Extra help or normal learning style?

[sparklesq]

My DS is in Y2. Started school quite able and above expected levels, but has slowly dropped and is still hitting expected targets but I've noticed that he will grasp a topic quite quickly when we're going through things with him, but then a day later it's completely gone. I think this is the issue with his subjects, especially maths. They are doing times tables and despite us going over it nightly and his grasping it every time, the next day it's completely gone out of his head so he'll get low marks the next day in this morning mental maths quiz. Spellings are similar but seem to stick around a bit longer than numbers. Is this something to be concerned about or normal? His teacher isn't worried because he's still hitting the expected targets but I'm concerned that he seems to be noticeably struggling compared to where he was and want to help if he needs it.

My son has just been diagnosed with SpLD in 6th Form. If you go and look at the British Dyslexia Association page and have a read up you may spot "signs".

We were told that DS's dyslexia/slow processing hadn't been spotted because he was bright and bright kids can manage to work out their own coping mechanisms which masks the problem - as in my son's case until after gcses.

It is definitely worth keeping an eye on. When I read that page there were so many things we "ticked".

Indicators: www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/parent/indication-of-dyslexia

www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexic/dyslexia-and-specific-difficulties-overview

I'm not an expert but know someone who is both highly intelligent and dyslexic. He describes his brain as being a bit like a sieve and things dropping out just like you describe. That said I think it's far too early to tell and it might well just be his learning style. When you say he's forgotten do you mean the understanding is gone or the rote learning? For example can he understand the process of multiplication but he's forgotten his tables or he doesn't understand at all how to work them out? I think the former would be more common than the latter.

Thank you for replies. I did question dyslexia for a while but he ticks no other boxes on that list. He is a very confident, independent reader and was quick learning things like telling the time and tying laces. Doesn't confuse letters, orders etc. Actually he's pretty quick to learn anything new, it just won't stay in his head!!

Post edited by MNHQ

My daughter has visual processing disorder and struggles with learning things and recalling things from memory.
We thought (as school did) that she was dyslexic but the assessment showed she wasn't but did have visual proceed issues.

It definitely doesn't sound like dyslexia although could be a separate processing issue. The red flags are usually large disparities in apparent ability - so while he would seem very able when doing certain tasks he would seem below average in other ways.

You could vary the way you teach him things like multiplication - for example try showing him visually with rows of dots etc. For addition if he's bright he may like to think about adding the unit digits first then adding the tens. Or again using a visual way of learning with rows of tens and the extra digits on the end if you see what I mean (you could do this with physical number blocks which you can buy on amazon) so for example with 46 + 9 you'd have four rows of ten then the six extra.You'd bring a long 9 extra blocks, first take four of them to make fifty you'd then have 5 extra left giving you 55. Sometimes you just have to find the way that clicks and after a while it becomes automatic and all this scaffolding isn't required any more.

Perhaps for a while start with the question he's getting muddled about? So for example don't ask 7 x 5, have four cards with +-x÷ and ask him what does this sign mean? How could you work out a (multiplication) sum? Or before you do an addition, are you going to start with biggest or smallest number for number line addition? Why?

I thought DS3 was showing dyslexic traits. For other reasons, I had a private Ed Psych assess him. What she found was he has issues with working memory. It's a case of being aware of it and supporting rather than a fix iykwim. So repeating and reminders, using visual aids, short instructions etc etc, probably stuff you are already doing. The EP did say it's quite possible his working memory may well mature over time.