Q&A: Readers with Special Needs
Expert: Cheryl Ohlson

Question 1:
I am a 16 year old, currently in high school. All of my life, I have never been very interested in reading. Last year when I went into high school, I realized I wasn't understanding a lot of the material, and I got frustrated because other kids got it so easily. I work like crazy in school. I study triple of what my peers study only to get the same mark as they do. I have one question: Will reading make me smarter? I've searched the Internet for answers but I can't find any. I would read a thousand books on the drop of a hat if it made me smarter.

Also, if I read, will it help me to understand school concepts better? I read your brochure and understand fully that reading brings so many other things to the table so when I start reading I won't just read it to "get smarter." Thats all my questions, thanks so much!!!!

Thanks a ton!
Josh

Answer to Question 1:
Hello Josh.  Your question is a tricky one.  In response to the part about whether reading will make you “smarter”…technically, no, if by “smarter” you mean how you would score on an IQ test.  However, if you mean “smarter” in terms of your ability to do better in school, then the answer is definitely yes. 

As you’ve probably read on the RIF website, reading really opens up the world to you.  You will learn things through reading that you don’t experience in your everyday life.  For example, you will learn information about places you’ve never been to, things you’ve never seen, things you’ve never even thought about.  All of that general knowledge is bound to improve your performance in school.  Not to mention the fact that the more you read, the better you get at it. 

More importantly is the question of why you’re struggling in reading.  Is it just that you have so much else going on in your life and never came across any books that truly interest you?  Or could it be that there is more of a reason why reading has been difficult for you?  Many kids (and adults!) have brains that simply process written information differently – it is not that they are not “smart” (in fact, many struggling readers have very high IQ’s), but rather that they learn differently and need to be taught different reading strategies.  Have you ever been evaluated by a reading specialist?  If you’re working so hard and still struggling to understand the material in school, I would really encourage you to see a reading specialist and have a reading evaluation. 

If there is a problem with the way that you are reading, there are so many strategies that you can use that will really improve your reading skills.  Speak with your parents and teachers at school about helping you to figure out why reading has been such a challenge.  It could really change your life!   

Question 2:
Hello-
My daughter is 11 years old and has learning disabilities mostly relating to math. Her verbal and reading skills are behind her peers, but really not too bad. However, because of her disabilities, she has a low self-esteem when it comes to her schooling. Is there anything you can suggest to help me boost her confidence in reading and writing?

Thank you.
Mrs. Zotlow

Answer to Question 2:
Hello Mrs. Zotlow.
It is not at all uncommon for a child with learning disabilities to suffer from low self-esteem.  However, there are many things that you can do as a parent to help boost her confidence. 

1.  First, make sure that you are not unwittingly undermining her confidence.  Create a home environment that is warm and respectful, and that offers unconditional love and acceptance.  Do not compare her to her siblings or her peers.  Avoid comments that are judgmental.  (“Why is this taking so long? “You need to try harder.”)  Do not express frustration or anger related to her academic progress.

2.  Use positive descriptive words and phrases to describe your daughter’s academic skills/strengths as well as her broader personality.  She may be very “curious,” “persistent,” “thoughtful,” or “funny.”  When she works hard on something, praise her effort.  (“I noticed that you worked hard on that until you finished it, and you gave it your all.”)  Eventually these words and phrases will become part of her self-image.

3.  Focus on your daughter’s strengths and interests.  Parents’ perceptions of their children’s abilities are very much related to children’s own self-perceptions.  What are the things that she enjoys and is really good at?  Celebrate these strengths with her and encourage her to develop them and showcase them to others. 

4.  Make sure that she understands exactly what learning disabilities are.  There are a lot of great websites that explain LD in interesting, kid-friendly ways.  This will not only demystify the idea of learning disabilities for her, but also help her to understand that having learning disabilities just means that her brain processes information differently.  This will help her to reject labels of “stupid” or “slow” that may have become part of her self-image, and realize that the terms “smart” and “successful” apply to her. 

5.  Address her academic skills – strengths and weaknesses – with her directly in order to help her develop a deeper understanding of herself as a learner.  Sit down with her and make a list of her strengths and weaknesses, not only in the non-academic realm but also in math, reading, and verbal skills.  Find her “islands of competence” (small areas of strength within her weaker skill areas) and point them out, praise them, and help her to realize and be proud of them.  For example, a child who struggles with word decoding may be really good at understanding the larger ideas of the book, or identifying and empathizing with the characters’ feelings. 

6.  Help your daughter to develop her problem solving skills.  Use the detailed list of competencies to develop with your daughter problem-solving strategies that she will be able to draw from whenever she confronts a problem and becomes frustrated.  Create a menu of possible solutions for problems or situations with which she commonly struggles.  This will not only enable her to become a better problem-solver, but will also allow her to overcome these struggles by herself, which will inevitably boost her self-esteem. 

Would you like to ask Cheryl a question?
Simply send your question to feedback@rif.org with Ask the Expert in the subject line. The response to your question will be posted right here on this website.

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