Please read through testimonials from children and adults explaining experiences before and after coming to OnPoint
June 20, 2008: Here's a note from Isaac's mom. Isaac came to OnPoint last summer and has obviously been working very hard since then. Congratulations, Isaac, on a job well done!
"Isaac received the President's Award for Excellence in Achievement at his 5th grade graduation. The award demonstrates how hard he worked not just the grades he received. But there is no question that he has accomplished so much because of the time he spent at OnPoint. The biggest things I noticed were a new desire to get involved in his school work, his pleading to go to Barnes and Noble to get new books he wanted to read on his own, and, most importantly, his new confidence that he wasn't stupid. He has been eager to do his homework and rarely asks for help beyond how to spell a word. He smiles more, is distracted less, and is able to refocus his attention very quickly. It's like having a better version of the same child."
"Cathy thanks for everything."
-Karen
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June 2008: Below is a picture of Lindsey, at her 8th grade graduation party with her award winning clay dragon. Read a bit of what Lindsey had to say after discovering her "Gift of Dyslexia."
"It's kind of like being a little kid again and learning everything the right way. It makes me want to become a Davis facilitator, to go out and tell people you're not alone. I want them to know there is a better way."
"Before I had my tools I almost had the feeling of having a seizure (when disoriented); it hurt. As my Davis tools started sinking in that feeling stopped. I can do things now without the worry of failure. I know I can do the things that I want. I'm glad I can say things with confidence!"
Another change since Lindsey came to OnPoint is she no longer struggles with headaches. The migraine headaches that her doctor prescribed medication for are now gone. No medication is needed for learning issues, either. No headaches, no medicine, just Davis!
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N
April 2008
Nathalie, the artist of these paintings, discovered her talents after completing her Davis Dyslexia Correction Program. She'll soon introduce a website for her paintings.
Nathalie wrote this about her Davis Dyslexia experience:
The Gift of Dyslexia
"Hello Cathy,
Thank you for the opportunity to share my journey with the Davis program:
My name is Nathalie and I was born in Quebec, Canada. My first language is French. I have a college degree in chemical engineering (1992). My husband is also an engineer. We moved to Texas in 1994. I stay at home to raise our 3 children.
Nathalie
In October 2004, my older daughter Anne-Sophie was in the 8th grade when she hit a brick wall in her capacity to learn at school. She was failing her Spanish class. Her behavior changed and I decided to do some research to help her find the SOURCE of her problems. For years I had the feeling something was not working for her in school. She had trouble with memorizing (multiplication facts), spelling, reading, organization skills, etc. So I went to the public library to get information on learning difficulties. Ron Davis' book was on the shelf and its positive title attracted me. I read the back cover and felt right away that I had found a jewel. After reading the book, I recognized my daughter as well as myself. My husband and I decided really quickly that she really needed the program. After her program the sparkles in her eyes, the ones she had when she was younger, came back. We were very impressed.
Nathalie
At the same time my daughter's struggles unfolded, I was trying to write a book, but I was struggling tremendously. I had so many ideas but it was hard to put them down on paper. I would end up exhausted every day, totally drained (like when I was in school). I knew I wanted the program for myself, so in January of 2005 I met Cathy. I did the alignment procedure and my mind went still. It was amazing. I learned the tools and brought them into my life. It was difficult at first to stay aligned and I realized that I had to LIVE my emotions fully to succeed. I wished I had had those tools when I was in school. It would have been very helpful during my engineering studies in college.
Nathalie
In February 2005 I had this urgent feeling to try oil painting. I did and loved it right away. Now I am painting regularly and getting very good at it; it has become one of the greatest joys of my life. A passion really! I can get aligned easily but without release I would have never succeeded with my art and would have given up like everything else. The Davis strategies are not only for students presently in school. They are very helpful to people from every aspect of life; they empower you to grab your full potential when you consciously decide to use them. Going into the Davis Program was not a final destination but a beginning. Now I am accepting who I am. I am not talking about the mom, the wife, the dyslexic, the artist, but the human being that came into this world with everything she'll ever need to be happy."
find your gift
-Nathalie
_The Gift of dyslexia
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August 2008
Cathy,
I thought I should give you an update on Rand. After completing his program in November, we took a family vacation to Washington, D.C. I would ask if the kids were practicing being "on point" and they would say "yes." They proved it by getting on point while riding the subway. That trip was followed by the craziness of the Christmas holiday. I wasn't sure Rand was really using his new skills as we had an extended break from school work. I relaxed and just trusted that he was indeed using his new skills. It was one of the hardest things I've done as a homeschooling mom.
