There’s a particular kind of heartbreak many parents and carers know too well.

You’re sitting at the table with a child you love, watching them struggle to read or write. The letters swim, the words don’t stick. Before long, there are tears, shutdowns, “I hate this”… or the one that cuts the deepest:

Maybe you’ve been told to wait and see, “they’ll grow out of it,” or to do more worksheets and more practice – more of the same thing that already feels like failure – while your child’s confidence sinks lower.

If you’re listening with a child in mind whose brilliance you can see but the school system doesn’t seem to, this conversation is for you.

My guest is Russell Van Brocklen, known as The Dyslexia Professor – a New York State Senate‑funded dyslexia researcher whose inaugural school programme moved highly motivated teens from a middle‑school writing level to the average range of entering graduate students in one school year. One class period a day. Every single student went on to graduate from college.

Russell’s gift is translating structured literacy and high‑level academic research into bite‑sized actions parents and carers can use at home, especially for kids who are wildly passionate about one thing yet shutting down around school.

Inside This Episode

Russell’s Journey: From Failing Grades to Law School to Researcher
How he went from a documented first‑grade reading and writing level at the end of university, to dominating law school using the Socratic method, then returning to the New York State Senate to request funding for dyslexia research.

What Dyslexia Really Is – and Isn’t

Practical Strategies for Parents and Carers

Motivation, Confidence and Identity

Navigating School Systems & Affordable Support

Weekly Caregiver Invitation

This week:

Notice one moment when your child lights up about something (sport, stories, art, science, animals, space…).

Ask: What tiny reading or word‑based win could we tuck into this joy?
(A three‑word sentence, one new word, or a single “hero + sign + topic” line.)

Focus on one micro‑win, not the whole mountain.

Your child is not broken. Their brain is different – and full of potential.

Connect with Russell Van Brocklen (The Dyslexia Professor)
Website: https://dyslexiaclasses.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dyslexiaclasses/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cqwfxn9FqFx1Idl0YbeHg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dyslexiaclassesus/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-van-brocklen-2007ab87

Caregiver Resources:
Radiant Moments show notes: https://jandbinspired.com/radiant-moments-podcast
90 Second Reset Program: https://jandbinspired.com/90-second-reset-program
Oasis Membership Waitlist: https://jandbinspired.com/founding-member

Music by Konstantin Garbuzyuk (via Uppbeat)
#dyslexia #caregiving #strugglingreaders #neurodiversity #radiantmomentspodcast

Thanks for tuning in! Don't miss out on exclusive content and updates - follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram today!