In this video, author and literacy problem‑solver Lois Letchford reflects on a recent talk for Dyslexic Edge about the interplay of emotions and learning. She recounts a painful memory from her son Nicholas’s first‑grade experience, where panic and trauma blocked his ability to speak, and how later positive learning moments—specifically poems she wrote for him, a mapping activity, and an early encounter with Egypt—became the most cherished memories that reignited his love of learning. Lois explains how these experiences illustrate the brain’s response to emotional states: fight‑or‑flight and panic shut down learning, whereas excitement and a sense of value open neural pathways for connection. She announces an upcoming trip with her husband Chris to Egypt to meet Nicholas, who now works as a contractor for a governmental organization there, and promises to share further insights about the power of emotions in learning. The video ends with a typical creator sign‑off encouraging likes, subscriptions, and shares.
Chapters
Hello, I am Lois Letchford. I'm the author of the book Reversed: A Memoir, and I'm a literacy problem solver, and I'm talking about beyond the book Reversed: A Memoir. Last night I did a talk for Dyslexic Edge and talked about emotions and learning. My learning has not stopped since 2018 because after Nicholas graduated, I spoke with him and I thought, now's the time I can ask him, about his early learning. And my son, my confident, articulate son Nicholas, cried. His tongue just went round and round in his mouth, and I saw the panic in his face, and not a word emerged. And that was when I recognised what happened in first grade was traumatic for him, impacted his brain, impacted his life. And thankfully, We were able to get away from the situation and turn the circumstances around. I couldn't ask him about it anymore. He gave me nothing. So I said to him, Nicholas, tell me what happened when you and I learned together. It was transformational because he, instead of frowning and crying, he laughed and smiled and he said, I'll never forget the poems you wrote for me. And he named the poems. The Mug of a Bug, the Windmill on the Hill, Tip Top Tap. He named them at age 30. And he said, and I'll never forget the mapping and Egypt because the mapping, that learning taught me to love learning and I never want to stop learning. What an astounding comment on early learning for me. And it also got me thinking about the power Of emotions and learning and how the brain reacts because he's now remembering that time as the most positive experience of his life that impacted him forever. I love it. And I'm talking to you today for a reason, particularly about Egypt, because tomorrow my husband Chris and I go to visit Egypt because Nicholas is now working as a contractor for a governmental organization and he is talking in Egypt as I talk here. And tomorrow we go to meet him and visit him in Egypt and I will be posting and talking about Egypt and the power of emotions in learning because it is transformative when we're operating on a base of I don't like this, I can't do this, our brain is in fight and flight and panic mode and no learning occurs. When we operate from this is exciting, this is our value, the brain is open to connections to saying yes, I can do this and that's where I'm coming from. So enjoy this little clip of Part 7, Beyond Reversed. As my son and our family and my husband go and visit Egypt to explore what we learnt about so long ago. Thank you. Hit like, hit subscribe, and share.
