Looking for a physical and mental challenge to sum up your July? How about a mid-summer 5K run? If you happen to be in the central Connecticut area for the last Saturday of this month, please visit this website to learn more about the Scottish Rite Freemasons 5K Run to Benefit Children with Dyslexia: http://www.plattsys.com/waspeview.asp?eventid=1042. As a CT Certified Reading Consultant, this race holds special meaning for me both personally and professionally. The folks here in Newington realize that not all families have the funds to pay for private tutors, and they provide these important services to families for free!

 Some people think that Dyslexia is a rare disorder that has something to do with mixing up the order of letters and numbers. However, reading experts, including those representing the International Reading Association consider Dyslexia to be any form of reading disability that requires specialized interventions. If you do not remember learning how to read, you probably did not have a reading disability. A regular diet of balanced reading, including elements such as phonics and vocabulary instruction provide most children with the tools they need to become lifelong readers. The tutors at the Freemasons Learning Center in Newington, Connecticut are specially trained in multisensory reading instruction, and they provide one on one specialized teaching for those children who struggle to learn to read in a regular classroom setting.

This will be my third year participating in the race along with my young friend, social worker, Anna Dubiel, who is originally from Poland where her dad always inspired her to exercise, since he is a Physical Education Professor and Coach at a Polish University. My three year old, Annie will be thrilled to see Anna along with special guest “Rocky” who is the mascot for The New Britain Rock Cats Baseball Team. Overall, this will be a fun-filled and special event for readers and runners of all ages who care about the reading future of Connecticut’s children. Here Anna and I are last year, posing with our trophies for the second year in a row.