The legit fear behind “Please don’t call on me to read”

It’s scary — in the moment and even recalling it years later. Reading out loud in front of a group when you have dyslexia can be legitimately awful. Hosts Amanda Morin and Lexi Walters Wright dig into this fear with a mom whose son stumbled over reading his own name in front of his class. They hear from other parents, too, and hockey champion Brent Sopel. Expert Bob Cunningham also weighs in with insight on whether kids really do need to read out loud, and how to make the experience better for kids who struggle with reading.  

To find a transcript for this episode and more resources, visit the episode page at Understood. 

Related resources

• Video: Stanley Cup champ Brent Sopel on hiding reading struggles “behind his stick”
• Video: Gavin Newsom opens up about his dyslexia
• One of my scariest moments as a child with dyslexia? Reading aloud during Passover

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give