How to Help Kids Who Are Dyslexic

As parents, most people believe they can sort out all their child's problems. It is only when you have a dyslexic child that you realize your limitations. Watching a dyslexic child struggle with tasks can be heart-rending, to say the least. Although it may take time, it is possible to help dyslexic kids organize their learning and activities to produce better results. The key to doing this lies in understanding the distinctive requirements of such children and developing techniques to help them manage better. Dyslexic children also need constant encouragement and support to build their self-esteem.

Instructions

    • 1

      Keep your instructions short, because kids with dyslexia find it difficult to retain information. This means they find it tough to remember all that they hear, especially if there is too much information given at a stretch. Therefore, they may find it difficult to manage things such as spelling, the meaning of long sentences, and a list of instructions. Reinforce their understanding by repeating or summarizing what you said at regular, short intervals.

    • 2

      Provide a quiet room for a dyslexic child to study and work on other activities. These kids have a short attention span and can find it difficult to focus. Avoid talking or having the TV or music on while she is involved in some work that requires concentration. Dyslexic kids are often restless and may not be able to concentrate for long. Be mentally prepared for frequent breaks before an assignment or homework is completed.

    • 3

      Modify the way you teach concepts to kids with dyslexia. Although these kids have problems with words, symbols and rote learning, they are good at comprehending visual representations and three-dimensional objects. Understand your child's strengths and weaknesses to know how to improve his performance. Use three-dimensional objects and manipulatives to explain mathematical concepts.

    • 4

      Help dyslexic kids to become organized by giving specific instructions. Break up each task into smaller steps with a fixed outcome. If you want her to clean up the room for instance, divide the job into separate tasks, such as picking clothes off the floor and hanging them up, putting the toys away into the storage rack, and placing books on the table. Again, don't tell her all these things together; get her to pick up the clothes first, then tell her to hang them up. After she has done this, draw attention to the toys on the floor.

    • 5

      Provide children with dyslexia more time for an activity. Dyslexic kids take much longer than other kids to complete even seemingly simple tasks. Have patience and take them slowly through the processes of reading, writing or math. Realize that answering orally may be easier than writing things down, and accordingly provide for extra time to complete writing tasks.

    • 6

      Encourage your dyslexic child to express his frustration and dejection by speaking to you about it. Let him know that it is OK to make mistakes, and reflect the same in your behavior when he goes wrong or is slow to pick up things. Recognize and reward every single accomplishment with praise and encouragement. Be cheerful around your child and never speak of his dyslexia to others in a pessimistic way, especially when he can hear you.

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