June 2011 I took Storm to Edublox for an assessment. Marj was confident that Storm could be helped. Storm attended the holiday clinic for one week in July and blossomed. She started going to the clinic on a Friday afternoon and has been there ever since.
For the second term of 2011 Storm had 2’s, 3’s and a few 4’s. She was still battling with her reading and spelling and her teachers were very worried about this. Before the close of the third term, parents had to have a progress meeting with the respective teacher. I met with Storm’s teacher who informed me that Storm had improved considerably, and they were so happy with the progress. I then advised her that it is due to her going to Edublox. I do believe that if she did not have the encouragement and assistance from Marj, she would not be going to mainstream next year, but to a long-term remedial centre.
I am so proud of Storm and the progress she has made. She did this not because I said she should do it, but because she wants to improve and do much better at school. She starts at Highway College in January 2012.
Thanks you so much Marj for the time, effort and commitment that you give to each and every child that enters the clinic doors. Our children, and their parents, are truly blessed.
Wendy Madden