Back to school - Tips for Parents

It's that time of year, the summer holidays long forgotten, a new class, a new school and lots of new routines. This can be quite stressful for pupils with dyslexia and their families. Here are a few tips.

Be Patient!

You can easily get frustrated with your child but be patient!

Remember:

They will experience fatigue, as it requires a lot more concentration for a student with dyslexia to study and get used to new routines.
It may be difficult for them to settle down straight away to homework after school and they may need a little 'down time'.
Try to ensure that your child has a 'distraction free' space to carry out their homework.
That pupils with dyslexia have good and bad days.

First half term

Give your child's new teacher/s time to get to know them and you can also assess any specific issues that may need discussion and negotiation at the first parent's meeting.
If your child is on the SEN register, ensure that you get a copy of their targets and an understanding of how the school will be supporting your child to achieve these and when they are due to be reviewed.
If you have any concerns about your child after discussion with you child's class teacher/form tutor you should approach the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).
Developing a positive dialogue with the school is important to advocate for your child, and at times this can need some polite, yet persistant, determination.

Getting Organised - Promote independence.

Have spares of all stationery ready at home.
Have a timetable of things that are needed each day, use pictures or colour coding and put it in a prominent place.
Have resources at home such as A4 files, pen grips, highlighters, little whiteboards etc
A spelling dictionary, like the ACE Spelling dictionary -organised by spelling sound instead of alphabetically can be helpful.
Make learning as multisensory as possible, for ideas and suggestions see my BLOG on Multisensory Learning.