07 Oct Dyslexia Awareness Month
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, which is dedicated to bringing more awareness about dyslexia, especially how much harder a dyslexic child’s life is than their non-dyslexic peers. Being able to read and write with ease is something many people take for granted, but imagine looking at a page of text and seeing nothing that makes any sense. Imagine after years of working hard at reading, that you are still behind your peers. We always have to try to be more understanding of their situation.
It is extremely important to be supportive and encouraging. Additionally, it is also important to find an area in which the child can succeed. Both teachers and parents need to offer consistent, ongoing encouragement and support.
The most important way to encourage children with learning differences is to reward effort, not just “the product”. For the dyslexic child, grade level should be less important than progress.
I always stress the importance of helping children set realistic goals for themselves. Legacy students often set perfectionist and unattainable goals. By helping the child set an attainable goal, teachers can change the cycle in each child’s mind, associated with failure. This alone can help the child progress even more.
Rejoice in your child’s successes even if they are small. Feeling confident and good about yourself is one of the best gifts we can help give any child, but especially those who think that their struggles in reading, writing and math define them.
Students with dyslexia can use tools to help them decode words and be confident when reading.