I didn't see much of a change with Rand and I started to worry. He still didn't want to write and arguments were fairly common. Then in April a light switch was flipped. Rand started caring about his belongs and *cleaning* his room. He also informed me that he wanted to learn to "write small like you." I went to the computer and selected a font that closely matched my basic style of print. I printed the alphabet in lower and upper case that mimicked the way the Davis alphabet is laid out. I then showed him how I make my letters, starting from the top. He took that sample and simple instruction and proceeded to fill out an entire character sheet for his role playing game in just a matter of minutes. That was huge. Before he went through the program I had asked him to write the Pledge of Allegiance. He'd said that was too long so I said write, "I pledge allegiance to the flag." Those six words took him two and a half minutes.
Now arguments have diminished and I believe it is because he can get on point and see things from that centered position that more closely agrees with what I see. It's hard to explain to people who haven't been through the program. The best illustration I have of what the arguments were like before is when he was playing football and on the offensive line. He would be at the line, the ball was snapped, and the defensive lineman would fire off the line, and knock Rand down. He would be frustrated and I would tell him he needed to fire off the line, get low, and push the other guy back. He would argue to no end and insist he had indeed done everything I was saying. His mind's eye was far to the left and slightly back, he was seeing the guard next to him fire off the line and push the guy back. Now he's on point and we don't argue about things like that. It's much more peaceful and less stressful.
Thank you for your dedication and reassurance. I hope to have Rand back and work on some of the concepts such as time, cause, effect, and consequence.
--Ann
(Here are some selections from other emails from Ann)
September 2007 (before programs)
Dear Cathy,
I am reading Ronald Davis' book, The Gift of Dyslexia. I find a new reason to be reduced to tears with every chapter. I'm at chapter 17 right now. Almost every chapter describes Rowan. Our 11 year old son is also very gifted. Although he was able to skip second grade and was them pulled out of the public school system because we felt he wasn't being challenged, his absolute lack of ability for written work was very frustrating. I kept thinking, how can you read at a college level and not be able to write a single sentence. We have had so many battles and tears, broken pencils and melt downs. I get it now.
I see hope for so many people I have encountered that struggle with similar issues. I want to buy a case of The Gift of Dyslexia books and hand them out as I connect with parents who fight similar battles, who've dealt with tears and melt downs and have blamed themselves. I am so thankful for this program!
Read
November 2007 (After Rowan's correction program)
Rowan read for 2 hours straight today. We picked up a fairy series during the program in Columbia and she simply could not wait until bedtime to read the next chapter. When she realized she had read the entire book in less than an hour, she didn't want to stop! She begged to read more and who was I to stop her! It was thrilling to see her face light up and start to give me play by play, "Oh, no, mama. The fairy left her wand on the ground when she dove in the water and now the goblin has it!" I knew she had a picture clear as day in her head and was able to read the book. Simply wonderful!
Read
January 2008
Rowan has discovered there are more books in the Rainbow Fairies series. She's gone through The Rainbow Fairies, The Weather Fairies, and is on the last book of the Jewel Fairies. The Pet Fairies are next. She's able to complete a book a day and more, if she's in the mood. I asked if she would read to me today and was almost brought to tears with the ease she read the book aloud. There were some words she stumbled on but she wasn't flustered. She simply took a deep breath and if she wasn't able to get it using her tools, she simply asked for help. I'm so happy for her and I know this semester of our school year will prove to be tremendous with this achievement helping with so many other areas of learning!
-Ann
Mother of Rowan,9 & Rand,11
Rowan and Rand
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OnPoint
January 29, 2008
onpoint
Dear Cathy,
“I wanted you to know that before we came to you we’d been working on the alphabet daily for two years! Letters and their sounds—and Nathanael could never learn them. By the time we started homeschooling he had stopped doing any academic work.
Now that we’ve started the Davis Reading Program for Young Learner’s he’s excited! He went from frustration to reading! It used to be that he knew, like N—because it’s in his name—but he couldn’t remember it when he wanted to. Now, he’s excited about reading!”
