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Reeve was in Grade 3 and still couldn’t read or spell despite repeating Grade 2. -
Real progress started showing on Reeve’s Grade 4, term 1 school report when his marks improved by up to 44% for his subjects (see school report below).
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“I am so proud of him as a parent. He is full of life, excited, happy, and writing slowly on his own,” wrote Marrietta, Reeve’s mom.
Reeve’s mom tells his story:
As a mom, it’s more than just a report on how amazing my son Reeve is. My story has to start with his older brother so you can understand how I feel and the joy it brings to my heart to write about Reeve’s progress in school. My older son was taken out of mainstream school because of ADHD, dyslexia and epilepsy. Following the advice of doctors and psychologists, we put him in a special needs school. As parents, we did what we thought was best, especially since he was being bullied and unhappy every day.
He’s now happy at his school, but he still struggles with reading and writing because of his epilepsy and dyslexia. For my baby Reeve, we never expected any problems because of his positive attitude and being a happy and open boy. This was the last thing we thought about. When Reeve started primary school, he was super excited to go to school every day. His progress reports for terms 1 and 2 showed grades of 4s and 5s, and we encouraged him to work harder.
Grade 1
Midway through term 3 in Grade 1, the teacher met with us about Reeve’s progress. We understood he needed help, and they said Reeve must attend intervention classes and couldn’t do sports. We agreed, thinking he would get the support he needed at school while we did our part at home to help him.
Grade 2
Reeve went to Grade 2, still happy and excited to attend school. In term 2, we had another meeting with the teacher about his progress. This time, the talk was different. They suggested taking Reeve out of school and putting him in a special needs school. This was not what we expected at all. How can this be? Reeve is not the same as his older brother.
We took Reeve to see a psychologist for an evaluation. The result was that Reeve is a boy struggling with reading and writing, but he only needs extra help in these areas to make progress. Reeve had attended preschool, so we thought the foundation for primary school was laid. We shared the psychologist’s feedback with the teachers. Reeve attended intervention classes that year and had to repeat Grade 2. I was happy because it meant he could improve and do much better in school.
Grade 2 (repeat)
Reeve had the best report when school started, and I knew it was because he remembered the work from repeating the grade. In the last term, we had another progress meeting, and the teacher told us again that Reeve was struggling with reading and writing. Even though he was improving, he was still not at the level to move forward, and they suggested holding him back again.
I didn’t understand this report at all. Reeve attended intervention classes and repeated Grade 2, and his report showed grades of 5s and 6s. We said okay, but we still did not understand why he was struggling if he was getting help from school. As a working mom and his dad also working, we needed to think about what to do next. There was no way we were repeating the same thing with Reeve as we did with his brother. Reeve doesn’t have epilepsy, so we couldn’t understand the slow progress. I started reading more about dyslexia and watching YouTube stories of moms and kids doing the same thing.
Grade 3
Reeve was going to Grade 3, and I became more anxious about his future and what I could do to help him. Everything was expensive – private schools and tutoring classes. His dad and I talked, and we had another meeting in term 1 about Reeve’s performance. I saw my happy boy turn into someone who didn’t smile, sat alone, and was always frustrated when asked about school. While helping him with homework one day, Reeve said, “Mummy, I don’t want to go to school anymore,” and started crying. I asked why, and he said, “I can’t read and don’t know anything, Mummy.” That broke my heart.
I thought I was helping him by reading his work out loud and helping with writing, but I realized I was making things worse for him. That night, I prayed for my sons like never before, asking for help and direction. His dad and I decided that even if we needed to spend R2000 or more, we would find a place to help Reeve. The meeting at school went as we expected – they wanted us to take Reeve out and put him in a special school. We politely but firmly told the teacher that we would find a tutor for Reeve to help with reading and writing, but we were not taking him out of school. We asked them to be patient with him.
In the second term, I found the Edublox website just before school started. I called Sandra, and we had a meeting. Today, I am forever grateful to her because she explained things no one else did. Reeve has dyslexia and ADHD, but she said this amazing thing: that Reeve can overcome this with time.
Reeve felt comfortable with Sandra during the evaluation. She made him feel free to express himself and put him at ease. She also directed me to a teacher who could help my older son.
I’m so grateful for Edublox, their work, and how they teach with passion and compassion. They get to know the learners, work on their confidence, and celebrate every bit of progress. We met in term 3 with Reeve’s teacher, and she said again that Reeve should go to a special needs school. We asked to see Reeve’s report on his progress. I was shocked when the teacher said Reeve could only spell three words correctly in term 2, but could now spell 15 – 20 words and read by spelling out the letters. I cried that day and asked the teacher if she saw Reeve’s progress. She said she did. I told her that’s why I celebrate every little improvement he shows. Please have patience with Reeve.
Grade 4
Reeve is in Grade 4 this year, and I am so proud of him as a parent. He is full of life, excited, happy, and writing slowly on his own. He never gives up, even when struggling with his homework. Sometimes, I want to help him, but he says, “No, Mummy, I got this. Give me a few minutes.”
Reeve’s perseverance and attitude towards his schoolwork and everything he does amaze me. I want to thank Edublox and Sandra. She has shown me a passion and love for teaching that I hadn’t seen before. I encourage every parent with a child struggling with reading and writing to find help. ADHD and dyslexia are real, but we as parents need to be educated about what we can do. There is hope and help out there. Don’t just accept what the teachers say about progress. Believe that your child is capable and that they can do it. I’m a proud parent of two amazing sons, blessed beyond words.
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Marrietta Claasen
*Reeve attended Edublox Somerset West