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Author Alby Lee Lewis shares story of lifelong struggle with reading

Alby Lee Lewis, local author of "Life with No Words," will be presenting workshops at two Illinois teacher conferences in February: Lincolnshire and Carbondale.

The 79-year-old retired factory worker kept the deep secret that he could neither read nor write from everyone, even his closest friends and family, for most of his life. It was when his college-aged daughter discovered his illiteracy that he realized his lifelong goal of reading could be a reality. At 55, Alby started his reading journey that eventually led him to appear on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," write a book, share stories and educate others on the topic of reading disorders, and gain confidence in his ability to read at a 5.5 grade level.

Alby, born Christmas Day 1940, grew up poor in Chicago. Faced with the adversities of poverty, one would think his biggest challenge to overcome would be hunger. But when he began attending school, he quickly realized he had another problem emerging: Alby could not read, and he had no idea why. Slowly, he lost hope in school as every task seemed to involve reading and dropped out. His illiteracy was kept a secret from almost everyone in his life. At last, he took the first steps on his reading journey by enrolling in an adult reading class at the College of DuPage. From there, he worked with reading professionals establishing he had dyslexia, and received the guidance he needed to achieve his dream of being able to read.

Later in his adult life, Alby decided his story was something he wanted to share with others. In 2016, he published his book, "Life with No Words." In a powerful, inspirational retelling of his journey through life, Alby Lee Lewis candidly details how he managed to develop self-worth and a positive attitude despite living in poverty, foster homes, and juvenile detention, and navigating his way through a school system where teachers did not recognize his inability to pronounce or write words. In a narrative devoid of self-pity or blame, Alby reveals how, at age fifty-five, he finally revealed his secret, discovered he had dyslexia, and eventually learned to read. Through it all, Al provides testament to the power of perseverance and hope for anyone struggling with dyslexia, adversity, or a disability.

Alby will be presenting Math, Reading, and Consequences: Firsthand Account of Gatekeeping with Dr. Sean Nank of California State University San Marcos and Dr. Jackie Murawska from Skokie/Morton Grove School District 69 at two Illinois conferences: Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Metropolitan Mathematics Club Conference of Workshops, Lincolnshire, IL; and Thursday, Feb. 20, at the annual Conference on Teaching Mathematics in Carbondale, IL. The presentations will focus on relationships in the mathematics classroom, undiagnosed disabilities, and how math teacher actions and inactions can positively affect students' lives.

Visit the author's new website: www.lifewithnowords.com

Paperback and hard cover books can be purchased at Lulu.com

For additional information, email or call Dr. Jackie Murawska, the author's daughter and Publishing Liaison, jackiemurawska@msn.com, or cell 708-205-8913.

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