Dyslexia and Self-esteem Thursday 13 th 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 meeting these areas of need? Is home meeting these areas of need?

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 in school and receives positive reinforcement from adults Child’s self concept is enhanced Child behaves well and receives positive reinforcement Adult/child interactions mainly 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 in School and receives Negative reinforcement From adults Child’s self concept is eroded Child misbehaves and receives further negative reinforcement Adult/child interactions Mainly 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 failure 3.Minimising a fear of tests 4.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 cool They 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