That's Like Me Stories About Amazing People With Learning Differences Jill Lauren M.A. Foreword by Jerry Pinkney Star Bright Books Cambridge Massachusetts
A Letter to Students I teach children and adults who learn differently One day a young student named Margaret wondered if other people also learned differently I told her about people like Thomas Edison and Leonardo da Vinci who never gave up even though learning was challenging for them Margaret asked me to write a book about such people for kids like her Many people have asked me how I met everyone in That's Like Me Well finding them was actually like going on a treasure hunt First I had to gather clues to find people who had difficulty in school but still worked hard I talked to teachers and friends and even people I met at parties I explained that I was looking to meet people who never gave up in school and who also had hobbies or interests that made them happy Eventually I met Kevin Alina Micah Jill Nico Paul Jessica Tremaine Emily Jason Kristin Aaron Nikki Dean and Ann Meeting each of them meant that I found many treasures throughout the hunt They all talked so honestly about how school was difficult and how they needed to work hard every day We also discussed hobbies that made them feel happy when school seemed too stressful I was even able to spend time watching many of the kids and adults pursue their hobbies I watched Emily dance in The Nutcracker viewed Tremaine's artwork artwork saw Jill on the flying trapeze and met many of Kevin's animal friends But no I didn't walk with Ann to Antarctica or help Jason put out a fire When you read this book you will be on your own treasure hunt Look for clues that might help you think of ways to face the challenge of school Think about what Aaron did when spelling tests were difficult or how Alina learned sounds to help with reading reading Read about hobbies that you might like to try one day Do you like playing sports creating art or making inventions As you read you'll find that some of the people in the book learn or do things like you do and you might even say That's like me At the back of the book you'll find some pages where you can write your own story Jill Lauren New York City 2009
A Letter to Parents Teachers That's Like Me is designed to inspire educate and empower children with learning disabilities With the help of supportive adults who read the book with them it can do just that The people profiled in That's Like Me found the means to face the frustration of school while enjoying hobbies that enhanced self esteem Their stories of overcoming overcoming obstacles can inspire young readers I hope that children will have a How did he do that or Wow she did something amazing reaction while reading this book Such moments open them to discussing how a real life person just like them was able to take a difficult situation and make it better A wonderful opportunity exists to explore aspects of resiliency within each profile and relate it to your own child's experiences As you read together help educate your child about his or her strengths that are similar to those of the people profiled In addition to recognizing their strengths children who learn differently must also acquire a firm understanding of their weaknesses so that they can identify what makes learning hard for them The goal then is to help children achieve a greater awareness of their learning profile Finally some of your child's connections to the stories may be emotionally based and reading the profiles may lead to important discussions about feelings related to learning differently As children experience success whether in school or out they often feel empowered Combine that feeling with a strong understanding of one's learning style and children are more apt to take action on their own behalf Indeed research has shown that when children believe they have the power to shape an outcome they are more motivated to work towards positive results as well as to learn from setbacks It is also true as many stories in That's Like Me illustrate that a supportive adult can help enhance a child's sense of him or herself Everybody can benefit from a cheerleader There is no doubt that it takes a mountain of effort to face learning challenges By exploring exploring these stories together adults and young people can share the path to success Jill Lauren M.A. Learning Specialist
