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Reader Profile Series: Interview with a Dyslexic Reader
Feb 20, 2013 8:44 AM
By Liz Overberg - FF/S
This is the fifth in a series of interviews with Middle School readers. I took on this interview project because I wanted to showcase some of the different reader profiles that I encounter every day in the Middle School library. I will post a new interview in a blog post each week. Some of the interviewees will be self-identified "readers," but others will be non-readers. I won't identify the interviewees here by name. Instead, I'll offer a profile that describes them.
These interviews are intended to offer a small glimpse into the way that kids think about reading.
This week’s interview is with a student who has Dyslexia. Dyslexic children (and adults, for that matter) can become very frustrated with the extra time and effort that it takes for them to read, and Dyslexia can also affect self-esteem for students who compare themselves to their peers. Even those Dyslexic students who love to read often develop a rocky relationship with books. There is no cure for Dyslexia, because Dyslexia is not a disease. People with Dyslexia simply have brains that function differently than those of people who do not have Dyslexia. Dyslexia does not affect intelligence, nor does it keep a child from learning and reading. Dyslexic students often have to work harder and implement strategies to become stronger readers, as has been the case with this week’s interviewee.
To learn more about Dyslexia, visit the International Dyslexia Association website at www.interdys.org.
(This week's interview is included below.)
READER PROFILE:
Do you consider yourself to be a “reader”?
Well I read, but I don’t always. Like I wouldn’t read in my free time.
Did you ever consider yourself to be a reader?
No.
How often do you read?
Only really when I have to.
Do you ever read when it’s not assigned for school?
Sometimes. I read Game Informer [a magazine].
Do you want to comment on having dyslexia?
It’s been hard for me, but it’s okay now.
What made it easier?
Because I’ve had to read more and more. I’ve gotten more used to it.
Do you ever listen to audiobooks?
Yes, a lot. I do that for summer reading a lot. I like it better.
Do you read the words while you’re listening?
Well I’m supposed to, but I don’t always.
What types of books do you like to read?
Funny books, and adventurous books.
How do you find new books to read?
I ask Mrs. Overberg.
What is your favorite book that you’ve read recently?
Probably Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading [by Tommy Greenwald]. It’s really funny.
Where is your favorite place to read?
My bed.
Paper, or e-reading? (Would you rather read a book, or read on your iPad?)
A book.
Image credit:
"Man Avatar Head Body Circle Sketch Drawing." Pixabay. Pixabay, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. <https://pixabay.com/en/man-avatar-head-body-circle-39087/>.
These interviews are intended to offer a small glimpse into the way that kids think about reading.
This week’s interview is with a student who has Dyslexia. Dyslexic children (and adults, for that matter) can become very frustrated with the extra time and effort that it takes for them to read, and Dyslexia can also affect self-esteem for students who compare themselves to their peers. Even those Dyslexic students who love to read often develop a rocky relationship with books. There is no cure for Dyslexia, because Dyslexia is not a disease. People with Dyslexia simply have brains that function differently than those of people who do not have Dyslexia. Dyslexia does not affect intelligence, nor does it keep a child from learning and reading. Dyslexic students often have to work harder and implement strategies to become stronger readers, as has been the case with this week’s interviewee.
To learn more about Dyslexia, visit the International Dyslexia Association website at www.interdys.org.
(This week's interview is included below.)
- Reader Profile #1: Interview with an Avid Reader (01/24/2013)
- Reader Profile #2: Too Busy for Books? (01/31/2013)
- Reader Profile #3: "I Hate Reading." (02/07/2013)
- Reader Profile #4: "I Don't Get to Read as Much as I Used to." (02/14/2013)
- GENDER: Male
- GRADE LEVEL: 6
- READER STATUS: Reluctant Reader with Dyslexia
Do you consider yourself to be a “reader”?
Well I read, but I don’t always. Like I wouldn’t read in my free time.
Did you ever consider yourself to be a reader?
No.
How often do you read?
Only really when I have to.
Do you ever read when it’s not assigned for school?
Sometimes. I read Game Informer [a magazine].
Do you want to comment on having dyslexia?
It’s been hard for me, but it’s okay now.
What made it easier?
Because I’ve had to read more and more. I’ve gotten more used to it.
Do you ever listen to audiobooks?
Yes, a lot. I do that for summer reading a lot. I like it better.
Do you read the words while you’re listening?
Well I’m supposed to, but I don’t always.
What types of books do you like to read?
Funny books, and adventurous books.
How do you find new books to read?
I ask Mrs. Overberg.
What is your favorite book that you’ve read recently?
Probably Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading [by Tommy Greenwald]. It’s really funny.
Where is your favorite place to read?
My bed.
Paper, or e-reading? (Would you rather read a book, or read on your iPad?)
A book.
Image credit:
"Man Avatar Head Body Circle Sketch Drawing." Pixabay. Pixabay, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. <https://pixabay.com/en/man-avatar-head-body-circle-39087/>.
