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Lois Letchford

For the past twenty years, Lois Letchford has been a literacy problem solver.

Specializing in teaching children who struggle with learning to read, her creative teaching methods vary depending on the reading ability of the student, employing age-appropriate, rather than reading-age-appropriate, material. Lois’s non-traditional background, multi-continental exposure, and passion for helping failing students equip her with a unique skill set and perspective.

Lois is a literacy spokesperson for struggling learners who have failed behind in the traditional classroom. Through coaching and workshops at international conferences, TV appearances, and highly-rated radio stations, she uses her own story in Reversed: A Memoir to teach educators and parents how to create flexible learning environments using comprehensive and innovative teaching methods.

Originally a physical education teacher, she later completed a Master’s in Literacy and Reading from the State University of New York at Albany. Lois has presented her work at SPELD in Australia, the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children, the Spring Festival of Children’s Literature in Maryland, and Ireland International Conference on Education. She is a member of the Australian College of Education.

Connect with Lois Letchford

Lois Letchford on M4G Advocacy Media

Journeys: Season 2, Episode 40 – Lois Letchford

Resources from Lois Letchford

Reversed: A Memoir

In 1995, the school diagnostician called a seven-year-old “the worst child seen in 20 years of teaching.” Can a child’s fate be sealed by such a diagnosis? Well, in 2018, that boy received a Ph.D. from Oxford University. Do you have a child struggling with reading? What labels has your child been given? How do you feel they will progress through school? This is a story for you.---Every parent has high hopes for their children. When Lois Letchford learns her son has been diagnosed with a low IQ at the end of grade one, she refuses to give up on his future. After thorough testing, Nicholas proves to have no spatial awareness, limited concentration, and can only read ten words. Although discouraged, Lois knows things have to improve. After all, her son is young, and every child learns at their own pace. But once Nicholas is labeled "learning disabled," a designation considered more derogatory than "dyslexia," the world of education is quick to cast him aside. Determined to prove them all wrong, Lois temporarily removes her son from the school system and begins working with him one-on-one. She has no formal reading education herself, and no one to guide her. But she has hope and the strength of will to persevere. And sometimes that's all you need. What happens next is a journey—spanning three continents, unique teaching experiments, never-ending battles with the school system, a mother’s discovery of her own learning blocks, and a bond fueled by the desire to rid Nicholas of the “disabled” label. "Reversed" is a memoir of profound determination that follows the highs and lows of overcoming impossible odds, turning one woman into a passionate teacher for children who have been left behind. Nothing is impossible when one digs deep, and looks at students through a new lens.

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