Even on a grey, bleak day, there is always something to see. Always something to admire.
So many leaves on one small bush and every one is unique. How cool is that. Nature gives uniqueness a chance to shine.
Some things are hard to fathom out. Hawklad has made astonishing progress over the last couple of years. Two years ago he was struggling to read, falling further behind the class. Getting no help from the system. The attitude was that if he couldn’t read by that age then real progress was unlikely. Any help should focus on getting him used to using technology to help assist with his permanent dyslexia.
Fast forward today and he’s been happily reading a history textbook. No help required. He might need to guess the occasional word. He might read the occasional word incorrectly. But he’s reading. He’s aiming to finish the Lord of the Rings trilogy next year.
It just shows what can be achieved.
Why does the system give up so quickly on so many of our children. So much untapped potential.
I remember being told by a Psychologist of an autistic teenager who was profoundly dyslexic. She was wrote off by the school system yet she was clearly incredibly gifted in so many areas. She had a dream of learning to fly a plane. So many obstacles were placed before her. She was told her dreams were unrealistic, beyond her. Yet years later she became a qualified helicopter pilot.
Hawklad has kept believing. That helicopter pilot never stop believing. Isn’t it about time our society KEPT BELIEVING in every child.
A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. 
Never give up on the learning abilities of any child – with or without difficulties. I am very glad Hawklad is doing well. You must be very proud as you persisted. Kudos!
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I am.😊
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It is time! Thanks for continuing to tell your story. So glad to hear about Hawklad’s progress!
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Thank you 😊
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Your belief in Hawklad is truly inspiring. His success is possible thanks to your unwavering support!
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He’s a great kid. He just needs to be given a chance. Like so many great kids out there.
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Love this. Top job, Dad x
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❤️
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I’m glad he is doing so well. I know he has you and your belief in him to thank for a large part of that.
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Thank you
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You are very welcome.
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How wonderful Gary. Self-belief is important and so is the fact you believed in him. I think it’s the fruit of home schooling him for last two years.
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With hindsight, school had just put him in a bin really.
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Indeed.
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Yes, it should. I’m so glad for your son. I hope he enjoys the trilogy!
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He will love it.
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90% of the people who make up society are underachievers. They do not truly want others to succeed where they did not — it emphasizes their own failures. May Hawklad prove them all wrong!
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May the force be with with him.
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A nicely positive post, Gary. And the leaves are a well observed metaphor for individuality
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Thank you Derrick
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It does grate, doesn’t.it. it used to frustrate me that life choices were dictated by your ability at a certain age rather than by your ability. I was lucky. We did the 11 plus. I failed, apparently by a small margin and was interviewed to see if I was good enough to go to grammar school. At 11! An interview! Somehow I passed. Had I failed my education would have been distinctly second rate. Roll forward 10 years and I managed a first in law. Why should luck dictate life chances like that? Would I have done as well but for that coin toss? Keep believing and wrestling the system. Merry Christmas from frosty South London to gloriously balmy , or is that barmy Yorkshire…
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Merry Christmas. The education system has needed completely gutting for generations now. Needs to focus on the needs of the individual child, needs to focus on life long learning, needs to stop focusing on the Eton factor, needs to stop focusing on the needs of the economy.
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His success has a lot to do with the kind of parent you are. Keep it up!
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Thank you ❤️
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Home schooling for the WIN!!!
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It has worked in this case
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Kudos to Hawklad on advancing his reading skills! Your belief in him has, indeed, made a difference 🙂 Love the photos of the leaves.
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Thank you 😊
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This post made me so happy!
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I’m so pleased
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There are so many examples of people succeeding when they had been written off by the system. Time for the system to be written off! Well done Hawklad. Having such a supportive father has made him believe. Well done Gary!
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Everyone deserves a chance.
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Cheers to the ‘kept believing in every child’…it’s such a simple thing to support a child, but the system seems to want to make everything so complicated…
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The system is about the so called greater good and not about the child.
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It is fantastic that kids like Hawklad or that teenager don’t believe what the system wants to tell them. They know where they want to arrive, they know their goal, and that is all that matters. We all can learn so much from them. They believe in themselves and they listen to themselves.
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That’s the key. As long as they believe, they can fly.
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And you are the perfect father to show him how to 💖
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Is it possible that some of the pressure was removed from your son because he was learning at home and could concentrate on the reading rather than the results?
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I think that’s a big part of it.
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Definitely Gary. These kids are our future.
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I wish they were in charge right now. Our generation has failed, the evidence is who is in charge right now.
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Can’t disagree with that Gary.
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