That's right! I'm Betsy! I spend most of my time teaching kids to read! I know how difficult this can be for some of you . . . that's why I'm here! I want to make reading and learning easier for all of you!

I also understand how frustrating it can be when you are trying so hard to learn and it just doesn't happen quick enough. Sometimes even our friends can make it worse, when they don't mean to.

So, whatever your situation, whatever your question, please write to me here at the HAAN FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN, and I will answer your question just as soon as I can!

Even though I will write back to all of you, each week I will feature a question and answer from one of you!

I can't wait to hear from you!

Love,
Betsy

For those of you who want to submit a question,

Dear Betsy, Sometimes I just can't seem to understand what the teacher is saying. Everyone else does, but I don't. What is wrong with me? Gillian, Age 12 Dear Gillian, Nothing is wrong with you! I can understand how frustrating it must be to not understand the instructions that your teacher gives. I think if you asked everyone in your class if they understood the teacher, you would find that you aren't the only one who didn't understand. You could have trouble with Auditory Processing, which would make it very hard to understand when you just hear information and things are not written for you to learn. You should talk to your teacher and to your parents and let them know exactly what is bothering you so they can help! Warm Regards, Betsy

Dear Betsy, My daughter is in the first grade and is unable to sound out words. What should I do? Concerned Parent. Dear Parent, It is great that you are asking these questions now! Sometimes when children learn to read at school they are not taught explicitly and have not had much practice sounding out words; other times they can have a learning difference that makes sounding out words difficult. The first step would be to find out exactly what your child's learning profile is by going to an expert. Many schools have learning specialists who can help you by observing your child and doing some preliminary testing. You can also request an educational evaluation from the school district or from a private educational therapist in your area. Your child is fortunate to have such an observant and supportive parent! Warm Regards, Betsy

I was born and raised in California, and have a private practice as an educational therapist in San Francisco, helping kids learn to read.

I enjoy lots and lots of outdoor sports. My favorites include horseback riding, running, swimming, water skiing, snow skiing, snow boarding, camping, cycling, rock climbing, and backpacking. Not long ago I completed a marathon with "Team in Training," raising needed money for leukemia research, and I was part of the AIDS Ride 8. This ride was 575 miles and raised money for AIDS research.

I am a member of the Association of Educational Therapists, International Dyslexia Association, and the Association of Experiential Education.

I went to college at UC Santa Barbara. During my summers while at school, I worked at a camp in the Sierras teaching kids how to water ski. I became interested in how people learned through teaching programs in the outdoors.

I found that some of the kids who seemed to pick up outdoor skills the easiest had a really tough time in school. I then went to graduate school to learn more, and during my summers lead kids on backpacking trips across Australia, Alaska, Costa Rica and Utah.

Right now I am lucky enough to have an office where my dog, Scout, can come to work with me! The kids love to play with Scout, who is a Rodesian Ridgeback, and I love to help kids!

I look forward to hearing from any of you!

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT LD, SCHOOL, STUDYING OR HOW YOUR MIND WORKS?