Spring Branch ISD Featured News

When a teacher asked her to read a page from her book, Ellie Stephenson stared blankly. As a first grader, she had recently been diagnosed with dyslexia and had difficulty separating words to read them correctly. 

At the time, she didn’t know what being dyslexic meant and didn’t understand why she needed extra time on exams or why a sensation of unease settled on her every time she was asked to read aloud. 

Ellie struggled to understand concepts and was often frustrated because tasks that were very easy for others were often challenging for her. 

“I had to work 10 times harder than my peers to reach the same end result,” said Ellie. “For a long time, I was embarrassed about my dyslexia and saw it as a weakness.” 

One day, while attempting to decipher the words on her paper, Ellie discarded her pencil and began highlighting the page as she went through each sentence. 

Ellie found that colors gave each word a different meaning. By highlighting and underlining with a variety of colors, Ellie understood what the author was trying to convey and in turn, helped her understand each word. 

“I often compare my papers to a children’s coloring book, but colors truly saved my learning,” added Ellie. “When the author is mad, I use red. When they’re sad, I use blue and when they’re happy I use yellow. Each color gives me a different feeling, which I then use to fully understand words that were so challenging to grasp before.” 

Years later, Ellie no longer sees her dyslexia as a weakness but as a strength. 

As a senior at Stratford High School, Ellie has seen how dyslexia has helped develop her work ethic. She notes that she is committed to not giving up, even when she is struggling the most. 

Ellie is captain of the girl’s soccer team at Stratford and is involved in Young Life and National Honor Society. She is also part of Stratford’s Future Teachers club and hopes to become a special education teacher post-graduation. Ellie’s dream is to help others who have disabilities understand that “they are special and they must learn to leverage their disability to reach their full potential.” 

The challenges Ellie has faced have helped her develop SBISD’s Core Characteristics. She is a Persistent and Adaptable learner that has discovered her strengths and talents and has responded productively to the setbacks she has encountered. Ellie is also an Empathetic and Self-Aware individual that understands the importance of caring for her own and others’ emotional, mental and physical health. 

A big inspiration for Ellie has been Sharon Jones, district lead instructional specialist, who has continuously encouraged her despite the challenges she has faced. 

Jones has worked with Ellie for a year and a half and mentions that she has not let dyslexia define her or stop her from anything she sets out to accomplish. 

“Ellie has such a metacognitive awareness in how she approaches learning and academics, tackling any hiccups that may come her way,” said Jones. “She wants to be a teacher and will be such a gift to our profession! Ellie is truly a brilliant mind and an incredible writer with such an engaging voice that draws her readers in to connect to her message.” 

Ellie is vocal about communicating with her teachers the accommodations she needs to be successful in the classroom, including listening to music and chewing gum to effectively concentrate. 

“When I was struggling with the idea of being dyslexic, my grandma mentioned something that I will remember forever ‘you are more than just a dyslexic kid,’” said Ellie. “And I am! I see and learn very differently and it is not a bad thing. It has only made me a stronger student.” 

She notes that her teachers, friends and family have helped her through her journey with dyslexia. Specifically, she mentions that Jones encouraged her to write a piece on her experience to motivate others going through similar circumstances. 

“I never really had the words to tell people what was going through my mind,” said Ellie. “This essay helped me communicate to those who don’t understand what I’m really feeling. I hope that teachers read it and are able to help their students. I hope dyslexic students read it and know that they are not alone.” 

To all those struggling through learning challenges, Ellie advises them not to be embarrassed by it but to use it to their advantage, as it will help them develop other skills and open even more doors.

Read Ellie’s piece here. 

For more information on dyslexia resources, visit the dyslexia website.