Before finding Roberts Academy, school was a daily battle for the Lyon family. Despite Taylor’s best efforts, reading felt impossible, and frustration grew with every passing year. Despite their daughter Taylor’s best efforts, reading felt impossible, homework ended in tears, and frustration grew with every passing year.
Her parents knew she was bright, but traditional teaching methods weren’t working.
Like so many parents of children with dyslexia, Taylor’s family found themselves fighting an uphill battle. They saw firsthand how fragile progress could be when the right support wasn’t consistently in place.
“Taylor became frustrated with reading and began to sense a difference in her reading ability compared to her peers,” said Trey Lyon, Taylor’s father. “Even reading at home and trying to maintain Orton-Gillingham practices became a tremendous struggle. Not being in an environment that practiced and reinforced those methods resulted in regression.”
Taylor’s parents knew they had to find another path. Keep reading to learn more about their journey to Roberts Academy.
Taylor’s parents knew the solution.
“As parents we had done the research and had a feeling Orton-Gillingham could work–and we had seen that in the tremendous growth Taylor had experienced in one school year when she was receiving that instruction once a day.”
But finding a school that specialized in dyslexia and used this approach was challenging, especially when so many options were financially out of reach.
That’s why Roberts Academy stood out. “It was clear from the beginning that Roberts Academy understood this need and made every effort–through the generous philanthropy of the Roberts family to the partnership with Mercer University – to make the highest quality educational experience for students with dyslexia as accessible and affordable as possible,” Lyon said.
Related: Affordability at Roberts Academy
At first, Roberts Academy seemed like an impossible dream. “As Mercer alumni, Jen and I had heard of the plans for Roberts Academy. With every new article or social media post we saw, we kept saying the same thing, ‘I wish that Taylor could go there.'”
After yet another frustrating IEP meeting, they finally asked, “Why can’t she?” The realization hit: “I’m driving 35 minutes across the county right now–Macon is a little more than 45 minutes away–why not?”
That question – and the decision to apply–turned out to be life-changing.
From the very first day, Taylor felt like she belonged. “The Mercer cheerleaders, the mascot–a big hug from Mrs. Wood as she got out of our van that first day, now immortalized in ‘The Mercerian’–everything said, ‘You belong here. You matter. You are bright, you are capable. You can do anything. Difference isn’t exclusionary, it is extraordinary.‘”And the progress was almost immediate. “Within the first week she was independently reading entire Orton-Gillingham one-page stories with minimal assistance.
Four weeks later, Mrs. Roberts sent home a learning celebration excitedly telling us that Taylor read a third grade level paragraph at 54 percent fluency,” he said. “Just before starting at Roberts she was reading a first grade level at 58 percent fluency.”
The academic growth was undeniable, but even more powerful was the impact on her self esteem. “We’ve seen her confidence return and resilience emerge.”
At Roberts Academy, Taylor isn’t just a student—she’s part of a community that values her for who she is.
“Roberts Academy isn’t a school–it is a community. And while we never could have dreamed of all of the possibility that Roberts would give our daughter to thrive, we had a glimmer of what it could be–because of the initiative of caring admissions staff and a school leader who took the initiative we were wary to take, believing that Taylor could not just attend but thrive at Roberts.”
Located in Macon, Georgia, Roberts Academy is Georgia’s only school for children with dyslexia outside of Metro Atlanta.
The Academy uses the Orton-Gillingham Approach – an evidence-based way of teaching reading, writing, and spelling proven to work for students who face the learning challenges often associated with dyslexia.
Because all children who attend the Academy have a dyslexia diagnosis, students feel an instant sense of belonging. This sense of community, combined with academic success, quickly leads to improved confidence and self-esteem.
Students can attend the Academy until they have mastered the skills to accommodate their learning differences and are prepared to succeed in a traditional classroom setting.To learn more about Roberts Academy, schedule a tour or visit our website.
