My mom tells me how difficult it was for me to be in a brick and mortar school starting all the way back in kindergarten. When I was in kindergarten, I was stuck at a table all day. I remember having a hard time sitting still for hours and it took so much energy to sit there. I couldn’t focus on my work like everyone else was able to. By the end of the day, I just wanted to get out of there and run and jump!
But because I didn’t get my work done in school, I would have to spend hours every night with my mom to get just a little bit of my homework done. We were all very frustrated. We found out that I have ADHD and my left eye is dominant while I’m right-handed. This means my brain is wired a little differently and I need to be able to move and talk to learn.
“I am nearly three years ahead in reading and comprehension! I can read anything you put in front of me!”
My mom tried several schools for me, including public and charter schools. For the last three years, we’ve used an Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) to homeschool. I love how much easier it is for me to learn now.
I’ve been studying history, Latin, geography, and we do a lot of memory work. While I still struggle with the motor skills it takes to make my handwriting neat, I am nearly three years ahead in reading and comprehension! I can read anything you put in front of me!
My brother Jordan (15 years old) was the first in our family to use an ESA. He has even bigger challenges than I do including cerebral palsy and autism. Our family spends a lot of our time helping Jordan. It makes me happy to see him getting better and better everyday. He has teachers, tutors and therapists who work with him as part of his homeschooling program that my mom puts together for him. Jordan has to fight every day to learn new things, but just like me, he’s come a long way thanks to my mom being able to use ESAs for both of us!
