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When your child has dyslexia, homework can be a particular chore. When it’s time to sit down and do homework, students’ struggles with reading, writing, and/or spelling collide with difficulties like organizing and managing time. It’s easy to see how stressful this can be for students and their parents alike. But homework doesn’t have to be a daily struggle for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Read these tips to help your child build skills and systems that will reduce the stress of homework for your whole family.
School-to-Home Organization:
Select a specified area for homework and necessary supplies.
When completed, request that your child return all materials/supplies to their appropriate places.
Help your child avoid avoiding homework. Work with your child on establishing rules on when and how homework will be accomplished. For example, should your child start with his favorite subject? Take a break after each assignment? How will your child know when it is time to return to work? (Verbal reminders, such as "Johanna, just a reminder that there are only two more minutes left in your break," and timers are very effective in reminding your child to return to work.) What stimuli is acceptable or unacceptable when studying? How homework is completed is equally important as completing it.
For weekend homework, encourage your child to begin on Friday evenings. This is invaluable. Not only is information fresh in their minds but it allows enough time to make contingency plans for forgotten books or purchasing materials for projects.
Ask yourself: "Are the teachers giving homework and instructions that suit my child best?" If not, don't hesitate to share concerns and ideas with the teacher.
If your child misses school, help your child be responsible for finding out the next day's homework. They could call a friend or email the teacher.
Reinforce Learning:
Be aware of your child's area of need, (for example, organization, inattentiveness, comprehension,decoding) and help find appropriate techniques to enhance and reinforce learning. Locate professionals early in the school year at your child's school and/or in the private sector who can provide helpful strategies. In general, study cards or index cards are easier than a study guide or a worksheet. Have your child write words, thoughts or questions on one side and answers on the other. The act of writing out a card is one more opportunity to enhance learning by reinforcing memory.
Use the Internet to supplement classroom activities and materials.
These tips are from the website below. Other tips for dyslexic students may downloaded from their toolkit.
http://www.ncld.org/images/content/files/Dyslexia_101_E-Book.pdf
• Eliminate the risk of forgotten books/notebooks at school by asking teachers to check in with your child at the end of the day. In addition, a small index card could be taped on the cover of your child's planner.
• Advocate for a well-established communication system between home and school.
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