To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to write this letter of
recommendation in behalf of Larry and Stacey Smith of Rocky Point Academy in
Calgary, Alberta.
My name is Kristy and I would like to
tell you about my 13-year-old daughter. Kirsha has dyslexia. Like
many parents with a child that is not learning at school the "normal way" I have
gone from worry and despair to she'll get it eventually. In the end the
reality was that I had a child who was 12 and could not use a public restroom if
there was not a symbol on the door to indicate "Ladies or Men's".
I have tried everything, from bribing her, taking away
privileges, reading tutors, videos, cassette tapes, and expensive phonics
programs. We even moved from England to the United States where I
thought just maybe the educational system would be a bit broader in it's
approach to reading.
After 18 months in the USA still nothing
was working. I was about at the end, wondering and hoping that somehow I
could find an answer to help my daughter learn to read.
My answer came when I met Larry and
Stacey Smith of Rocky Point Academy. They
told me of a program developed by Ron Davis who is the author of
The Gift
of Dyslexia. I was thrilled and hopeful that this could be the answer
that we had been searching for.
In November I took Kirsha out of
school to go through the one-week program offered by the Smiths.
Kirsha's life was changed
forever on that day!
Using the methods developed by Ron Davis,
Rocky Point Academy taught Kirsha how to use her gift of dyslexia.
Kirsha started the week with a
reading level of a kindergartener. She did not even know
her alphabet. Kirsha learned more that first day in
Rocky Point Academy than she had in 7 years of school.
For the first time in her life, Kirsha came to
realize that she was not stupid like the education
system and others had tried to tell her. She was not subnormal or mentally
lacking. The reality was that she was gifted,
but no one could help her access her gift. As the week progressed not only
did Kirsha learn her alphabet but she also learned to read. In one week
her reading level jumped several grades. (And continues to do so)
Stacey Smith has
taught and equipped
Kirsha with the skills and tools to learn successfully.
She has helped her to realize her learning
potential. I cannot begin to thank and praise
Larry and Stacey Smith enough for their hard work and encouragement. With
their outstanding approach to learning (not just reading) they have
impacted Kirsha's life and
forever changed it for the better.
I have not only
found them to be outstanding educators and people of integrity, but also a
couple who are deeply concerned about those they come in contact with. I
would trust them with my children and have found them to be of the highest moral
character. Larry and Stacey have not just been teachers to us, but they
have become people that I respect and admire for their commitment and
convictions in the education field.
I highly recommend
the program that the Smiths have to offer. I would be more than happy to
give a verbal reference for them at any time. In closing I would like to
say, that like you, I thought this was too good to be true. For Kirsha it
has been her miracle. As for me, I will never be able to repay the Smiths
for the outstanding and life-changing impact they have had on my daughter's
life. At one point I truly thought that she would never learn to read.
On Kirsha's first
trip to Barnes and Noble she walked into the store and started to cry.
I asked her why she was crying. She said, "I
never wanted to come in here before, because I knew that everyone would know I
couldn't read. Now I can read any book I want. I'm not stupid and I
have a good brain."
We spent 3 hours in Barnes and Noble that day. She pulled book
after book off the shelf and read many of them.
Larry and Stacey,
from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
K. Kristy
