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Video: Henry Winkler at
North Borough Junior School

by Jo Earle

Children in Kent were delighted when Happy Days star Henry
Winkler dropped in to give them his top tips on how
to cope with Dyslexia.

Best known for playing The Fonz in the hit 70's comedy show,
Winkler, who was recently made an honorary OBE, is continuing the
First News My Way! Tour.

It aims to raise awareness of the needs of children with
learning challenges in schools across the UK and yesterday
afternoon, he made a special guest appearance at North borough
Junior School in Maidstone.

The star only realised his problem at the age of 31 when
his stepson was diagnosed with dyslexia.

Winkler said: "One of the greatest things I get to do in my life
is to visit schools and to talk to children about the fact they are
great.

"They each have an individual gift that is so vital to their
community, to their lives and to their world."

He gave a 30 minute talk to the children, speaking
about how they should learn to not let negative thoughts enter
their minds, and to not let anything stand in their way.

The star admits: "I have dyslexia so growing up in school:
reading was hard, spelling was hard, English was hard, and maths
was hard. I got a rash from school.

"The kids have to know that they are fantastic no matter how
they learn."

Winkler has written a series of books about a child called Hank
Zipzer a boy with dyslexia, whose experiences are based on the
actor's own childhood struggles and while at the school he
read a few pages to the children.

"The books are funny first and make the kids laugh. That's
pretty wonderful.

"I never thought I would be an author in my whole life. You
could have knocked me over with a feather if you suggested to me I
would get to write a book."

Happy Days ran from 1974 for 10 years, and by the end the
Fonz was a global phenomenon.

Speaking about his days on the show, he said: "The Fonz was
loyal to me. You know he actually still is, he reads Hank
Zipzer."