Does dyslexia affect a childs self-esteem?
As literacy skills are so strongly emphasized during the schooling process, dyslexic children experience a great deal of failure which can easily lower their self-esteem. The effect can be to make them feel that they must be stupid. This is why it is important for dyslexic children to receive as much praise, credits, certificates, gold stars, etc. as the other children. To complete a piece of written work in class is twice as hard as for a non-dyslexic child. It is also important for a dyslexic child to have art, crafts, physical education and sports during their week in school, as these are the only areas in which they may excel and experience a feeling of satisfaction in learning. Having to learn a foreign language – like French – is a virtual impossibility for a dyslexic child, and a sure route to failure: school timetables need amending to take account of this.
