Note from a Tutor
I write to tell you how grateful I am for your reading program. For many months I had felt woefully inadequate and felt I was a failure even though I had taught at the university level for some 25 years. And then came your program.
The first tutoring session with your materials was an eye opener for me. Somehow my student suddenly seemed to get it. Digging out the vowel and sounding it enabled him to put together a three-letter word for the first time. The look on his face made the eleven months of Thursday evenings worth it – for him and for me. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Sidney Feldman
M.D.,Faculty of Medicine McGill University
Faculte de Medecine Universite de Montreal
(January 2004)
Update: Six months later, Dr. Feldman’s student became the proud recipient of the Peter Gzowski Learner Achievement Award.
Note from a Parent
Mrs. Trower, you have made my son’s schooling much more enjoyable for him and our lives more pleasant. My son will never be an ‘A’ student but he can now look at things differently. I wish the secondary school had five Mrs.Trowers. The kids that need your help would sure like school a lot better. Thank you ever so much for all that you have done.
Mike Fox, Dean of Students,
Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, Quebec
The following letter alludes to the fact that in 1992 Minna Trower persuaded Bishop’s University to officially recognized students with learning disabilities and as a result it has since been standard practice for these students to receive special privileges and accommodations.
May 1992
This letter will acknowledge that Mrs. M. Trower has been a consultant to Bishop’s University on learning disabled students for a period of two years. This work included formal diagnosis and assessment of students with special needs as well as advising members of the Counselling Service, the Dean of Students and the Committee of Associate Deans on proper policies and procedures for dealing with learning disabilities. Mrs. Trower has also provided on-going counselling to a number of individual Bishop’s students.
I must tell you that Mrs. Trower’s work has been outstanding. She has provided the University with a wealth of information. She has been very effective in sensitizing the University community to this neglected area and her professionalism is noteworthy.
Please feel free to contact this office if you require any further information.
Sincerely,
Michael Fox,
Dean of Students
Fiona Hellstrom, M.Ed.,
The Learning Associates of Montreal
A non profit centre for people with learning disabilities
To denote this staff’s level of expertise, we wish to point out that one of its former associates, Dr. Margie Golick, was a consultant on the Canadian production of Sesame Street.
TO WHOM IT MIGHT CONCERN
July 1994
It is my pleasure to recommend Minna Trower as a tutor of students who have learning disabilities. I have known her for the past 10 years through her work as a volunteer or a tutor with students who have learning disabilities. She made frequent trips to Montreal to further her own knowledge and was tireless in her search to improve her teaching skills and find ways to help students become more successful learners. She has developed many personal teaching techniques that are effective.
She is a gifted individual who has an excellent understanding of the field from both the teacher’s viewpoint, and as she herself experienced learning difficulties, she sees it from the learner’s perspective as well. She particularly enjoys discussions with teachers to heighten their awareness of students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom. She also has an excellent manner with mature students and has good communication and listening skills.
Minna has already made valuable contributions to the field of learning disabilities and I expect her to continue to do so. I have no hesitation in recommending her.
Fiona Hellstrom M.Ed.
Morton Bain,
Associate Professor,
Department of Education,
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
Thank you for your letter. It gave eloquent testimony to your deep concern for children with learning difficulties. The child’s composition you appended was both instructive and touching and it made vivid your argument about early intervention and support for youngsters like him. Thank you as well for your indefatigability on behalf of your cause.
