What are your best tips on helping a dyslexic child at home?

[teamcullen]

Ive been trawling the web but most information just says read with your child every day and repitition with homework etc..

But there is no real advise on how to keep your child motivated (unless they are trying to sell you something) or ways to keep their mind on track and get them into routines.

So does anybody have any tips on surviving homework or morning routines helping DCs become more independant or anything else that you might have had problems with.

Any advice or useful websites would be really apreciated. Thank you

My mum left primary school in the 50s without being able to read or write. Luckily she had a teacher who took her back to basics in her first year of secondary school and she ended up as a medical secretary.

I think its a credit to DS1s teachers that his favorite lesson is literacy even though he finds it so hard.

Sorry gatecrashing - I was looking for a post where I could get some support, I'm actually sat her with a wet face crying, which I never ever do. I'm trying to rationalise that it's just a silly maths test but I'm so angry and sad about it I need to share -so sorry but here goes.

My lovely boy is just 7, confident, friendly, cheeky and very intelligent, we thought school would be a breeze and reception was a nightmare, he cried, couldn't get dressed for PE, couldn't follow basic instructions, bearing in mind he was only 4 I though he will be fine. We got through that he found his feet and developed well and had a great social live and great friends.

it was only in year one with reading we realised he was getting muddled, stressed and falling "behind"? I guess again he just managed in his own way, our feedback from the school was Lazy, not listening to instructions, could try harder. I started to look at his peers and I know I shouldn't be I was left feeling baffled? where had my smart boy gone?

again year 2 at the start we had the same feedback but the pressure had started building, spellings, reading, maths homework all of which we struggled with - just like the posts above I must add after 3 years for getting read for school he is yet to manage to remember what needs doing next!! we giggle about it and he's cool but I just make sure we are up early, and he drifts into space Lots!

So anyway after a few discussion we have raised what about the fact he may be dyslexic (My husband is mildly) I've read online and thought That just descibed my child.

The school did nothing Oh he will be fine he's just lazy, but after the 3rd time, they actually gave him extra time and he did amazing work and loved it - that lasted 4 weeks, guess the teachers got bored.

So anyway after much debate I have booked him for an assesment independantly from the school with the Dyslexica Centre.

he reason for my tears, my boy came home from school and I was looking in his book bag, he was really worried. I pulled out what they call "speedy sums" which are the schools way of doing year 2 sATS. He said he thought he's done really well.

He had answered 28 questions out of 36 maths, problem being he had ADDED all of the sums instead of multiplication. he's got them all right if he was adding!

So the bitch of a teacher (sorry I'm really cross) instead of seeing the mistake and sent him home with 28 red crosses on this sheet? her point I'm not sure? But i've never been so angry.

SURELY as a teacher you would notice whats happened? Surely you would let them have another go? surely you would check all of the children understood what they were doing?

and the fact he only has 10 minutes sends him into a panic.

What on earth should I do? I've drafted a letter to the head teacher, not sure I could control my anger with the teacher concerned. I'm not one of those parents that lurks talking to the teachers so generally when I talk they do listen but on this occasion I'm so cross that my boy, is being made to feel stupid when it's a case of poor teaching?

am I being emotional or would this upset most parents who have voiced concerns?

I really feel for you. This sounds awful and the school is remiss. Your post resonated with me because my DD is nearly 6 and the way you describe your DS is very similar. Every indication was the school woul dbe a breeze - she was so engaged, chatty, confident, into the world at nursery. But....she can't dress herself, use scissors etc etc and reading and writing just aren't happening for her and she seems to be the only one in year 1 who doesn't get it. It makes me cry a lot (and try to find ways to help her too, of course) - but I must toughen up!

I'm not on commission so hopefully you won't mind me 'selling' something by saying Barrington Stoke Barrington Stoke Barrington Stoke! Great books for dyslexic kids - actually I think great books full stop - I really enjoy them when I read them with mine. Famous authors, special editing, yellow paper, good font. Helped us make reading something they wanted to do - it's one thing to 'get' the phonic code and all that but I love books and stories and I wanted my kids to love them too, and who ever loved a phonics reader where there isn't a story?
Funnily enough one of the books my eldest liked best was about a kid who always gets put in goal - in the book he goes on to play for some big team (sorry - not a football buff!). Maybe called 'United Here We Go?' (so maybe Man U?) He wasn't dyslexic, though - he just had big hands and feet and took ages to grow into them!

I think you need to back off at home, this was the advice given by DS's (9)teacher at Dyslexia Action, they work so hard at school, so much harder then there classmates at decoding info and general school work. Home should be a place of refuge and comfort not a place of more work and stress. We backed off and honestly he has massively improved. Instead of banging away with 'school' stuff we have taken it into a new arena eg: reading Sky Sports News, the Man Utd match programme, stuff he likes that motivate him.

How can hoo hass at bedtime over reading a book help? Stressfull for everyone. Audio books in his little ipod shuffle are great too, they help him hear sounds of words, keep him engaged and able to converse with friends about books.

School are great, he does not have to do all the literacy homework, just do some of it well; this ensures he is not overloaded by it all that it becomes a struggle. He aslo write 2-3 sentances about his favourite Star Wars character; he's obsessed by Star Wars so the motivation is high.

Forget all that Dore etc expensive stuff and read the Gift of Dyslexia, very insightfull and there is a programme you can buy on Amazon by a Dr Madeleine Portwood which DS and others do at school for co-ordination etc.

There is no quick fix and loaded too much on their plate is not on. DS was diagnosed at 7 and he is now 9 and TBH and lot has come with age and maturity, he still fidgets and can fall over nothing, but he loves to play cricket and catches well and can ride a bike like the wind - none of that was doable 2 years ago.

So be careful and considered is best.

I also lay out his uniform on his bed each morning and get his school bag ready, stops me getting stressed and shouting to hurry and he gets dressed quicker and easier, he can then concentrate on other stuff for school. I see it that you can make your lives difficult or EASIER, not easy but easier.

Jadee - auditory processing, a really intersting area, a thread is a must!

DS aged went for an auditory processing assesment at Manchester Hospital as his Dyslexia Action assesment noted a big issue with aduditory processing, but they found no problem after an hour and a half's testing.

So am confused!

Carocaro, not sure how old your ds is but I think it's important my ds packs his own bag and deals with things he forgets himself, even if detentions are involved. It really helps - I didn't even he'd been swimming as he'd sorted his own stuff out.
I#ve always made ds do all reasonablr homework - rubbish as it is, he'll always be dyslexic therefore needs to learn that he has to put in the extra effort. He goes to a selective state school so needs to keep up with the others.

Just marking my place, as I really want to come back to this thread. My DS (11) is dyslexic and being home educated at present because he was finding school so stressful. A lot of what I've read on here sounds very familiar.

Btw, I used to have a chart up for the morning before-school routine. It really helped.