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Children with dyslexia often show signs of low self-esteem. After months and oftentimes years of not being identified with dyslexia, children believe they are not smart and struggle with their school work. Being your child’s cheerleader – it’s one of the many hats (and invisible parenting) moms wear when raising children with dyslexia. There are ways that you can promote and improve your child’s self-esteem. In this episode, you will learn the 5 ways to promote confidence in your child.
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IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN
5 ways your can promote confidence in your child with dyslexia
- Talk to your child about dyslexia.
- Promote your child’s growth mindset.
- Encourage your child’s superpowers.
- Remediate your child’s dyslexia.
- Seek help for your child, if needed.
Talk to Your Child About Dyslexia
It is important to share with your child what it means to be dyslexic. When your child understands what dyslexia means and how they learn (differently), your child will be better equip to handle the ups and downs of dyslexia. Children shouldn’t feel ashamed of learning differently.
Promote Your Child’s Growth Mindset
In Carol Dweck’s Mindset book, she shares that two kinds of mindsets (1) fixed and (2) growth.
- A fixed mindset – people believe that their intelligence is fixed and static.
- A growth mindset – people believe that intelligence and talents can be improved through effort and learning.
In her research, Carol gives examples of how to encourage students.
Encourage Your Child’s Superpowers
Children with dyslexia are out of the box thinkers and tend to be very creative. It’s important to find ways to nurture your child’s passions and strengths. Get involved in what your child enjoys and learn what you can about his/her passions. This is also a great way to get your child interested in reading. Find what your child is interested in and read books together about the area.
Remediate Your Child’s Dyslexia
Your first priority should be remediating your child’s dyslexia. But, if you don’t provide enough remediation then your child’s self-esteem may continue to decline. What does enough look like? It looks like: (1) a qualified tutor (trained to teach students with dyslexia), (2) sufficient duration (how many times a week and length of each session), and (3) scientifically proven tutoring program (for example, Orton-Gillingham).
Seek Help for Your Child
When your child is struggling with his or her self-esteem, it can be difficult to know what to do and how to help. You may think it’s just a phase your child is going through. But, a child’s self-esteem can impact their future. Imagine how your child must feel when he faces failure throughout his day . . . worried he’s going to get called on to read aloud in class. School is a constant battle for your child. You may need to seek professional help for your child. Contact your child’s school counselor or hire a private counselor who works with children with learning differences (ideally experience with dyslexia) to help your child with his/her self-esteem.
RESOURCE LINKS FROM THE SHOw
- It’s Called Dyslexia – the book we used to tell our daughter she’s dyslexic
- Nashville Dyslexia Center
- Big Life Kids Podcast – a podcast that helps children develop a growth mindset
- Big Life Journals and Growth Mindset Conversation Cards – 5 minutes a day can transform your child’s mindset.
- Big Life Parenting Masterclass and Parenting Guide to help parents teach children a growth mindset
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between 10 to 24. Learn the warning signs.
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