Help with English

[AThornquist]

Hey brothers and sisters,

I have a dear friend who is dyslexic who struggles with English in general, whether reading or writing. She is a senior in high-school. Would you have any suggestions on how she might grow in these areas? Would books such as "How to Read a Book" or "On Writing Well" be helpful to her? I already cautioned her about college classes and how the time investment in, say, a community college class may turn out to be a waste. What do y'all think?

Thanks!

 

[a mere housewife]

Would she be able to get any special tutoring or help specifically for that? As I understand from a friend whose daughter has severe dyslexia, there are certain things that really can help with those particular challenges (I wish I could remember some of them, but it's been a few years: I want to say the approach was very 'hands on' with writing words in sand or clay or something that involved other senses? But I could be getting very confused here. However their daughter has made significant progress with the approach specific to dyslexia.)

(edit: Andrew if you like I can ask my friend if she has any specific grammar course suggestions -- I'm not sure how quickly I'll hear back from her, as she is a busy homeschool mom . But as I understood from her, until they started with the tutoring/therapy, no matter how hard they worked, they weren't able to make progress.)

 

[Somerset]

Many colleges over here provide help with these problems. Students are assessed carefully and a programme devised for them. Often, a piece of plastic of a particular shade, can make the letters clearer. Over here it would come under student services - but any member of the teaching staff should be able to point your friend in the right direction.

 

[jogri17]

Here in Canada, by law, all Universities are required to provide free support and teachers are to grade on a reasonable curb and provide extensions as determined according to the need. There is a disability centre here on Campus that works with the faculties to help professors figure out how best to grade fairly (taking off points for mistakes but not for related to the related needs). Given I have epilepsy, after a seizure my memory is affected so I am allowed up to 4 extra days if I have one for any assignment due near that time period. But my law, most have to have some compensation for disabilities.

 

[AThornquist]

Would she be able to get any special tutoring or help specifically for that? As I understand from a friend whose daughter has severe dyslexia, there are certain things that really can help with those particular challenges (I wish I could remember some of them, but it's been a few years: I want to say the approach was very 'hands on' with writing words in sand or clay or something that involved other senses? But I could be getting very confused here. However their daughter has made significant progress with the approach specific to dyslexia.)

(edit: Andrew if you like I can ask my friend if she has any specific grammar course suggestions -- I'm not sure how quickly I'll hear back from her, as she is a busy homeschool mom . But as I understood from her, until they started with the tutoring/therapy, no matter how hard they worked, they weren't able to make progress.)

Thanks for the response, Heidi. I don't know if my friend is even aware of special tutoring for dyslexic students. Do you know how your friend found this tutoring help in her area? My friend is a bright girl, but her dyslexia holds her back; she has tried to just fight through it, but we're wondering if a different approach (such as the therapy you mention) might be especially helpful.

Thanks also to Ken and Joseph. At this point, she isn't necessary even looking for college credits or trying "to go to college." She just wants help with English, especially in light of her difficulties with dyslexia.

 

[a mere housewife]

Andrew, in fact these friends live in Mexico -- they were in the states when someone else, watching their daughter, brought up the possibility of her having dyslexia, so they got her tested and found a therapist but -- unfortunately for the most substantial part of your question, I don't know how. I will try to find out.

I did find this website, which seems like maybe a good place to begin looking for more specific information? Dyslexia the Gift. Information and Help for Dyslexia They have a listing of some providers of tutoring/therapy there, and you may be able to locate someone that way -- or at least contact someone who could give you a better idea of where to go from here and what might be available.

My friends' daughter is not at all unintelligent (they just thought she was being stubborn for many years, in fact) -- it's something to do with different brain wiring, I think? And I believe it can even affect posture/spinal alignment -- you tend to favor one side, as I recall, at least with severe dyslexia -- and so it's good to be involved in some physical exercise that focuses on addressing that as well.

 

[Scottish Lass]

If she's in a public school, she'll qualify for assistance in college with proof of diagnosis. As a senior in high school in May, it's too late to start something there (the wheels turn slowly), but there's generic free tutoring on campus plus most schools of any size will offer specialized help.