Moving from Primary to Secondary scho... - The Dyslexia Comm...
Moving from Primary to Secondary school is a difficult stage for all children, particularly those with dyslexia or literacy difficulties. Do you think more could be done to support this move?
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My daughter found this extremely stressful find her first days, running to find her sister to read her timetable to her so she knew where to go.
My son is starting high school in august and they have been very good in supporting him before he goes like allowing him extra visits etc, but I guess the real test will be in august once he actually starts. Hes not looking forward to it and neither am i
Things are difficult with the increasing difficulty in the work but for me the struggle was also organisation and memory. In my primary school you had 1 classroom, where you kept you books and stationery etc and the teachers came to you for lessons (except PE and Art), but at secondary school you had each subject in a different classroom. After lunch was the worst because you had 4 lessons back to back. Being 11 and dyslexic I was forever forgetting the right text books and things, sometimes not for the first lesson but for the lesson after that etc.
Much more could be done with the transition between primary and secondary schools. Also the adjustment of moving between classes with a timetable is not helpful when the kids cant read the timetable. Why do secondary schools not have facilities for dyslexics as standard! It's shocking that they can write off 20% of the pupils (with learning difficulties / dyslexia) by ignoring this issue. They try to bash the square pegs into round holes, they're not addressing the needs of dyslexics at all, it appears. Only one secondary school in our area of London out of a possible 12 has a unit with trained teachers who teach more visual methods and incorporate methods better geared to this small section of their pupils. At least one school recognises the needs of a minority of their intake, but this should be in all schools in my opinion.