Are you worried that your child might have signs of dyslexia, or other learning difficulties?
Learning to read seems simple enough. After all, how hard can it be to interpret those symbols on the page?
For many, however, classroom reading instruction is the beginning of a lifetime of struggle, anxiety, embarrassment, shame and poor self esteem.
Those who find reading difficult are often diagnosed as dyslexic.
A diagnosis may provide useful information, but it doesn’t tell us everything about the child.
More than Just Reading
Children who struggle with reading often face challenges in other areas too.
These difficulties may include :
- maths
- spelling
- handwriting
- memory
- listening and following spoken instructions
- clumsy or uncoordinated
- organisational skills
- study skills
The ability to read is connected to sensory and motor development, particularly the senses of balance, vision and hearing, as well as movement and muscle tone.
Intense tutoring and more instruction may not always help. Often, the classroom struggles that we see may only be the “tip of the iceberg”.
It doesn’t take long for children to realise that others are finding the learning much easier.
“Smart but feeling dumb”, is the expression one of my students used to described herself.
Behaviour as an Adaptive Response to a Perception of Threat
While many parents prefer to seek a diagnosis when their child is struggling at school, not everyone chooses to go down this path
I suggest an alternative view, based on addressing the root cause, looking for what lies beneath the behaviour.
What is their behaviour trying to tell us?
Could they be saying:
“I don’t feel comfortable enough in the classroom to learn?”
We can’t learn when we are feeling unsafe, pressured or overwhelmed.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Not surprisingly, many children are able to read perfectly well when given individual support in a more peaceful environment.
Looking beyond the label – addressing the whole Child
Since 2005 I have been offering a developmental approach to support children with signs of dyslexia, and other learning difficulties.
Rather than labelling or diagnosing your child, I prefer to look beneath the behaviours, to address the cause.
As an holistic therapist I’m more interested in the person in front of me, than any label they may or may not carry. I see their behaviour as a symptom of something deeper.
Many of these children have not felt comfortable in traditional classrooms, openly saying they did not enjoy being at school.
Rather than trying to “fix” the child, using a traditional approach of managing symptoms, an holistic view sees the behaviour as part of a bigger picture.
Your child does not exist in isolation. They are also part of a community and their behaviour is also influenced by mnay things, including their environment and the pressures of life in today’s world.
Children develop in natural, pre-determined stages. Each new stage is built on the foundations of the earlier ones, a bit like building blocks. When one stage has been missed or is incomplete, the “stack” becomes unsteady, and your child will likely struggle to learn.
We can support a child’s learning by addressing developmental immaturities, or filling in the gaps. The aim is to build the foundations for later learning in all areas – social, emotional, behavioural and physical, as well as in the classroom.
Is My Child Ready to Learn to Read?
Reading ability is built on a strong foundation of early sensory and motor development.
Skills that can help your child’s reading readiness include:
- Feeling safe supports relaxation, and concentration
- Balance and coordination helps them to sit still and concentrate
- Being able to move both eyes together smoothly across a page.
- Listening – processing the sounds they are hearing
- Having the strength and coordination to sit comfortably and focus.
- Memory – link together a series of sounds to form words
Read more:
The Good News
The good news is that it’s never too late to help your child. Addressing underlying issues can help with much more than just reading and writing. Without the frustration of trying to keep up, they are able to relax in the classroom.
Consequently, you may find anxiety decreases, social and emotional learning develops and friendships become easier. Your child may have fewer meltdowns, and family relationships become closer.
This invites the question:
“Is it the diagnosis that’s important, or is it how you deal with it that matters?”
The First Step
The first step is to make an appointment for an . This is a time set aside just for you, a safe place for you to share your concerns. We can talk about strategies and support for your family.
It’s never too late to help your child, but is is much easier when they are younger, before secondary issues of poor self esteem, anxiety, anger and frustration start to creep in.
We all want our children to be happy and successful.
Download our FREE e-book Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Children
Related articles:
Learning is More than Just Trying Harder
Kevin’s teacher rang to say how much more organised he is in the classroom. He gets his work out and gets on with it. No more messing around, no more annoying his classmates.
