Upstate students with dyslexia share their stories through writing a book

Upstate students with dyslexia share their stories by writing a book

Students at an Upstate school that specializes in dyslexia are hoping to inspire others by sharing their story. Eleanor Stoker, a writing teacher at Lakes and Bridges Charter School, gave her fourth-grade students an assignment to write a book called “Our Journey” detailing their personal experiences dealing with dyslexia. Every student at Lakes and Bridges has dyslexia or a language-based learning challenge. One student said, “I hated school. It was horrible. I always was the last to finish work no matter how easy it was, and I couldn’t read at all. I was scared because every other kid beside me would read fluently.”

Empowering Voices

In the process of writing the book, Stoker noticed several of her students had similar struggles at their previous schools. Now, her students are using their voices to share their stories. “To hear [the students] read their stories and to understand that coming to Lakes and Bridges changed the educational trajectory of their lives… I don’t even have an adjective to describe it,” said Founder of Lakes and Bridges Carolyn Stroup.

Award-Winning Book

The book won the “Book of the Month” award and will be entered in the annual competition for “Book of the Year”.