Dyslexia

C aleb didn't like school very much. He hated most of his classes. English and social studies were the worst. They required lots of reading, and Caleb didn't like to read. He wasn't good at it. He also wasn't very good at math or science. The only class he really enjoyed was shop, where he made things with his hands. Shop was fun, and he was good at it. Best of all, it required no reading.

Caleb had no friends in school. He had known most of his classmates since kindergarten, but he wasn't close to any of them. Some kids teased Caleb for being a poor student. As a result, Caleb stayed away from everyone. He became a loner.

In class, Caleb was always quiet. He prayed that teachers wouldn't call on him. He couldn't answer their questions because he never did the reading homework the night before.

Caleb also skipped most of the writing assign ments. When teachers asked why, he always made up an excuse.

Some teachers felt sorry for Caleb. They came to expect less from him than from other students.

But some teachers scolded Caleb for being lazy. They told him he wasn't trying hard enough. They urged him to work harder. They warned that he might flunk his classes.

Even so, Caleb always managed to pass. Most times, his grades were just above failing. Some teachers passed him out of pity. He was a poor student, but he never acted up or caused trouble, so most teachers ended up giving him Ds.

In truth, Caleb really was smart. And he was trying hard in school. His real problem was some thing that nobody—not even Caleb—realized.