Read Between the Lies by Malcolm Duffy

Author:Malcolm Duffy [Duffy, Malcolm]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781800241688
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Ephaelnt

Not sure about my new teacher.

All that stuff with the eye chart and the hearing test. Not even convinced he is dyslexic, what with his top grades in everything. Could be trying to get sympathy, pretending we’ve got something in common, when we have nothing. Wouldn’t put it past him. But he offered to help. Why would he do that if he didn’t know about it? If he’s lying, I really will end up back in Feltham.

Ryan got me to do some reading out loud to see how bad things were. He chose a piece with long words and unusual names in it. It didn’t go well. Said I need to practise to improve my fluency and boost my confidence. Also said I need help with phonemic awareness. Think he read that bit online. Said phonemes are the smallest units of sound in the English language, such as ‘t’ and ‘e’. People like me struggle with recognising which sound goes with which letter, how many sounds there are in a word, and knowing which order they come in.

He told me I should learn to touch type, like him. Said it will help with coursework, and allow me to check my spelling on spellcheck. Gave me a few free online courses I could use. He’s also given me online exercises to do and told me to download teaching apps. Some of them seem babyish. Lots of cartoon pictures of animals. I need to try and break up the words in my head, then put them together like Lego. Already been put back one year at school. Feel like I’ve been put back ten more.

Don’t want anyone knowing what I’m up to, so I practise the words in my head, only saying them out loud when I’m sure nobody’s near. The journey to school is a good time to do this. Ryan says it’s probably best if I practise on my own, so we sit at different parts of the bus, him at the front, me at the back. Just like at school.

We catch the bus. I grab a seat near the back, find the app.

‘Ele-phant,’ I say quietly to myself, as I look at a picture of an elephant’s trunk called ‘Ele’ and the rest of his body called ‘phant.’

‘Bit old to be looking at cartoons, aren’t you, Tom Cat.’

Damn.

Turn around to see two beefy lads, Craig and Harry, from my old school, leering over the seat at me. Was so caught up in my phone, didn’t even see them get on. Before I have a chance to turn it off, Craig grabs it from me.

‘Well, look at this,’ he laughs, ‘a learn-to-read app.’

Behind Craig and Harry sit a couple of girls I vaguely recognise. The app is a big source of amusement. They’re all laughing. Guess they don’t get much entertainment on the bus.

‘Someone in prison steal your books?’ says Harry.

‘Stole his brain more like it,’ goes Craig.

‘Give it back,’ I say, trying not to sound desperate.

‘I’ll give it on one condition.

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