Learning difficulties in elementary school

Does our child have a learning disorder?

Dyslexia and dyscalculia: what is it?

Your daughter has a hard time recognizing words she reads? Your son twists numbers when doing arithmetic? Every child develops at his or her own pace, and initially these errors are not cause for alarm in elementary school. However, if the difficulties persist or widen over a long period of time, they may be symptoms of a reading and spelling disability (dyslexia) or a math disability (dyscalculia). Read here how you can recognize the signs and where you can find advice and support.

Learning difficulties can be overcome with targeted support

Parents quickly look anxiously into the future when they notice that their child has pronounced difficulties with reading, writing or arithmetic. Sometimes even disappointment comes along. But learning disorders have nothing to do with intelligence or talent. And your child can often greatly improve his skills with targeted support.

It is now important to develop appropriate learning strategies and measures in close contact with teachers, specialists and therapists.

Dyslexia: What are signs and symptoms of a reading and spelling disability?

Dyscalculia: What are signs and symptoms of dyscalculia?

What are the causes of a learning disorder?

What are the consequences of a learning disorder?

How can we help our child?

Here come more tips for parents with children with learning disabilities:

Reduce performance pressure
Reduce the pressure to perform. Stay patient when practicing with your child.
Encouragement
Encourage your child again and again. Unconditional attention and support in the family are especially important. Show love for your child - regardless of performance at school.
Promote self-confidence
Give your child self-confidence and make them aware of other strengths. Allow your child to experience many successes in other talent areas.
Praise progress
Praise your child for effort and every little bit of progress - without pressure of expectations and without looking at grades.
Openly address learning disorders
Talk openly with your child about the learning disorder and make it clear that he or she is not alone with his or her problem. Many famous people are among those affected, even Albert Einstein is said to have been dyslexic.
Cooperation with teachers
Keep in close contact with your child's teachers and work out solutions together for the best possible support. Many schools offer targeted support programs for children with learning disabilities.
Check disadvantage compensation
Weigh up whether you would like to make use of the so-called disadvantage compensation: For example, your child could be given more time in class tests, spelling mistakes may not be counted, and oral performance certificates may be accepted instead of written ones.
Playful learning
Support your child in practicing through play: Have them read aloud in a relaxed atmosphere, for example advertising boards or texts on packaging. Or let your child write a shopping list. Word games such as "city-country-river" or arithmetic games such as Yahtzee also make sense - and are fun.
Support through learning therapy
Perhaps targeted learning therapy is an option for your child. Find out what is available. Learning therapists can greatly reduce difficulties in reading and writing or arithmetic with advice and support tailored to your child. However, the costs of therapy usually have to be borne by the child.

Where can we find help and advice?

First contact persons are class and guidance teachers, perhaps the school psychological service, as well as their pediatrician's office. Here you get contact addresses to specialists who diagnose learning disorders safely.

Also dthe Bundesverband Legasthenie & Dyskalkulie e.V.. NRW offers parents in North Rhine-Westphalia diverse help and support with current information and studies as well as with individual consultations and events. On the portal of the Bundesverband Legasthenie und Dyskalkulie e.V. you will find a search for qualified therapists in your area.

Parents' GuideDownload

The Bundesverband Legasthenie und Dyskalkulie e.V. (German Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Association) has published parenting guides: you can download the guide for parents with children with dyslexia (3rd edition 2018) free of charge here.