Not trying to be a smart arse but There’s always dragons den? It sounds like a really good idea!

@ Tim

I went on Dragon’s Den last year! I needed help/funding to market it. I had already developed it boxed it and was selling it. All I needed from the Dragon’s was help with their experience in the market/advertising.

Norah Casey actually did a couple of articles in her magazines for me. But that was it! I felt they didn’t know anything about dyslexia and weren’t interested in it enough to help. It is! it’s great! There are parents emailing me and on the facebook page telling me that their children are now reading their night time story themselves!

Damn! That’s such a worthwhile project. It could change disadvantaged children’s lives and nobody gives a hoot! Like that must be so unbelievably frustrating! Fair play to you though, your’e doing a fantastic job! Seriously well done.

Wow Sheila , what a fantastic idea . I shared that link on my own FB page . Well done you .

Kevins book is a good idea too and I get fully what you mean about the Minister ” couldn’t be seen to be ‘endorsing’ a product!” Minister Quinn has again indeed demonstrated his ability to be a man of his word . That in no way is intended to take away from Kevin’s marvellous book and I am very eager to get a copy of it for my boys .Thanks again Kevin .

@Susie,

Thanks. I just don’t understand Quinn. They have taken away the kids SNA’s but have nothing else in place. I couldn’t care less if he feels he’d be ‘endorsing’ the readassist. He’s endorsing Kevin’s book. Two people IRISH that are trying to help others. A mother emailed me to inquire about it for her son. I foned her back and spoke with her for nearly an hour. She told me that on many occasions the school has foned her to tell her to take him home because he’s causing a ‘distraction’ to others.

He hasn’t been tested yet, but they think he has dyslexia. She was so upset because his SNA was dismissed from the school. Her heart was broken. She’s trying out the readassist now, so I’m hoping she’ll get back to me. I know what it’s like to have dyslexia. When caught early in Primary school it’s great. Child will accept very quickly, will start to learn in their own way with the help of the reading aid. Some won’t need help any more and some will use it for a longer time. Secondary school can be a hard and horrible place. At that stage, they’ve gained some confidence and should be able to cope better.

Well said Sheila . I have asked my fb friends to checvk it out and share it . You are right of course , but that does not make the powers that be , see the benefit ….

@ Susie,

Thanks for sharing! Here’s to a good day of ‘discussion’ on journal.ie!

Best of luck Sheila, you obviously know what you’re doing and I know people are terrors for giving advice you already know,( trying to run a business myself).
But at the end of the day, a book is a much safer thing to endorce than a product like yours. Not saying he’s right, just putting it from an illogical politicians point of view.

So you might just have to knock on every school door yourself and see what you can get out of it.

Hi Sheila,

I will have a look at your site and connect within the week. Well done on your work.

@ Kevin & Adrian

Hi folks,

Great to get your thoughts on it Adrian. I have driven around Ireland for the past year introducing myself to school suppliers and other book stores. Some are great and some don’t want to know.

I have also met with some great teachers and Principals that have actually bought some for their students in the Special Needs Classes. It’s a little hard to get some schools on board as they feel that, Minister Quinn didn’t run it by them first and they are very disinterested. I am selling it from my website also. This morning I received 5 requests for it, three of them in North of Ireland! I was speaking with Damien on ‘LiveLine’ yesterday about the struggles of small businesses and trying to get their product manufactured in Ireland and he just started asking me about the readassist.

Kevin,

Thanks. As you could see from my first message, I wish you all the luck in the world because our kids need a lot of help to get through hard times in their young lives. It can be, from experience, be very difficult for teens. Both you and I are here to help the children. They are Ireland’s future, it’s not ours. So somebody has to care for them. They are only starting out, and we as the adults, have to show them that we care for their future.

Best of luck with the book – I hope it gets into many hands and minds.

couldnt be any worse than the careers guidance teacher I had!