The Extra Lesson Program Participant
Are you worried that your child might have signs of dyslexia, or other learning difficulties?
Learning to read seems simple enough. After all, how hard can it be to interpret those symbols on the page?
For many, however, classroom reading instruction is the beginning of a lifetime of struggle, anxiety, embarrassment, shame and poor self esteem.
.Those who find reading difficult are often diagnosed as dyslexic.
A diagnosis may provide useful information, but it doesn’t tell us everything about the child.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is generally used as a generic label for children who struggle with learning in a classroom. The standard definition of dyslexia includes those who:
- have reading difficulties,
- are of normal intelligence, and
- have participated in standard classroom reading instruction.
Children described as being dyslexic therefore have normal intelligence, but for a number of reasons, struggle with learning to read in a standard classroom.
More than Just Reading
Research shows that children with signs of dyslexia may also struggle in other areas of learning. This is often linked to underlying immaturities in their early sensory and motor development.
These difficulties may include :
- maths
- spelling
- handwriting
- memory
- bringing thoughts to words
- listening and following spoken instructions
- clumsy or uncoordinated
- sensitive, easily stressed
- prone to motion sickness
- organisational skills
- study skills
- other everyday activities
The ability to read is connected to sensory and motor development, particularly the senses of balance, vision and hearing, as well as movement and muscle tone.
Intense tutoring and more instruction may not always help. Often, the classroom struggles that we see may only be the “tip of the iceberg”.
Behaviour as an Adaptive Response to a Perception of Threat
While many parents prefer to seek a diagnosis when their child is struggling at school, not everyone chooses to go down this path
I suggest an alternative view, based on addressing the root cause, looking for what lies beneath the behaviour.
What is their behaviour trying to tell us?
Could they be saying:
“I don’t feel comfortable enough in the classroom to learn?”
We can’t learn when we are feeling unsafe, pressured or overwhelmed.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Not surprisingly, many children are able to read perfectly well when given individual support in a more peaceful environment.
It doesn’t take long for children to realise that others are finding the learning much easier.
“Smart but feeling dumb”, is the expression one of my students used to described herself.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Looking beyond the label – addressing the whole Child
Since 2005 I have been offering a developmental approach to support children with signs of dyslexia, and other learning difficulties.
Rather than labelling or diagnosing your child, I prefer to look beneath the behaviours, to address the cause.
As an holistic therapist I’m more interested in the person in front of me, than any label they may or may not carry. I see their behaviour as a symptom of something deeper.
Many of these children have not felt comfortable in traditional classrooms, openly saying they did not enjoy being at school.
Rather than trying to “fix” the child, using a traditional approach of managing symptoms, an holistic view sees the behaviour as part of a bigger picture.
Helping the child includes addressing all aspects of a child, including social, emotional, behavioural, physical and academic learning.
Your child does not exist in isolation. They are also part of a community and their behaviour is also influenced by your family story.
This invites the question:
“Is it the diagnosis that’s important, or is it how you deal with it that matters?”
Smart but Feeling Dumb
It doesn’t take long for children to realise that others are finding the learning much easier.
“Smart but feeling dumb”, is the expression one of my students used to described herself.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Is My Child Ready to Learn to Read?
Reading ability is built on a strong foundation of early sensory and motor development.
Skills that can help your child’s reading readiness include:
- Feeling safe – this comes from close and secure attachment to carers in your child’s early years.
- Being comfortable when sitting still helps a child to maintain focus.
- A well-developed sense of balance makes it easier for your child to take their focus away from the horizon, and move their eyes together across a page of writing.
- Good visual motor skills mean both eyes are able to converge and focus on a single point. Each eye picks up slightly different images, and the brain has to put this information together and make it meaningful
- Good listening skills will help your child to “hear” and process the sounds and letter combinations
- Good posture helps your child to concentrate, sitting comfortably without moving or wriggling
- A well developed auditory memory will help your child link together a series of sounds to form words
Early Development as a Foundation for Learning
Children develop in natural, pre-determined stages. Each new stage is built on the foundations of the earlier ones, a bit like building blocks. When one stage has been missed or is incomplete, the “stack” becomes unsteady, and your child will likely struggle to learn.
