Sunshine and Study

Why GCSE English is difficult for dyslexic students (and how to help.)

The sun is out and I would much rather be outside in the garden. However, I do have to work and so do my students to achieve the grades they want.

There is nothing worse than wanting to be doing something else and then having the discipline to actually work and finding it frustrating to the point you want to give up, become disillusioned and lose your confidence. There are three things that cause this feeling.

Too much Text - Overload.

GCSE English often involves long extracts and pages of writing. Students who struggle with reading can quickly become overwhelmed and this becomes difficult to process.

Structuring Answers.

Even when students understand the text, they can struggle to organise their ideas into clear, structured paragraphs; marks are lost as they repeat the same points.

Confidence drops

When the results come back and time after time they do not see positive responses, students begin to feel they 'can't do English' or 'hate English.' Motivation and performance are both lost.

What helps?

The solution is not to do more, but to do things differently.

Text? Break it down.

Instead of working through long extracts, break it into smaller manageable sections - this can make a huge difference. Meaning can be gathered without overwhelm.

Structure?

Once you have a plan to follow and keep to it the structure of the answer is clearer.

Lacking in confidence?

This is perhaps the most important aspect of study. Confidence is gained through small steps and successes. Rather than giving a student a huge paragraph to write - we can break it down into sections and focus on what they have achieved rather than what they have missed. Positive language and affirmations of their ability make a huge difference. Not letting them struggle but actually being focused on what they are doing and helping a little tweak here and a little tweak there- makes so much difference.

This is the approach I use in my teaching: creating calm, structured lessons which support students without overwhelming them. Often, students do not realise how much they have achieved until they look back and see how far they have come.

If you would feel this approch would suit your child, I offer both structured programmes and one to one support.