Sara - Confident and Prepared to Succeed
As an eleven-year old, Sara loved the clarinet and lacrosse, and she felt great about learning and school. This was a big change from Sara’s start in school. In first grade, Sara had difficulty pronouncing words correctly. She also had difficulty learning handwriting. At first, Sara was embarrassed and felt insecure in school. She thought it was her fault she could not learn at the same pace and in the same way as her classmates.
Sara’s parents, teacher, and Stern Center staff worked out a plan to help her succeed. Sara’s parents explained that the Stern Center was a place she could go to identify her learning style and to help her learn. “Because my brother went to the Stern Center for some of the same reasons, I felt a little more comfortable... I knew there were lots of people out there like me.”
Sara became proud of how much her handwriting and reading improved. She came to love reading and writing. Her oral language skills also improved significantly. More importantly, she became much less frustrated, developed a better outlook, and was able to focus on her schoolwork. She said at the time, “I can do things now that I only dreamed of doing in first and second grade.”
Sara, with help from the Stern Center, has the confidence and tools she needs to excel in her schoolwork—today and into the future. She is currently a successful high school student making college plans. “I am not ashamed that I learn differently. Just as long as I learn it and that my learning path suits me, it's really okay.”
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