The earliest of these stages of development happen during infancy and early childhood, when your child is building the muscles necessary for being able to sit in the classroom and learn. They are also developing the hand-eye coordination they will need to be able to hold a pencil and write.
At the same time their eyes and ears are learning to work together, connecting with their sense of balance, so they can sit still and concentrate.
Holistic Approach to Addressing Signs of Dyslexia
I do this by addressing the immaturities, or filling in the gaps. The aim is to build the foundations for later learning in all areas – social, emotional, behavioural and physical, as well as in the classroom.
Feeling Safe, Learning Improves
The good news is that it’s never too late to help your child. Addressing underlying issues can help in many ways beyond just reading and writing. Without the frustration of trying to keep up, they are able to relax in the classroom.
As anxiety decreases, social and emotional learning develops, friendships become easier, the children have fewer meltdowns, allowing family relationships to improve.
The First Step
The first step is to make an appointment for an initial parent consultation. This is a time set aside just for you, a safe place for you to share your concerns. We can talk about strategies and how I can support your family.
It’s never too late to help your child, but is is much easier when they are younger, before secondary issues of poor self esteem, anxiety, anger and frustration start to creep in.
We all want our children to be happy and successful.
Download our FREE e-book Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Children
Related articles:
Are you worried that your child might have signs of dyslexia, or other learning difficulties?
Learning to read seems simple enough. After all, how hard can it be to interpret those symbols on the page?
For many, however, classroom reading instruction is the beginning of a lifetime of struggle, anxiety, embarrassment, shame and poor self esteem.
.Those who find reading difficult are often diagnosed as dyslexic.
A diagnosis may provide useful information, but it doesn’t tell us everything about the child.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is generally used as a generic label for children who struggle with learning in a classroom. The standard definition of dyslexia includes those who:
- have reading difficulties,
- are of normal intelligence, and
- have participated in standard classroom reading instruction.
Children described as being dyslexic therefore have normal intelligence, but for a number of reasons, struggle with learning to read in a standard classroom.
More than Just Reading
Research shows that children with signs of dyslexia may also struggle in other areas of learning. This is often linked to underlying immaturities in their early sensory and motor development.
These difficulties may include :
- maths
- spelling
- handwriting
- memory
- bringing thoughts to words
- listening and following spoken instructions
- clumsy or uncoordinated
- sensitive, easily stressed
- prone to motion sickness
- organisational skills
- study skills
- other everyday activities
The ability to read is connected to sensory and motor development, particularly the senses of balance, vision and hearing, as well as movement and muscle tone.
Intense tutoring and more instruction may not always help. Often, the classroom struggles that we see may only be the “tip of the iceberg”.
Behaviour as an Adaptive Response to a Perception of Threat
While many parents prefer to seek a diagnosis when their child is struggling at school, not everyone chooses to go down this path
I suggest an alternative view, based on addressing the root cause, looking for what lies beneath the behaviour.
What is their behaviour trying to tell us?
Could they be saying:
“I don’t feel comfortable enough in the classroom to learn?”
We can’t learn when we are feeling unsafe, pressured or overwhelmed.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Not surprisingly, many children are able to read perfectly well when given individual support in a more peaceful environment.
Looking beyond the label – addressing the whole Child
Since 2005 I have been offering a developmental approach to support children with signs of dyslexia, and other learning difficulties.
Rather than labelling or diagnosing your child, I prefer to look beneath the behaviours, to address the cause.
As an holistic therapist I’m more interested in the person in front of me, than any label they may or may not carry. I see their behaviour as a symptom of something deeper.
Many of these children have not felt comfortable in traditional classrooms, openly saying they did not enjoy being at school.
Rather than trying to “fix” the child, using a traditional approach of managing symptoms, an holistic view sees the behaviour as part of a bigger picture.
Helping the child includes addressing all aspects of a child, including social, emotional, behavioural, physical and academic learning.
