Top Ten Tips

If you face challenges when studying for tests, reading, spelling, or just plan classwork, here are my top ten tips for the solutions in a hard environment!

10. Practice Spelling through Games– Any way to make learning spelling more enjoyable is the right way to learn and have fun at the same time. Make a matching game with letters or even have a competition with points!

9. Use the sound of the word and helpful rules to figure out how to spell a word– Most of the time, words are spelled just as they sound. Make sure to also use helpful rules such as “i” before “e” except after “c.” This will make spelling much easier.

8. When writing, get all of your ideas out and finish your paper before you edit– When you write, get all you want to say in a paragraph or page before you go back and correct anything at all. If you get stuck on a incorrectly spelled word and try to figure it out for a long time, you will waste valuable time and might lose your ideas. Just get it all down and then go back and review it.

7. Write as much as you can– Nothing is better practice for spelling and grammar than writing. This way, it gives you more comfortable with the writing process so you will know what to do on an assignment. You can write as creatively as you want and in any form. Practice does not always make perfect; however, practice does makes permanent.

6. Read as much as you can– Like writing, reading a lot is super important. The more you read, the more familiar and fluent you will be when reading something more difficult. Also, it gets you more exposed to more vocabulary and helps you grasp a better understanding of writing.

5. Use pictures and acronyms to help you study– Sometimes just looking at a word or phrase is not enough to get you prepared for a test or project. Using pictures to visualize a word or phrase may be the difference between you understanding a concept or not. Acronyms work the same way. Working with them is like a friend tapping you on the shoulder to remind you of something with a phrase. (Example: For the Order of Operations, use- Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally)

4. Take more time to study– It is hugely important to study for every test and quiz no matter how important. For a dyslexic, it may take much longer to study than another person. Don’t feel like you have to understand something another person can understand in the same amount of time. You may need to take more time than the other person to get the same grade. But, either way, don’t worry about others and do your own routine.

3. Notecards are your new best friend– Notecards are one of the greatest ways to study new material, vocabulary, and even math! They will create a memory locked description of a term in your head. Sometimes, all you need is to create a picture of the notecard in your head to help study it. Writing the notecard also makes it easier to memorize the information. Your brain remembers the topic much better when you write out the notecard.

2. Always ask for help when you are struggling– When you have a issue that you can’t figure out or just didn’t understand something in class, never be afraid to go and ask your teachers, your parents, or even your friends for help. All teachers are willing to help you succeed in some way, shape, or form. Even if it is to repeat the directions or explain an assignment once more, you must take that opportunity. Note: Any advantage you make for yourself will help you in the long run.

1. Never, ever let your dyslexia challenges make you frustrated or negative– You could study for hours at a time, do all the reading in the world and ace every spelling test that comes your way. However, if you are in a situation where you have a challenge because of your dyslexia and get frustrated, all the work is for nothing. ALWAYS keep a positive attitude toward every activity or assignment you are assigned. Never let yourself down on any frustration.