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 meeting
these areas of need?
4
3
2
1
5
5
Is home meeting
these areas of need?
4
3
2
1
Attachment Theory
4 Main Attachment Profiles
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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
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Targeting and showing cruelty
No control of fears
Strong viewpoint
Lack of conscience
Unhealthy interest in blood, death and
fire
 Soiling
 Irregular eating problems
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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
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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
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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
Child behaves well
and receives
positive reinforcement
Adult/child
interactions
mainly positive
Works well in
school and receives
positive reinforcement
from adults
Child’s self concept
is enhanced
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 selfesteem.
Negative Reinforcement Triangle
Child’s view of self
Child with low self esteem
Child misbehaves
and receives further
negative reinforcement
Adult/child
interactions
Mainly negative
Does not work well in
School and receives
Negative reinforcement
From adults
Child’s self concept
is eroded
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.
2.
3.
4.
Minimising the fear of disapproval/lack of
understanding
Minimising a fear of failure
Minimising a fear of tests
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:
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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
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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
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