Your child does not exist in isolation. They are also part of a community and their behaviour is also influenced by your family story.
This invites the question:
“Is it the diagnosis that’s important, or is it how you deal with it that matters?”
Smart but Feeling Dumb
It doesn’t take long for children to realise that others are finding the learning much easier.
“Smart but feeling dumb”, is the expression one of my students used to described herself.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Is My Child Ready to Learn to Read?
Reading ability is built on a strong foundation of early sensory and motor development.
Skills that can help your child’s reading readiness include:
- Feeling safe – this comes from close and secure attachment to carers in your child’s early years.
- Being comfortable when sitting still helps a child to maintain focus.
- A well-developed sense of balance makes it easier for your child to take their focus away from the horizon, and move their eyes together across a page of writing.
- Good visual motor skills mean both eyes are able to converge and focus on a single point. Each eye picks up slightly different images, and the brain has to put this information together and make it meaningful
- Good listening skills will help your child to “hear” and process the sounds and letter combinations
- Good posture helps your child to concentrate, sitting comfortably without moving or wriggling
- A well developed auditory memory will help your child link together a series of sounds to form words
Early Development as a Foundation for Learning
Children develop in natural, pre-determined stages. Each new stage is built on the foundations of the earlier ones, a bit like building blocks. When one stage has been missed or is incomplete, the “stack” becomes unsteady, and your child will likely struggle to learn.
The earliest of these stages of development happen during infancy and early childhood, when your child is building the muscles necessary for being able to sit in the classroom and learn. They are also developing the hand-eye coordination they will need to be able to hold a pencil and write.
At the same time their eyes and ears are learning to work together, connecting with their sense of balance, so they can sit still and concentrate.
Holistic Approach to Addressing Signs of Dyslexia
I do this by addressing the immaturities, or filling in the gaps. The aim is to build the foundations for later learning in all areas – social, emotional, behavioural and physical, as well as in the classroom.
Feeling Safe, Learning Improves
The good news is that it’s never too late to help your child. Addressing underlying issues can help in many ways beyond just reading and writing. Without the frustration of trying to keep up, they are able to relax in the classroom.
As anxiety decreases, social and emotional learning develops, friendships become easier, the children have fewer meltdowns, allowing family relationships to improve.
The First Step
The first step is to make an appointment for an initial parent consultation. This is a time set aside just for you, a safe place for you to share your concerns. We can talk about strategies and how I can support your family.
It’s never too late to help your child, but is is much easier when they are younger, before secondary issues of poor self esteem, anxiety, anger and frustration start to creep in.
We all want our children to be happy and successful.
Download our FREE e-book Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Children
Related articles:
Are you worried that your child might have signs of dyslexia, or other learning difficulties?
Learning to read seems simple enough. After all, how hard can it be to interpret those symbols on the page?
For many, however, classroom reading instruction is the beginning of a lifetime of struggle, anxiety, embarrassment, shame and poor self esteem.
.Those who find reading difficult are often diagnosed as dyslexic.
A diagnosis may provide useful information, but it doesn’t tell us everything about the child.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is generally used as a generic label for children who struggle with learning in a classroom. The standard definition of dyslexia includes those who:
- have reading difficulties,
- are of normal intelligence, and
- have participated in standard classroom reading instruction.
Children described as being dyslexic therefore have normal intelligence, but for a number of reasons, struggle with learning to read in a standard classroom.
More than Just Reading
Research shows that children with signs of dyslexia may also struggle in other areas of learning. This is often linked to underlying immaturities in their early sensory and motor development.
These difficulties may include :
- maths
- spelling
- handwriting
- memory
- bringing thoughts to words
- listening and following spoken instructions
- clumsy or uncoordinated
- sensitive, easily stressed
- prone to motion sickness
- organisational skills
- study skills
- other everyday activities
The ability to read is connected to sensory and motor development, particularly the senses of balance, vision and hearing, as well as movement and muscle tone.
Intense tutoring and more instruction may not always help. Often, the classroom struggles that we see may only be the “tip of the iceberg”.
