Parent Guide: 3 Ways to Support Your Struggling Reader & Writer at Home (Part 2)
Dyslexia Understanding & Awareness:
One of the trickiest parts of having a student who is struggling to read and write is knowing how to talk about it. Even though dyslexia affects 5-12% of the population, so few people really understand what it means to have dyslexia. Because of this, it is so important to help your student understand what it does and does not mean to have dyslexia.
We recommend The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity as their website is chock full of articles, videos, tutorials and the like for parents, students, and educators wanting to grow in their understanding of dyslexia.
Additionally, Redwood Literacy has created a curriculum entitled ‘Discover Dyslexia’ for purchase on our Teachers Pay Teachers store with 100% of proceeds going towards student scholarships. This eight-week curriculum is designed to help your student learn about the strengths and weaknesses that come with dyslexia with simple mantras and activities that can be implemented in daily life to help your student become a better advocate for their needs as learners.
Below is a sample from our Discover Dyslexia Curriculum:
WEEK 6: If I have dyslexia, I am probably really good at thinking outside the box, thinking creatively, and cheating the system.
Day 1: Broad Overview
Read the Discover Dyslexia out loud.
Ask the students if they have ever heard anything like this before?
It’s probably true that for most of them, dyslexia feels like a negative thing. It can make spelling and reading difficult and often school is just complicated.
But there are DYSLEXIA SUPERPOWERS that non-dyslexic brains don’t get to have!
Example: The average dyslexic brain can summon 1500 images a second whereas a non dyslexic brain can only summon 500. That is amazing!
Day 2: Multi-Dimensional Thinking
Read the Discover Dyslexia out loud.
Did you know that NASA heavily recruits people with dyslexia to work for them?
Some reports say that nearly 50% (HALF!) of NASA employees are dyslexic!
Want to know why? Because the dyslexic brain can often think in 3-D better than a non-dyslexic brain. And when it comes to building/maintaining spacecraft, that 3-D thinking is so valuable!
For example, a strong 3D brain can envision a fully finished product before it’s made and turn it around and around to look for problems, all while it’s still just an idea in someone’s brain. This can save so much time and headache, to ‘see’ the problems before you start building it.
What are other careers or hobbies or projects where thinking in 3D might be a huge leg-up?
Day 3: Thinking Outside the Box
Read the Discover Dyslexia out loud.
What does it look like if someone is thinking outside of the box?
Because your dyslexic brain thrives when it’s able to visualize big picture concepts and scenarios, you are at an advantage in the career world because you will be able to suggest ideas that are creative and OUTSIDE OF THE BOX! Because so much of traditional school and learning might be more challenging for you, you probably have become quite the pro and thinking of new ways of doing something, or cheating the system. This is an incredible skill in many careers and if you can develop it in positive ways, can be a huge asset in your life journey.
Many dyslexics are drawn to careers that allow them to start and run their own business because it takes a lot of creativity to start something from scratch and creativity is such a strength for the dyslexic brain.
Day 4: What Did You Learn?
Repeat the Discover Dyslexia.
Ask students what they’ve learned!
If they need some direction, here are some prompts:
What are some things their dyslexic brain can do that non-dyslexic brains struggle to do?
Do you have a career you are interested in pursuing?
What are some ways that you personally have seen your dyslexia be a strength?