7 Days until Christmas! Don't Let Your Child Feel Invisible.

Reading for kids with dyslexia is hard! The brain is working so hard to figure out reading. I have a new job this year and 2-3 days a week, I drive over an hour back and forth to work. During this time, I have been listening to podcasts on reading and dyslexia. One theme I have heard across several podcasts is that kids with dyselxia can feel "invisible" at school and in an academic setting. This broke my mama heart and I still get a knot in my stomach when I think of a child feeling "invisible."

The reasons they gave for feeling invisible were for being so bogged down by reading and learning and that they had noone to support them with appropriate strategies to learn. It was easier to be invisible then to ask for help.

No child should feel invisible and it is our job as a parent and the job of teachers and staff at the school to help all children feel successful and confident in their learning.

This in no way means things cannot be hard; we all have struggles. Struggles in life make us stronger and more resilient. But a child feeling invisble should be observed and prevented.

One thing our family has focused on at home is finding activities that help our children shine. We have tried to hone in on their strengths so they can have opportunities to feel confident and learn in motivating activities they feel successful.

Some ideas include:

Find a sport they LOVE:

• take lessons

• join a team

• hiking

• bike riding

• horseback riding

• swimming

• gymnastics

• karate or martial arts

Find a hobby they LOVE. These can be:

• art

• crafts

• 3D printing

• magic tricks

• card tricks

• journaling

• writing stories

• jewely making

• camping

• gaming

A good Christmas gift idea may be to invest in a hobby or sport that gives your child an opportunity to engage in something joyful. We would to hear what your child loves.