Hello!

My son is 8 and in Year 3. He had always struggled with reading and writing and maths and last year was diagnosed with dyslexia. He gets regular tutoring and Ot for his writing and is making steady improvements. His teacher is understanding and helps him as much as she can. But every day going to school is a nightmare, he drags his feet and shows no enthusiasm. Some days he says he is sick and wont go. I feel it is really holding him back as he is getting lots of help and making good progress in his tutoring. If he liked school and went every day he probably wouldnt struggle so much. He loves art, drama and music and being with his friends but I think he is tired of struggling in the other subjects. How can I make him feel better about school and make him enthusiastic about learning?


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  • Ask the teacher to use his strengths to help him learn. He might be a auditory learner so she can look up strategies for this to use in her class.


  • I was going to suggest extra study to try and catch up, but you’re already doing that. I have no ther suggestions


  • Maybe he needs a little incentive to go to school like, after attending school for 30 days i will take you to the movie of your choice… My oldest kid also sees a child’s psychologist to help us help him settle in.. It has taken at least 20 visits but our son is now fitting in and making friends that we are happy with not just the other kids that have issues… He is in grade 2.. and for the first year ever his teacher has told us he is not in the first 5 attention needing kids in his class.. Last year he was the top of the list.. but now with help he is fitting in and doing better in class.. he has Ot, speech and psychology which is funded by the Ndia.. The way he is going he will not need the funding for much longer.. If you do apply be honest about all his issues and do not hold back on the full truth… It has helped my son greatly and i have no regrets.. …


  • Thats a hard one. I think finding out why he dislikes some parts of school would be a good starting place (does he feel pressure to progress at a rate other than his own; is he fed up as he comes to terms with how much harder it is going to be for him to learn etc. or is something else bothering him, like feeling odd or different?). To thrive I think he’ll need to have lots of encouragement and support and to feel successful in what he does. He might need the ‘pressure’ taken off academic progress; and to know you and the teachers are okay with the efforts he is making, and don’t expect any more than for him to try. Maybe find a sport of hobby or interest that can take the focus off academic progress would also help attitude to school in general.


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