Dyslexia and Self-esteem Thursday 13 th January 2011.

Dyslexia and Self-esteem

Thursday 13th January 2011

“Self-esteem is the single most powerful force in our existence…..the way we feel about ourselves affects virtually every aspect of our existence”

Maslow’s Hierachy

Is school meetingthese areas of need? Is home meeting

these areas of need?

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

Attachment Theory

4 Main Attachment Profiles

Secure Attachment Profile Insecure Avoidant Attachment Profile Insecure Ambivalent Attachment

Profile Insecure Disorganised Attachment

Profile

What can cause attachment Difficulties?

Pre-birth/birth trauma Separation after birth, illness/special

care babies Undiagnosed, unrecognised illness Frequent moves between carers

during infancy Needs not being met

Common signs of attachment difficulties

No eye contact when talking A child indiscriminately friendly A child overly familiar with anyone A child clinging to anyone and making

unreasonable demands Needs to be in absolute control Destructive behaviour

Targeting and showing cruelty No control of fears Strong viewpoint Lack of conscience Unhealthy interest in blood, death

and fire Soiling Irregular eating problems

Schools as secure bases

Schools can offer ways of developing

‘positive attachments’ ‘Schools in particular are a potent

source of emotional well being and resilience’ DfES 2004

How can we help in school? Provide positive behaviour patterns Clear/consistent guidelines Respond in a calm and reasonable way Be flexible Adult is responsible for helping the child

develop appropriate and positive attachments

Don’t use sarcasm, limit the amount of adults in situation

Key person – used for advocacy

Questions we might ask What is self-esteem? Why is self-esteem important for

children? What is the link between self-esteem,

learning and behaviour? How can we recognise self-esteem

levels? How can we improve a child’s self

esteem?

A Healthy self-esteem In order to have a healthy self-esteem pupils

need to receive the following messages:- I am valued I am understood It is okay to make mistakes I am trusted My self image and ideal image is respected When I take risks there is someone I can turn

to for reassurance, support and constant feedback

Why is self-esteem important for children (and adults)?

High esteem is associated with:- Confidence A positive realistic view of ourselves

and our abilities Resilience Being successful, both academically

and socially

Why is self-esteem important for children (and adults)?

Low self-esteem is associated with:- Lower confidence Being self-conscious Being reluctant to join in Being oversensitive to critisism Underrating abilities Underachieving

Positive Reinforcement Triangle

Child’s view of self

Child with high self esteem

Works well inWorks well inschool and receives school and receives positive reinforcement positive reinforcement from adultsfrom adults

Child’s self Child’s self concept concept is enhancedis enhanced

Child behaves wellChild behaves welland receivesand receivespositive reinforcementpositive reinforcement

Adult/child Adult/child interactionsinteractionsmainly positivemainly positive

As teachers we have the responsibility

to meet the needs of all children in our care and we do have the ability to go some way towards enhancing children’s self-esteem.

Negative Reinforcement Triangle

Child’s view of self

Child with low self esteem

Does not work well inDoes not work well inSchool and receives School and receives Negative reinforcement Negative reinforcement From adultsFrom adults

Child’s self Child’s self concept concept is erodedis eroded

Child misbehaves Child misbehaves and receives further and receives further negative reinforcementnegative reinforcement

Adult/child Adult/child interactionsinteractionsMainly negativeMainly negative

I am the decisive element …my personal approach creates the climate. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous.

I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.

I can humiliate, humour, hurt or heal (Ginott.1972)

Self Esteem and Dyslexia

How can teachers increase self esteem in pupils with Dyslexia?

1. Minimising the fear of disapproval/lack of understanding

2. Minimising a fear of failure3. Minimising a fear of tests4. Minimising a fear of reading out loud

Self Esteem and Dyslexia

The Feel-good Factor (1)

80% of learning difficulties could be due to stress

Removing the stress leaves 20% of the problem

We can work with that!

Self Esteem and Dyslexia

The Feel-good Factor (2) When responding to questions or

requests for help and guidance SMILE before answering

Project the message ‘It’s OK to ask – I’m glad you did’

Self Esteem and Dyslexia

The Feel-good Factor (3)

Mistakes are coolThey mean someone is trying.

There is no failure only feedback

Self Esteem and Dyslexia

Marking for success

In a paragraph:

Tick all the words spelt correctly Express the correct number of spellings as a

percentage of the total number of words written

Self Esteem and Dyslexia

Marking for success

In a word:

Tick all the correct letters Express as a percentage of total number of

words written

What can you do to build self-esteem?

Praise each child’s success Be sincere Show interest in their activities, project,

problems Tell the children what to do instead of what

not to do Let the children know that mistakes are a

natural part of growing up – we all make them!

Try and ignore negative behaviours

What can you do to build self-esteem? Show appreciation when children are ‘good’

– be specific Remember that learning new skills takes

time and practice Let children know that you believe in them

and expect them to do well Accept and respect each child’s family and

culture Give opportunities for success – keep

records and share with the child Separate the child from the behaviour

Building a child’s self-esteem Children need to be acknowledged for who

they are, you can do this by what you do:-

Make sure they get a turn Help them individually Pat their shoulder when you pass Smile Meet their eyes Remember their name Ask about something they have previously

told you

Building a child’s self-esteem

Acknowledge children for what they do: I like the way you finish a job You draw ….. really well That letter ….is the best letter on the page You were so kind to Emma when she fell

over thanks Thank you for quietly coming into class,

that was really helpful

Building a child’s self-esteem

Children need to be acknowledged for who they are , you can do this by what you say:-

You’re brilliant I like you I’m pleased that you are in my class I’m glad to see you back in school Come and tell me about…. How are you?

Children learn best when ….. They feel confident and secure They are encouraged The focus of learning is made clear Learning tasks and experiences give

opportunities for some success Regular positive feedback See reason for task Learning includes group tasks as well as

individual tasks