Learning With Dyslexia by Keon

Learning With Dyslexia by Keon - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

One of the most challenging academic subjects I have ever faced was reading and writing. While many students develop these skills naturally at a young age, I struggled a lot throughout elementary and middle school because I have dyslexia, a learning disability that was not identified early in my education. At the time, my reading and writing abilities were comparable to someone who was just beginning to learn English. I often could not keep up with classroom assignments, understand reading passages, or express my thoughts clearly in writing. These struggles affected all of my academic subjects because reading and writing are the foundation of learning. Although this experience was discouraging and frustrating, overcoming it ultimately strengthened my critical thinking skills and changed the way I approach challenges.

Throughout middle school, I would constantly fall behind my classmates academically. Reading assignments that took other students only a few minutes took me much longer to complete, and I still struggled to understand what I had read. Writing essays, answering questions, and even reading aloud in class became sources of anxiety. Because my dyslexia had not yet been recognized, I often blamed myself for my difficulties and questioned my own intelligence. My poor reading and writing skills caused me to struggle in nearly every class, because understanding instructions, textbooks, and test questions required strong literacy and critical thinking skills.

As a result of these academic struggles, I repeatedly failed my SOL exams. It was difficult watching many of my classmates succeed while I felt stuck in the same place despite trying my best. The frustration often made me lose confidence in my ability to learn, and I began believing that I simply was not capable of succeeding academically.

My difficulties also affected me outside of academics. I became extremely quiet in class because I feared being called on to read or answer questions. To avoid embarrassment, I would intentionally sit in the back of the classroom with my head down, hoping that teachers would overlook me. I worried that my classmates would judge me for stumbling over words or taking longer than everyone else to complete assignments. Instead of participating in classroom discussions, I stayed silent, even when I sometimes knew the answer. Looking back, I realize that my fear of making mistakes prevented me from asking questions that could have helped me learn.

The turning point came when my principal and my family began noticing signs that my struggles might be caused by dyslexia rather than a lack of effort. After receiving additional support, everything slowly began to change. I started working with a tutor who helped me develop reading strategies specifically designed for students with dyslexia. I also attended reading enrichment classes and made a personal commitment to practice reading and writing every day, even when it felt difficult.

Improving my literacy skills required patience, consistency, and determination. Instead of becoming discouraged whenever I encountered a difficult passage, I learned to slow down, break information into smaller pieces, identify important details, and think carefully about what I was reading. Rather than simply memorizing information, I learned how to analyze it, make connections, and ask myself questions to improve my understanding. These habits strengthened my critical thinking skills because I became much more intentional about how I learned. I learned that solving problems often requires trying different strategies instead of giving up after the first obstacle.

As my reading and writing abilities improved, I noticed positive changes in every subject. I became better at understanding textbooks, writing essays, solving word problems, and participating in class discussions. My grades steadily improved, my confidence grew. For the first time, I began believing that I was capable of challenging myself academically.

I decided to push myself even further by enrolling in Spanish. Learning to read, write, and speak an entirely new language once seemed impossible because I had struggled so much with reading and writing. However, my previous experiences taught me that persistence and consistent practice produce results. Successfully learning Spanish became one of my proudest accomplishments because it proved that my learning disability did not define my potential.

By the time I entered high school, I no longer viewed reading and writing as an academic challenge to fear. Instead, I actively sought opportunities to continue expanding my critical thinking skills by enrolling in honors and dual enrollment courses. Although these classes required more reading, writing, and independent thinking, I felt prepared to face them because I had already overcome a much greater obstacle. Each challenging assignment became another opportunity to strengthen my critical thinking abilities.

Looking back, dyslexia was one of the greatest challenges I have ever faced, but it also became one of my greatest teachers. It taught me perseverance, patience, and the importance of asking for help when needed. Most importantly, it strengthened my critical thinking skills by teaching me how to analyze information carefully, adapt my learning strategies, and approach problems from multiple perspectives. My experience showed me that success is not determined by how quickly someone learns but by their willingness to continue learning despite setbacks. Learning how to read and write transformed not only my academic performance but also my confidence, motivation, and outlook on education. It inspired me to pursue new challenges, explore new subjects, learn another language, and ultimately believe that college was an achievable goal.