Behaviour as an Adaptive Response to a Perception of Threat
While many parents prefer to seek a diagnosis when their child is struggling at school, not everyone chooses to go down this path
I suggest an alternative view, based on addressing the root cause, looking for what lies beneath the behaviour.
What is their behaviour trying to tell us?
Could they be saying:
“I don’t feel comfortable enough in the classroom to learn?”
We can’t learn when we are feeling unsafe, pressured or overwhelmed.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Not surprisingly, many children are able to read perfectly well when given individual support in a more peaceful environment.
Looking beyond the label – addressing the whole Child
As an holistic therapist I’m more interested in the person in front of me, than any label they may or may not carry. I see their behaviour as a symptom of something deeper.
Many of these children have not felt safe in traditional classrooms, and as a result, openly said they did not enjoy being at school.
Rather than trying to “fix” the child, using a traditional approach of managing symptoms, an holistic view sees the behaviour as part of a bigger picture.
This holistic approach to healing recognises that all parts of a person are interconnected.
An holistic or whole child view of reading difficulties includes addressing all aspects of a child, including social, emotional, behavioural, physical and academic learning.
Your child does not exist in isolation. They are also part of a community and their behaviour is also influenced by your family story.
This invites the question:
“Is it the diagnosis that’s important, or is it how you deal with it that matters?”
Smart but Feeling Dumb
It doesn’t take long for children to realise that others are finding the learning much easier.
“Smart but feeling dumb”, is the expression one of my students used to described herself.
Children need to feel safe in order to learn. For many, the classroom doesn’t feel safe.
Is My Child Ready to Learn to Read?
Reading ability is built on a strong foundation of early sensory and motor development.
Skills that can help your child’s reading readiness include:
- Feeling safe – this comes from close and secure attachment to carers in your child’s early years.
- Being comfortable when sitting still helps a child to maintain focus.
- A well-developed sense of balance makes it easier for your child to take their focus away from the horizon, and move their eyes together across a page of writing.
- Good visual motor skills mean both eyes are able to converge and focus on a single point. Each eye picks up slightly different images, and the brain has to put this information together and make it meaningful
- Good listening skills will help your child to “hear” and process the sounds and letter combinations
- Good posture helps your child to concentrate, sitting comfortably without moving or wriggling
- A well developed auditory memory will help your child link together a series of sounds to form words
Early Development as a Foundation for Learning
Children develop in natural, pre-determined stages. Each new stage is built on the foundations of the earlier ones, a bit like building blocks. When one stage has been missed or is incomplete, the “stack” becomes unsteady, and your child will likely struggle to learn.
The earliest of these stages of development happen during infancy and early childhood, when your child is building the muscles necessary for being able to sit in the classroom and learn. They are also developing the hand-eye coordination they will need to be able to hold a pencil and write.
At the same time their eyes and ears are learning to work together, connecting with their sense of balance, so they can sit still and concentrate.
Holistic Approach to Addressing Signs of Dyslexia
Since 2005 I have been offering a developmental approach to support children with signs of dyslexia, and other learning difficulties.
Rather than labelling or diagnosing your child, I prefer to look beneath the behaviours, to address the cause.
I do this by addressing the immaturities, or filling in the gaps. The aim is to build the foundations for later learning in all areas – social, emotional, behavioural and physical, as well as in the classroom.
Feeling Safe, Learning Improves
The good news is that it’s never too late to help your child. Addressing underlying issues can help in many ways beyond just reading and writing. Without the frustration of trying to keep up, they are able to relax in the classroom.
As anxiety decreases, social and emotional learning develops, friendships become easier, the children have fewer meltdowns, allowing family relationships to improve.
The First Step
The first step is to make an appointment for an initial parent consultation. This is a time set aside just for you, a safe place for you to share your concerns. We can talk about strategies and how I can support your family.
It’s never too late to help your child, but is is much easier when they are younger, before secondary issues of poor self esteem, anxiety, anger and frustration start to creep in.
We all want our children to be happy and successful.
Download our FREE e-book Tips for Raising Happy, Healthy Children
