MIDDLETON (WKOW) -- Parents will do anything for their kids, but sometimes they don't know what to do if they notice them struggling to read. A clinic in Middleton will be able to help more students when it expands into Portage.
Second grader Gwen VanDomelen came to the Dean Foundation Reading Clinic last November. She was reading at a pre-K level.
But when you listen to her now she sounds like all of her classmates, reading chapter books at her grade level. Her mom Susan says, "When she used to read with us at night, she used to just look at the pictures. Now she reads loudly and with confidence."
Susan says it was a doctor at the reading clinic who diagnosed Gwen with phonological dyslexia. Now she works with director Al Arnold weekly and goes home to continue the lessons with her parents, who've been trained to do everything Mr. Arnold does. He says that's why this program is unique. "We get more progress with one lesson a week than you would with more lessons and the parents not involved."
Mr. Arnold, a retired teacher, says most kids will improve this way and it not only helps them in school, but can make them feel better about themselves too.
The Dean Foundation is opening another reading clinic in Portage. There is a free information session for parents and educators Monday, June 4 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Dean Clinic - West at 752 North High Point Road in Madison.
Arnold says the foundation is also collecting donations for its scholarship. He wants to help low-income students whose parents can't afford the tuition. To learn more or to donate, click here.
