SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — A new online academy is focused on helping students with dyslexia. A former Sand Springs teacher just launched the program after her son struggled with reading.
“We didn’t know what was going on,” said Laken Gooch. “We didn’t know how to help him. Finally he said he couldn’t read. He’d been faking it.”
Gooch says her 11-year-old son Stapleton had struggled with reading for years. She says he was acting out and it was all a result of not being able to read.
“It doesn’t just affect language arts, it starts to affect every aspect of your life,” Gooch said.
After he was diagnosed with dyslexia and they got him the help he needed, he’s been doing much better. The situation left Gooch and her husband wondering how many other children are dealing with the same thing.
“Through this whole process, me and my husband kept thinking what about all the other people that don’t have the time or the money to help their child learn how to read,” she said. “How heartbreaking that is.”
It’s the reason they founded Dyfference Makers. It’s a brand new online academy focused on helping students that are struggling with reading especially those with dyslexia.
Gooch has created a series of lessons for students. She has four so far and will have more than 100 once she’s done. She says the academy helps students with several reading components like vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. She says all of the lessons are designed to equip students with the tools they need to get better.
“The biggest difference is their confidence,” Gooch said.
She says the academy is based on the Orton-Gillingham model which means everything is explicitly taught.
“The student is not expected to know anything they haven’t already learned which is really big."
She says dyslexia affects 20% of the population, but the academy is useful for any student struggling with reading. The academy is $47 a month and will eventually include more than 100 learning modules.
Anyone interested in learning more about the academy can find more information online.
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