What’s it like as a student with dyslexia in BC?
Dyslexia and other language-based learning differences affect one out of five children, making it more difficult for them to pick up reading, writing, spelling or math. Considering the prevalence, it is surprising that the signs are commonly missed by parents and teachers alike.
“I remember in first grade when my parents started to notice I was slower in reading and math,” says Grade 11 student Aryelah Chaya Simon. “I started to get pulled out of classes to do tutoring. I felt no one understood me and was not able to get the help I needed to do my best. I would hide in the bathroom crying at school and plead with my dad, saying, “Please! I don’t want to go.” I’d get so upset that I would throw up.”
Students with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences have average to gifted intelligence, yet their school performance doesn’t align. This makes those early years in school particularly confusing for parents and can have a devastating impact on these young students.
Comparing themselves to others in their class, students can easily form self-judgements of being stupid, not knowing that they have yet to tap into their potential.
Knowing they have a smart child, parents are often perplexed as to why their son or daughter is struggling in school and shocked when an ill-informed teacher suggests the child is lazy or stubborn.
When a child is struggling in school, the problem is rarely motivation. “All children are intrinsically motivated to learn,” says Maureen Steltman, head of school at Fraser Academy, a leading school for students with language-based learning differences.
Like the International Dyslexia Association, Steltman believes that generally, “teachers are not knowledgeable about this condition,” and as a result make assumptions about a child that can often be wrong.
Actor Keira Knightly, who is dyslexic herself also speaks to this “...there’s going to be a lot of kids whose potential are lost unless we train our teachers to effectively teach them.”
“That’s why at Fraser Academy we train our educators to respond to all types of learners,” says Steltman.
“Luckily my parents brought me to Fraser Academy in Grade 4. Now I love being at school,” states Simon. “Being dyslexic has helped turn me into the person I am today: resilient and strong. It makes a world of difference to understand my learning style, be able to self-advocate and have confidence in myself, knowing that my teachers are here to help me reach my biggest dreams.” Simon has plans to pursue a career as a NICU nurse.
With effective programming, students’ school performance aligns with their intellect. This is apparent when you see Fraser Academy’s post-secondary acceptance rate 15 per cent higher than the provincial average.
It can be a bumpy start in the first years of school, but when the school environment adapts to the student’s learning style, the future is bright.
THIS STORY WAS PROVIDED BY FRASER ACADEMY FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.