Testimonial 14

Cheryl, B.
NSW, July 1994

“My son Craig has been going to Rosemary Boon for the past 14 months. Craig has been described as having severe auditory perceptual deficits, language and comprehension problems.

A short history of Craig’s problems is necessary in order to demonstrate Rosemary’s teaching qualities.
From about the age of two and a half years Craig’s speech and language problems were evident. However, when I visited my local GP I was told to give him time as ‘boys are slow”. On starting pre-school at the age of three, I was told Craig needed extra help which he received from the school. The second preschool said the same thing. Craig attended Speech Therapy in a hospital setting when he was four and when he started school I took him to a private Speech Therapist. After many months she eventually told me she could do no more for him. By this stage Craig is in First class. Then began the merry-go-round of physical assessments: ears, eyes etc.

A developmental orthoptist, suggested I see an educational Psychologist, for a complete psychological assessment. He concluded that Craig had severe Learning Difficulties which included short term memory deficits, auditory perceptual problems and language comprehension problems. Craig was three years behind in reading and was too low to be assessed on any standardised spelling tests although he was of above average intelligence. Remedial literacy programmes were recommended. The medical professions’ answer to the problem was Ritalin which “may help but don’t expect too much from Craig in life”.

Meanwhile, I had come across Rosemary’s name at school from parents whose children were progressing well under her teaching and guidance. Seeing Rosemary Boon was probably the best move I ever made. Within twelve months, Craig was reading, was able to sound out words, and his self-esteem has improved dramatically. He was no longer the “class clown”, “the dummie”. His silly behaviour at school began to decrease as he felt he could learn.

With Rosemary’s determination and understanding of Craig’s abilities, constant reassurance that he could and would learn to read with hard work, Craig began to show signs of improvement. His recent school reports reflect his growing confidence and willingness to try and work hard. Inappropriate behaviour is no longer an issue in the classroom.

Rosemary has taught Craig so many things. He loves going to her and relates to her as a friend. She has the ability to motivate Craig and inspire me to follow up with homework. Craig has always wanted to learn, but in the past found it too difficult. For the first time in his life, Craig is learning and remembering what he has been taught. He knows he is making progress. Rosemary’s ability to make learning fun is very refreshing for children who have difficulty sitting still. As a parent I find Rosemary to be an excellent teacher and to see my son’s progress makes the effort all worthwhile.

I have since had Craig reassessed by the developmental orthoptist and the educational psychologist who conducted the original assessments. They both reported a significant improvement. In the first eight months with Rosemary Craig had made up an eighteen month deficit in reading and spelling.

Craig holds Rosemary in very high esteem. He constantly talks to his Special Education teacher about her with the result that she sat in on a lesson. She was so impressed with what she saw that she now uses a few of Rosemary’s ideas in her classroom. She tells me that their enthusiasm has improved and they are now beginning to work.

I am indeed fortunate to have found Rosemary Boon as a teacher for my son. Other parents keep telling me of their frustration over the years and the failure of remedial programmes to effectively address the needs of these children. Craig is now in Fourth class, reading and spelling almost at grade level and has the confidence to make mistakes. Nothing else has worked in all these years of trying. Rosemary’s remedial literacy programmes have. Her persistence and belief in children is extraordinary and her ability to impart her skills to others is tremendous. She teaches from the heart and delights in bringing out the best in others”.