What is wrong with my daughter?

[Etah]

She is 7 and is considered dyslexic, not sure if the school is doing enough but she is getting better at reading...unless well below her peers. Her teacher keeps complaining she is not reading the book in her book bag but it is too difficult for her. She reads at home but mostly pictures book for young children. Spelling is still a struggle.

I sat down to do some maths with ther this morning and she can not work out:

_ + 1 = 3

4 + _ = 4

and other similar problems.

This was on a computer website recommended by the school.
Usually she does staff like this for homework, I have to seat beside her with beads or numicon, she struggles but works out the answers eventually.
Today she couldn't do it easily all by herself not even using her fingers.

Don't get me started on times tables.

It is so frustrating and I know I must handle it better. I want to give her a good childhood with lots of extra curricular activities and interesting things to do and lots of play time but now I am starting to think I am doing it all wrong and should give up swimming, ballet, drama, playground, park and just stay at home teaching her.

The only way I can pay any kind of tutoring is if I cut any of the activities above which I struggle very much, save and go without myself to provide for her.

I am glad I am not working in August, so instead of spending the days out having fun I will mostly concentrate on working with her at home. She will still have few days holidays with GPs though.

Also I need to go and talk to teacher and SENCO again, don't I? Always when I do (not a lot though, but I had to push for a dyslexia assessment) I feel like I am being U and it is my fault I don't do enough at home, and I am one of "those" parents...don't I know she will "click" eventually?

I can't believe she will start Y3 like this!

What do you think?
Am I over reacting?

I do get that bronya - I understand it not magic and it won't affect decoding skills .

However I have read at least one research paper that looked at their effect over a considerable block of time with a significant number of DC diagnosed with dyslexia looking at one group with and one without having done as much as possible. There was no statistical difference in progress between the two groups – who were treated the same other than the overlays ie other remedial work continued.

There are many studies out there like you describe- in fact whole area is very poorly researched with studies often having very small numbers tested.

So as far as I can tell there is no research proving that coloured overlays have any effect for most dyslexia - and yet it's the first thing most schools hand out as a best that can be done - mainly I think because it's cheap.

I'm not saying that some people don't find overlays the beneficial - however that could be because either they have a sub condition that is improved or its the placebo effect - ie there is a perceived improvement because they person given the overlay expects there to be one.

I wouldn’t knock even placebo improvement in my DC – but that didn’t happen and we gave it a good try and I've tried it myself and I've noticed no difference - not in stamina or eye strain or anything.

I suspect that dyslexia is a much more umbrella set of conditions leading to problems with reading and writing. The issues I have with reading and writing are very different to those other dyslexics I have known – and I can see the difference in my DC problems.

I feel you do have to do your research as education as a whole is full of pseudo science and opinions presents as fact but this is so much worse in areas like dyslexia.

I couldn't get hard research backing engaging eyes - but the theory behind seemed to be there and we decided that it was worth a punt. DD1 has made massive improvements starting about a month after she started - can't prove it was that but we think it is.

OP I woudn't give up activties - phonic work can be as little as 10 minutes everyday - maths 20 minutes and over time you can see a difference.

No. I won't give up the activities. She wants to give up ballet but I will not let her do it. She is doing very well.

I will organise myself and make a plan to do a bit of formal learning everyday. And I must REMEMBER to incorporate the learning at the mundane everyday life as much as I can.

Thanks again.