Be A Student of Your Child

What is a student? According to the dictionary, a student is someone who takes an interest in a particular subject. As an educator, I have found that great students do more than simply learn information. They stay curious, pay attention, ask questions, and then apply what they have learned.

As the parent of a neurodiverse child, I want to challenge you to become a student of your child.

If you are raising a child with dyslexia, you have probably already discovered that every child is unique. Each child has their own strengths, challenges, interests, and ways of learning. That's why there is a saying in the dyslexia community:

"When you've met one person with dyslexia, you've met one person with dyslexia."

Parents often ask me whether a child with dyslexia can learn things outside the classroom, such as music, a foreign language, coding, or another specialized skill. My answer is always the same:

Maybe.

The only way to answer that question is to study the child.

Parents need to observe, listen, and pay attention to the interests their child naturally gravitates toward. Sometimes those interests show up in unexpected places, especially outside of school, where there is less pressure and more opportunity for curiosity to flourish.

This isn't about what you want your child to enjoy. It's about discovering what excites them. As parents, our role is to notice, encourage, and nurture the interests that naturally spark joy and motivation in our children.

So, how can you become a student of your child?

• Notice the types of books, stories, or topics they enjoy. Are they drawn to animals, sports, music, technology, nature, or history?

• Ask questions about what they would like to learn or experience.

• Expose them to a variety of activities such as horseback riding, sports, dance, music, engineering, technology, art, or outdoor adventures.

• Support their interests, even when they lead you into areas you know little about.

This can be harder than it sounds.

It is important to focus on your child rather than your own expectations. I have heard parents say they want their child to pursue a particular activity because it has always been important to the family. While those traditions can be meaningful, we must separate our interests from our children's interests.

That can be especially difficult when a particular sport, hobby, or profession has been part of the family for generations.

But the goal is not to create a copy of ourselves.

The goal is to help our children discover and develop the unique strengths and passions they have been given.

This is their life. Their strengths and interests may look very different from ours did at their age.

Support them. Invest in their interests. Drive them to lessons. Attend their events. Be their biggest cheerleader.

Children with dyslexia need opportunities to experience success outside the classroom. They need to know that life is bigger than grades, reading struggles, and academic frustrations. They need places where they can shine.

When my daughter was in upper elementary school, we enrolled her, with her permission, in a horsemanship program. She quickly fell in love with horses. Riding became her passion and her focus. That passion motivated her to read everything she could about horses, pushed her to excel in English riding and competitions, and most importantly, gave her a place where she felt successful and confident.

It became one of the greatest victories of her young life.

So be a student of your child.

Take an interest in their interests. Stay curious. Pay close attention to what excites them. Then take what you have learned and actively support them in those areas.

You may be surprised by what you discover, and your child may discover strengths and passions that will shape the course of their life.