Do you sometimes ask, “why me?”
“Why do I find it difficult to do some things at school?”
“Why am I different?”
Well, first of all, every one is different. That’s part of being human.
We are all different in what we are good at and not so good at.
How you are different from others may be partly due to dyslexia.
Some one may have told you that you have dyslexia.
You should know that dyslexia is not a disease.
It does not mean that there is something wrong with you.
It does mean that you may be different in how you learn.
Pupils with dyslexia do not work less.
They work differently.
You will already know that you have had some difficulty in reading, spelling or writing.
You should also know that dyslexia may affect you in other ways too.
You may find that you have difficulty remembering some things.
You may find that you are disorganised.
Or, you may have difficulty with being on time or judging the passing of time
Everyone learns differently.
No two brains are alike.
The brain is made up of many different networks that help learning.
Some people learn better by seeing, others learn better by hearing and still others need to do something in order to really learn new information.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses including people with dyslexia.
It is important that you know your own strengths and abilities as well as the difficulties you experience.
The networks for taking in spoken and written language are different for people with dyslexia. They learn differently from other people.
People with dyslexia may have difficulty with
- sounding out words
- reading speed
- understanding what is read
- spelling
- getting what is in your head onto paper
- writing speed
- handwriting
- learning sequences
- knowing left and right
A lot of pupils clearly know more than they can put on paper.
A lot of pupils find they read better to themselves than out loud.
A lot of pupils know the answer but can’t get the answer out.
These difficulties often stop you from showing what you know.
School work is probably frustrating because it requires great effort on your part. You may be trying very hard at school but your grades do not show this
You probably know more than you think you do and possibly more than others give you credit for.
Many people with dyslexia are very good at things which may be hard for their friends who are good readers and writers.
You may be a talented artist, musician, athlete or actor. You may be good at maths, computers, telling stories or making things.
Some pupils with dyslexia find that:
- They have to work harder
- They have to find their own way to do things
- They have to work with their teachers to find the best way for them to learn
- They need the help of their parents and friends
- They should value the other things they are good at
- Mind maps are good
- A computer is very helpful
- It’s better to write it- leave it- read it again before use.
- Colour helps - colour code everything
To become a more successful learner, you need to understand your best way of capturing information, storing it in your brain and showing what you know.
You need to find the way to your brain that works for you.
You need to find the best way for you to learn.
Start by looking at the way you learn now.
Go to the Learning Profile section.