SANTA FE — State Sen. Pat Woods, who took office in late October, says he has packed a lifetime of lessons into the last eight months.
Woods, 63, has dyslexia, but it has not stopped him from being a voracious reader. Eva, his wife of 41 years, says he pores over books and newspapers each night, retaining incredible amounts of information.
But, Woods says, he has a hard time speaking in public because of his dyslexia. Words that ought to flow simply and naturally become cluttered in his mind when he is in front of an audience.
His sons, Toby and Charlie, had such severe dyslexia that Eva says they were below-par readers in third grade. One of Martinez's legislative initiatives is state-mandated retention of thousands of third-graders who read poorly.
The Woods kids forged ahead instead of being retained. Through study and plenty of help at home, both graduated from college.
Toby taught high school math before becoming manager of the family's 100-year-old farm. Charlie is an electrical engineer in Denver.
"Early childhood intervention is the secret" to kids becoming proficient readers, Woods said.
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