How the heck is a 12yo supposed to learn French, when

[HaveAHappyNewJung]

they really struggle with reading and writing in English?

It is getting frustrating. :(

12yo DSD, dyslexic (well, tendencies anyway, can't afford private test) and not getting help since starting yr8. She is getting better at English I must say, she can read a lot more now but spelling and memory are really still difficult for her. She's good at science and maths type subjects though.

She just can't remember any of it.

We did a matching game for her vocab list, and I was thinking next time I might cut up sentences for her to rearrange, but I'm at a loss for what else to do.

She lives with her mum and is only here every other weekend (alternates with siblings) so we can't do as much as we'd like although we do some help online.

I am thinking of getting their textbook because they only have them at school and aren't allowed to bring them home ever. Even for exam revision. They are told to revise from their exercise books but there is barely anything in them, and that seems to have never been marked so there were loads of mistakes.

WWYD?

[Bonsoir]

I think it is really wrong (misguided pedagogical practice) that the school system insists that DCs who have difficulties with literacy in their mother-tongue spend time trying to acquire a second language.

[FreudianSlipIntoMyLaptop]

I'll ask about choosing a different language although I doubt she would want to change now as she would be starting from scratch.

I think she would want to keep going anyway... But yes it is a bit frustrating to say the least. DH always struggled with language too.

[wishingforcrystalball]

My dd is severly dyslexic, and has very poor English reading and writing skills - but excels in the languages.

I believe this is partly due to the fact that 2nd languages of course is not at hte same level as English - i.e. she can write My name is in English, so writing My name is in French/German/Spanish is not difficult.

Also the teaching of languages is not the same as English.

In Languages she has about 10 words, that she has to say/learn/write repeat etc, although she doesn't always know what she's writing, she draws a picture of words, which is how she writes, well as she is given specific words and phrases to learn, she learns them parrot fashion.

In English she has to read and interpret great swathes of text that she has no idea what it says.

[daphnedill]

You could try a website called "Zut", which is free from 4pm until 9am. The topics are quite closely linked with those which most comprehensives teach.

www.zut.org.uk/index.html