My thoughts on a page.

Do you have dyslexia? Do you worry your child might? Well this post contains the homework of one of my two children who have dyslexia. It is from a number of years ago when my little one was ten years old. It was a time of uncertainty in my world, when I wondered how they would ever manage to get through school and could university ever be possible?

Over the years I got used to reading many more pieces with some very imaginative spelling. Looking back today I smile as I think this piece clearly shows what writing with dyslexia really looked like in my house. It was written in free writing at school and is their comment on homework.

Homework
Homework can be hard but some stuf are helpful.
I thing we shoud do reading for homwork,
because it is fun and your parents can see hou you are doing.
There is no pont of doing tables espesly if you have bislecia.
You try to learn them but tow secens it is gon.
In mats at home you ar doing the exact thing you do at school.
Writing, there is no pont of doing,
because your hand herts
I hate homework there is no pont of doing homework,
it wasts time and you already did five and a haft hours.
It is realy anoing wen all your frends are out’side
and you are stuch in side.
You would ingoj school much mor if you had no homework.

If this had been written by my first child with dyslexia, reading it would have filled me with angst.
My thoughts would have been,“Oh dear, I pray they are good at drawing. Looks like studying medicine is out of the question!”

Luckily this was written by my second child with dyslexia. I had watched my older son learn how to overcome reading and writing difficulties and pushing against the expectation that he would prefer to work with his hands or do some form of art, neither of which he excelled at, because within him was a brain for academia which wasn’t shining through because of reading, writing and calculation difficulties.

In the early years every day brought challenges and homework, so perfectly captured in my daughter’s piece, brought its own horror. Maths for both were disastrous and spellings a waste of time. In fact it wasn’t until they were over sixteen that they finally began to blossom, having learned how best to learn in a way which suited them, and interestingly, both learn very differently.

While the youngest has not yet completed her education, my older child has. In the end against, all the odds, he did honors maths for Leaving Cert and achieved a Masters in Economics. I tell you this not to point and say, ‘look aren’t they amazing?’ but to let you know that anything is achievable for a child with dyslexia.

So for all you parents out there worried your child may have dyslexia because they regularly write a ‘b’ instead of a ‘d’ I say, relax. Dyslexia is so much more than just a writing or reading difficulty.

And for those of you reading this and thinking, “where did she find my child’s homework?” Stop worrying.
My advice for you… do not limit your child’s thinking. Help them believe they can. Remember unlike children who have little or no difficulty reading, your child will continue to learn and improve their skills well into their twenties, so do not curtail their future by limiting their choices at an early age.

With modern thinking schools are enlightened,
and with modern technology, spelling and reading difficulties are not an issue.
Your child can be all they want to be.

So, when you feel like throwing in the towel, do as I do.
Inwardly hoot with laughter at what they have written, but never lose sight of what they are saying. And above all… celebrate their difference and be unashamedly proud. I am.

photo credit: Jamison Wieser via photopincc
photo credit: symphony of love via photopincc