Children with Dyslexia face a greater degree of challenge in doing the tasks that other children accomplish with ease. Difficulty reading can make a problem subject even more difficult to complete. As a result, the child may lose self-esteem due to low grades and an inability to reach the academic levels of accomplishment that are average for their age. Dyslexia often evades diagnosis until the child enters school. When early diagnosis occurs and the child receives the support needed, the outlook for a successful future is greatly improved.
How to Improve Reading Skills at an Early Age
Research has shown that teaching children solid decoding skills, in addition to getting adequate help with comprehension skills, spelling, and vocabulary, will help them master the necessary reading skills, according to an article in Scholastic. Intense help at an early age turns on the reading system of the brain and makes the child more receptive to learning to read.
The Next Step
Although children who are helped at an earlier age can “overcome” dyslexia, there is no cure. Once you have made them more susceptible to learning, you need to continue to provide them with the help to continually grow better. Since children with learning disabilities are often overlooked once they start school, parents should consider sending their children to a school that understands the needs of a child with dyslexia. John Cardinal O’Connor School stands out from other schools for children with dyslexia because of our comprehensive approach to teaching children who learn differently, and our proven ability to help students close the gap between intellectual potential and academic performance.
Children today become responsible for some degree of homework from the time they are in the first grade. A good pattern to teach children is to write down when homework is due, along with the steps they will need to accomplish it. They should realize early on that they will take more time to accomplish tasks. Learning to plan accordingly will help prevent them from running into problems completing assignments.
Take Advantage of Technology
A large number of children struggle with Dyslexia. As a result, there are numerous resources available to help them improve their reading skills. Laptops, tablets, and even books on CD are some of the tools that can be used to organize or manage assignments. The latter lets children read along with the text to become more familiar with the lessons they will be addressing in class. There are also computers that can read to the user when you use the right software.
The Importance of Organization
One of the basics of the education a child gets from schools for children with learning disabilities like dyslexia is the importance of organizing information. Obtaining, storing, and accessing data efficiently will make it easier to find what you need without requiring a lot of time. The same is true for approaching any project. When the child breaks it down into steps and determines what materials and actions are needed to complete each step, the overall process becomes much easier.
The Matter of Attitude
A can-do attitude is essential for a dyslexic child who must take a different approach to learning than other children around them. Knowing that lots of other kids have gone through the same thing and become successful will help them realize that they can do it, too.
Sources
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/challenges-disabilities/overcoming-dyslexia
