Why do we need to focus on providing encouragement for children with dyslexia? A few months ago I was reading a post by fellow blogger, Fiona, and it caught my attention. Fiona’s post is a letter to children with dyslexia explaining a little bit about what it means to cope with having dyslexia and sharing some of her personal experiences. I thought it was a very kind letter and it touched my heart.
It also got me to thinking.
I too am dyslexic, as I have mentioned before in this blog, and I had a very hard time in school as a child. Not much was known about dyslexia back then, and for me, encouraging words were few and far between.
So I started thinking about time travel. What if I could travel back in time and offer some encouraging words to myself as a child? What would I say to myself? I thought I’d share my musings in case anyone else finds them helpful as well.
Things I would tell my child self:
- Just because something may be difficult for you, doesn’t mean that you’re stupid or that you can’t do it.
- You can accomplish practically anything that you want to accomplish, no matter how hard it may be at first.
- Never give up
- Be patient with yourself.
- There is more than one way to learn something. Just because other kids do things a certain way doesn’t mean that you have to.
- Figure out what way works best for you. It’s okay to learn something in a different way and don’t let anyone to tell you otherwise. There is no wrong way to learn something.
- You deserve more credit, rather than less, because you are showing up every day to work extra hard in spite of difficulties with learning.
- If you put forth the effort, you will accomplish things in your life that you wouldn’t think possible.
- Tell yourself these things over and over again:
I am not stupid.
I can do it.
I will be patient with myself. - As hard as it might be for you to even imagine now, someday you will love reading and writing. You will even write books of your own.
- Don’t worry. You’ll get used to the moustache.
Next week I’ll talk a little bit more about dyslexia and some ideas that really helped and inspired me as I got a little older and more used to living with it.
Thank you for reading about encouragement for children with dyslexia. For a thorough discussion of the social and emotional support children with dyslexia require, read my award-winning book, Raising a Child with Dyslexia: What Every Parent Needs to Know, available in softcover, hardcover, eBook, and audio.
Cardboard Box Adventures picture books are great for shared reading and can help parents establish a strong preliteracy foundation for their children. Check out the CBA Catalog for a full list of award-winning picture books, chapter books, and resources for parents and educators. Visit my Don M. Winn Amazon author page for more information.