-DeAnn
Mother of Nathanael, age 7
OnPoint_______________________________________________________________________________________________
I just wanted to give you an update on Daniel and Corinne's progress. Both are doing incredibly well since their treatments last winter.Daniel, who would rather lose a limb than read a book (before his program), has finished the entire series of Daryl Shan books he began during his time with you, and has begun reading others, FOR PLEASURE! Imagine that! His ability to get through his school work and comprehend, with ease, has been the biggest, most rewarding, self esteem booster for him. Things with which he used to struggle before are no longer an issue. He is truly a different child.
Corinne has also made great strides. Her ability to comprehend what she reads and stay focused has improved greatly. She is performing at least 3 grade levels above her age in reading and feeling a lot better about her ability to do her school work. She has increased her test scores in almost every subject. We are still struggling a bit with math, even though she scored above grade level in this area too. Not to worry, however, because we plan to address the math issues as soon as she finishes her followup treatments at home. I have every confidence we will have great success there too. The Davis method has certainly worked for us!
Both are also making great strides with writing skills. Since their self confidence has received these boosts they have both volunteered to write articles for our local, neighborhood newspaper; something that would have NEVER been considered before our work with you.
Thanks for all your help and support.
---Lisa
Mother of Corinne 11 and Daniel 13
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This is what Rodney would like to say after his Program at OnPoint Learning:
I retooled my brain with better methods of helping myself read and write. (I'm focusing better and being on point now.) In reading I can tell I'm focusing better. It's like I'm learning kindergarten through 11th grade in the matter of two sessions a day. I now have help to divide being on point (for school work) and being creative, knowing when the time is to do both.
Dear Cathy,
Well, to start with Mike no longer falls asleep when riding in or driving a car, (Before his program a few weeks ago he could not ride or drive a car more than a few miles without falling asleep). He has finished reading one book and is into another (Before the program Mike never wanted to read and would have done anything to avoid reading). He pays more attention now and is remembering chores and tasks that are his to do. He is getting better at reading, writing, and all sorts of things.
Both boys roll out of bed much easier these days since doing their programs. I noticed with Mike that if he vacuums the house he really does a good job. It's like he can see the dirt now instead of bouncing around from one end of the house to the other just hit and miss. He's more thorough and efficient. And they are quite humorous young men!
Jeremy is rolling right along. His room is still more straightened up than it was before he did the program. Now he is more confident when around people and when he talks to them. He doesn't have the trouble with putting his thoughts into words.
Last week I had them start reading through a math book to help get their minds on math because they are to start on GED assessments this week. I was excited when Jeremy asked for something a little more difficult. They started the assessments and have to test on Tuesdays and Thursdays over the next two weeks.
On Tuesday they did testing that required them to score their own test and they tested in math, language, and reading. They have four levels to work by: (E) easy, (M) medium, (D) difficult, and (A) advanced. These mean, for example, that if they score at the difficult level they are reading above where expected for their age. The testing shows the progress the boys have made.
Mike's levels in reading and language are difficult; math he is ready for medium level. Jeremy is ready for easy math, medium language, and reading is advanced. Before the program the boys were reading way below their age levels.
The boys' dad has noticed a big difference when they work on the job with him. They listen better and are able to remember what they are supposed to do. They are much more confident in whatever they do no matter if they're at work, home, or elsewhere.
Thanks again and we will give you an update in the near future.
---Teresa
Mother of Jeremy and Mike
Ages 16 and 17
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Cathy,
We wanted you to know about our son's progress. He's doing so well and it was all him. We've seen a marked improvement in his emotional maturity and he's really growing into a young man. It's amazing!
--Mother of 13 year old client
“At dyslexia’s root is a natural ability, a talent. The gift of dyslexia is the gift of mastery.” Ron Davis
OnPoint Learning Center3610 Buttonwood Dr. Suite 200Columbia, Missouri 65201(cell) 573-819-6010(office) 573-886-8917
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Professional services described as DavisSM, Davis Dyslexia Correction®, Davis Symbol Mastery®, Davis Orientation Counseling®, Davis Math Mastery® and Davis Learning Strategies® may only be provided by persons who are employed by a licensed Davis Specialist, or who are trained and licensed as Davis Facilitators by Davis Dyslexia Association International.
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