Help me! My child is failing her leaving cert - grind school?

[Laoisrocks]

I'm quite academic and presumed my kids would be self-taught like myself. This hasn't happened. My daughter is clever but is not trying at all in school. She's a happy kid but no interest in school. She's doing all ordinary level subjects, just started 6th year and has now been moved into Foundation level. She does have dyslexia but she has always been good at maths. She hasn't done her homework since 6th class and it has all caught up with her. I'd like to do something radicallike send her to a grind school. I think my stressful life over the last few years has allowed her to slip down. Could anyone please recommend ANY grind school that she could attend now? I'm prepared to move her from school - she hates it there anyway

https://thetuitioncentre.ie/

FYI @Laoisrocks

I sent my DD to a grind school because she was cracking up at her local convent. Honestly I don’t think it is what you are looking for. They are focussed on achieving top grades at higher level and maximising points. DD’s maths teacher taught to the top of the class not the middle or bottom for example. I presume LCA isn’t an option for you at this stage.

Help her to learn how to study as best as you can and then let her go onto study something after school that really peaks her interest.

Go in and chat to the school. Don't automatically discount foundation level. Have a look at what she would like to do next year. There are some fabulous plc courses available
and many are access routes to other third level courses. If she hasn't been putting much effort in don't go expecting a miracle at this stage and don't go putting too much pressure on her. Just because she doesn't go to university next year it doesn't mean that she won't go in a few years down the line.

@GeorgesMarvelousCalpol

I agree you should speak to the school in the first instance. I'm surprised they have let this slide for so long.

Has she had any support / outside tuition for her dyslexia? How is she going to cope in a grind school if the pace of a regular and less intensive secondary hasn't been achievable? Or she's just been parked in a corner and forgotten about.

You sound to be quite honest as though you've been completely ostrich like for years and have suddenly woken up to the fact she will be leaving school with a very basic set of qualifications?

I don't know that you can land it at the feet of the school. Yes the school knew she wasn't doing homework but so did her parents.

I'm slightly confused by the post tbh. A child having a damascus moment just at the same point as a parent and both having decided that an academic push is going to happen strains credibility a bit with the level of disengagement you describe. I hope the school can be helpful in giving you an understanding of how your child is engaging (or not) in school and what options they see best suiting her. I wouldn't underestimate the impact of dyslexia. Maths is often a wordy subject now so it isn't a safe haven either (a common criticism of the way the maths courses have evolved).

I don't know that you can land it at the feet of the school.
I'm not saying it's the fault of the school but that it's very unusual for any school to let this carry on for so long. What happened at the parent/teacher meetings for instance? What about school reports? Surely it would have been addressed before LC year.

I honestly don’t think any of those places help anyone unless they’re primed/ all in motivated to study (I think grinds are great but know a few people who failed out of eg lesson st).

Don’t panic and tell your daughter not to either. If she can start by looking at the exam papers to get a feel for how they ask questions, how to attack them etc. She could maybe just write in the margin/ do one or two out very roughly..

does she use yellow paper? Will she get help with her dyslexia?

The other thing is to remember all the options she has to her. My son is found all pass too and we were panicking but we’ve started to talk him into forgetting about looking at points and just aiming to do as well as possible because: plcs, certs, apprenticeships, jobs and when they’re 23 they can apply as mature students.

You have months, just get her starting on basics while keeping an eye on exam papers x

She doesn’t use yellow paper but she does have a computer that she uses. Her dyslexia is very severe and it really impacts her performance.

Laoisrocks

try her writing on yellow paper too- dh works in education and swears by it and all their exam papers for dyslexic students are on yellow paper. My brother used to use it too. Places such as easons, Bookstation etc will sell pads to help those who are dyslexic. Best of luck op, and remember in the very end it’s all about being content in life and feeling useful, a job is a job and very few of us end up where we start. So basically while she needs to work, she’ll be fine x

Well if she is profoundly dyslexic then you need a school or solution who is going to give her the best support you can afford?

That can either be with tutoring wrapped around her existing school or you need to be much more specific in looking for grind schools that are set up to support SEN students.

What support is her current school giving and if she was more engaged would that be a good start along with weekend grinds? Limerick Tutorial Centre don't make any mention of SEN support on their website so my working assumption is that it's sink or swim. The Institute of Ed in Dublin only references it in their FAQ's so my working assumption is that a grind school will provide very focussed "get through the exam" style teaching but give her no particular SEN support.

https://dyslexia.ie/classes/tuition/. Have you had a look at this?

She went to her first grind today at Limerick tutorial centre and came home on a high. Absolutely loved it. I think it’s the first decent bit of teaching she’s had in years.

Thanks @TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams I’m afraid we haven’t had any help from the Dyslexia association as they always say “give up Irish” when we’re all fluent Irish speakers so it doesn’t make sense.

That’s interesting I’ll try the yellow paper @stayathomer

As a child with a dyslexia diagnosis, who went to a 'reading school' for two years , I just want to mention the "neuromyth" on the ability of coloured paper or overlays to support the reading of individuals with dyslexia.

This may provide individuals a placebo effect, but it has been widely contested within recent published research. The current body of research has failed to produce high quality evidence demonstrating that an improvement in reading when a coloured paper or coloured overlay is applied. I would hate any child to think this "solution" to their reading issue should work, yet doesn’t, and makes them feel even more inadequate.

Thanks very much @DeliaOwens i hadn’t heard that. I got the coloured paper years ago and my kids said it made no difference. I got the yellow note pads a few weeks ago and they again said it made no difference (three kids with dyslexia)

Different colours work for different people with dyslexia, something like this will give her the chance to see which colour filter works for her , once she knows you can order pads you'll have the A4 filter but you can get smaller ruler sized ones too, you can also get laptop screen filters

https://www.thedyslexiashop.co.uk/products/cerium-a4-coloured-overlays

Thanks for the recommendation @MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira that’s helpful. i don’t think they work but they might and it could be life changing if they do work so I’ve just bought a pack with one of every colour to check it out just in case.