Dyslexia Help: Five Top Reasons Kids With Dyslexia Fail
Kids with dyslexia struggle to read and spell. Since writing is related, they usually have a hard time with that as well. This causes bad grades and poor self-esteem because dyslexia help is like a foreign word out there in education land.
Got help?
Well…duh…yes.
Of course kids with dyslexia get help. The problem is that it isn’t the right kind of help. The dyslexia help isn’t targeted specifically to their unique learning needs.
Kids with dyslexia learn differently than other kids. The recipe for academic success is as simple as that.
So, if they learn differently, then why would anyone continue to offer these kids instruction methods aimed at a different type of learner? Or how about reading programs that simply don’t work…and never will?
Children with dyslexia fail at a rapid rate. They get frustrated and fall flat on their faces way too many times to keep swinging in a world that simply doesn’t understand them…or their unique learning needs.
It’s important to understand why they struggle so we can give them the right dyslexia help. Help that helps them do better.
Why They Struggle: It’s All About The Right Dyslexia Help
Too Little Too Late For The Right Help!
The first reason kids with dyslexia fail is that they miss out on early interventions. One reason for this is that they are so bright and verbal. Teachers and parent sense they are smart, so the bar is set high. They are told to work harder. To bear down.
And…they do.
They usually work harder than anyone you’d know.
And they still fail.
Even so, they still see the disappointment in your eyes…in their teacher’s eyes. They fall further and further behind, often getting into trouble. Then, they end up using coping mechanisms to get the attention off their failures. Like being the class clown or fighting with other kids. They might zone out, hoping it will all go away. Or, they might turn breaking rules and laws.
Is it any wonder that 48% of the American prison population is dyslexic? Not when you consider how wrong and small the amount of dyslexia help they receive as young learners is!
If early interventions are made, if teachers and parents pushed for proper testing and treatment early on, this picture wouldn’t be so messy.
When Dyslexia Help Is Wrong, Kids Fail!
When teaching instruction is wrong for kids with dyslexia, they fail in an epic way!
Children with dyslexia usually receive the wrong kind of instruction. Since they are unique learners, they require different modes of teaching instruction they rarely receive.
Kids with dyslexia are weak in visual and auditory processing abilities. This causes them to be weak in auditory and visual memory abilities, something you need to pass tests and understand what was read.
Can you imagine how horrible, how confusing a long school day would be if you spoke only English but the teacher spoke in French? Well…that’s how it is for kids with dyslexia.
They are hands-on learners because their visual and auditory channels are weak. So they rely on “doing” to learn.
Most kids today sit most of the day simply hearing a lecture – which is an auditory format. Adults can only pay attention for about twenty minutes without zoning out. But kids with dyslexia are forced to sit in chairs hour after hour listening to lectures they can’t understand.
Then, they’re tested on the material.
And they fail.
Over-and-over again.
Once again, this isn’t the kind of dyslexia help these kids need. It’s more like ignoring a situation while hoping it will just go away!
A Low Self-Esteem Is A Fire With Gasoline
The next reason kids with dyslexia have failed so much is that they usually have low self-esteem. They also lack confidence to take learning leaps.
After failing in school over-and-over again, kids with dyslexia begin to expect failure. This is like throwing fuel on a bonfire, waiting for water to spurt out! These kids gave up long ago thinking their report cards might even have the scent of an “A” no matter how hard they work.
Self-esteem plays an important role in the learning process. It helps a student to stay motivated, confident, and resilient. When kids with dyslexia have high self-esteem, they are more likely to face challenges with a positive attitude. They believe in themselves and their ability to complete a task.
This overall confidence helps them to take risks, ask questions, and handle difficulties. These are all part of the learning cycle!
Conversely, low self-esteem can lead to self-doubt, fear of failure, and reluctance in trying out new learning activities. This leads to missed opportunities for growth and development.
Without reasonably high-self esteem and confidence, kids with dyslexia wither on the vine instead of thrive.
Misunderstood: The Plague Of Having Dyslexia
Fourth, children who suffer with dyslexia are misunderstood and often lack the necessary support that they need. But wait, what about special education?
Yeah, that.
All too often, kids with dyslexia fail to qualify for special education services. For starters, their IQ’s are often too high to qualify. They also will usually perform fairly well in the early grades, so they aren’t diagnosed until after the fourth grade – when the print gets smaller.
And all too often, schools simply lack the right evaluation opportunities that children with dyslexia require. They need a universal test that says either they do or they don’t have dyslexia. There is too much gray area, too much blurring of the lines between qualifying and not qualifying for special education.
Even if kids with dyslexia do qualify for special education, they usually don’t receive specific skills necessary for treating dyslexia. They only receive a watered-down curriculum.
Yup.
The very curriculum that didn’t work for them before. The idea apparently is that the same system that failed them is going to work if there’s just less of it.
Which is ludicrous…and leads us to the worst offender of all!
The Wrong Materials Make Dyslexia Help A Distant Dream!
Finally, and the most important of all, children are provided with traditional reading materials in school. These materials work for the bulk of students in school.
But not for a child with dyslexia.
Why?
They might have worked for you, your parents, or your other kids.
But remember, kids with dyslexia learn differently. It breaks my heart every time I hear a parent tell me they made their child do flashcards. I did that with my son, too.
It didn’t work.
Neither did phonics. Or forcing him to practice more.
You see, my son had dyslexia, too. And kids with dyslexia are hands-on learners. It wasn’t until I put a dot dabber in his hand that he made progress. That’s how he learns…by doing and moving!
Reading and decoding instruction must involve large motor movements for kids with dyslexia to learn. If they don’t have this, such as in traditional phonics instruction, they fail over-and-over again.
With the right reading program, one that uses movement and a multisensory approach, such as Bravo! Reading or Lindamood-Bell, kids with dyslexia can soar.
If kids with dyslexia are given the right sources of intervention and instruction, they thrive. They learn to decode with the correct reading materials, with early and proper interventions, and with a deep understanding of their unique needs.
Info-graphic: The Top Five Reasons Kids With Dyslexia Fail
