ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Nessy Dyslexia Explained | What's It Like Being Dyslexic? | Understand Dyslexia
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be dyslexic? Let’s explore the story of a boy named Tom, who faces challenges at school because of his dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning difference that makes reading, writing, and spelling more difficult for some people. But it doesn’t mean they’re not smart; they just learn differently!
Tom often feels like he’s running late. In class, he sits at the back, trying to copy down his homework. It takes him longer than his classmates, and he worries about looking silly if he asks for more time. When the teacher asks him to read aloud, Tom feels nervous because reading out loud is tough for him.
At home, Tom spends hours on homework that should only take 30 minutes. He struggles with spelling and writing, and being left-handed makes it even harder because he smudges the ink. The words are in his head, but getting them on paper is a challenge.
Sometimes, Tom pretends to be sick to avoid school. His teacher, Mr. Teasell, doesn’t understand why Tom’s homework isn’t perfect and calls him lazy. During a spelling test, Tom tries to copy from a friend but still gets a low score. This makes him feel frustrated and upset.
Tom’s mom is worried about him and talks to a friend who is a teacher. The friend suggests that Tom might have dyslexia. When Tom’s mom asks Mr. Teasell about it, he dismisses the idea, thinking Tom is just lazy. But after a year with no improvement, Tom is finally tested for dyslexia.
During the test, Tom meets Dr. Simonist, who explains that dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty. This means that while Tom might struggle with some things, he could be great at others, like art, design, sports, or drama. Many famous and successful people, like Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein, were dyslexic too!
Dr. Simonist tells Tom that there’s nothing wrong with his brain; he just uses it differently. Dyslexia can run in families, and many dyslexics are creative and successful. For example, Richard Branson, who owns many companies, is dyslexic. So are actress Keira Knightley and poet Benjamin Zephaniah.
Not all dyslexics become famous, but many find success by focusing on their strengths. School can be tough, but with extra lessons tailored to how they learn best, dyslexic students can thrive. Tom starts to enjoy learning through fun games and activities.
Mr. Teasell realizes his mistake and apologizes to Tom. He promises to help Tom by not making him read aloud, giving him printouts of homework, and ensuring he understands the lessons. With these changes, Tom’s school life becomes much better.
Remember, being dyslexic means you learn differently, and that’s okay! Everyone has unique talents and strengths, and with the right support, you can achieve great things.
Imagine you are Tom for a day. Write a short diary entry about your experiences at school and how you feel about your challenges and strengths. Share your entry with the class and discuss how understanding dyslexia can help support classmates like Tom.
Create a comic strip or storyboard that illustrates a day in the life of Tom. Use drawings and captions to show how he overcomes challenges with the help of his teacher and family. Present your comic to the class and explain the importance of support and understanding.
Research a famous person who has dyslexia, such as Leonardo da Vinci or Keira Knightley. Prepare a short presentation about their achievements and how they overcame challenges related to dyslexia. Share your findings with the class to inspire others.
Participate in a series of fun spelling and reading games designed to help understand the challenges faced by dyslexic students. Reflect on how these activities can be adapted to support different learning styles in the classroom.
Write a letter to Tom offering advice and encouragement. Include suggestions on how he can use his strengths to succeed in school. Share your letter with a partner and discuss how empathy and understanding can make a difference in someone’s life.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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**Transcript:**
What’s it like being dyslexic? Oh no, I’m going to be late! At school, Tom sits at the back, copying down tonight’s homework. It seems to take him twice as long to copy it down. Everyone else has finished. “Right, turn to page 73.” Everyone else has, but I haven’t finished yet. If I say anything, I’ll look silly. “He said 73, not 37. Why don’t you listen?”
“Tom, read from the top of the page.” Oh no, I’m not good at reading out loud. I’m too slow, and it doesn’t come out right.
Later that evening, Tom spends all night doing homework that is only meant to take 30 minutes. “No, that’s not how you spell it. It’s so easy, even I can do it!”
“Hey, get out of my room!” Tom is left-handed, which makes him smudge the wet ink. The words are in my head, but I can’t seem to get them into writing.
The next morning, Tom pretends he’s sick. “Tom, get up! I’ve brought your porridge.”
“I don’t feel very well.”
“You can only stay home if you have a temperature.” Tom sticks a thermometer in the hot porridge.
“Oh, you silly boy! This could have exploded in your mouth and poisoned you. Now get to school!”
At school, Mr. Teasell is not impressed with Tom’s homework. “What do you call this? You lazy boy!”
“I spent ages on that!”
“What’s the point?”
Today it was Mr. Teasell’s spelling test. “Spell…” Tom copied from his friend. Everyone had to read out their scores: 18 out of 20, 19 out of 20, 20 out of 20… Huh, zero out of 20. I couldn’t even copy and get it right.
Tom is frustrated. “You’re suspended!”
“But they were calling me stupid!”
Tom’s mom meets a friend for coffee. She is a teacher. “I am so worried about him. He can’t seem to remember anything. He forgets his books, and he’s so disorganized.”
“Has Tom been tested for dyslexia?”
Tom’s mom goes to see Mr. Teasell. “Could Tom be dyslexic?”
“He’s doing okay; he’s just a bit lazy. Most boys are at his age, but he’ll catch up. Don’t label him as dyslexic. I don’t want Tom to think there’s something wrong with him.”
One year later, Tom has made no improvement. His confidence is at rock bottom. “You are going to be tested for dyslexia.”
“I hate tests! What is wrong with me?”
On the day of the test, “Hi, I’m Dr. Simonist, but you can call me Sigh. We’re going to do some puzzles, arrange some boxes, and do a few quizzes.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.”
Two hours later, “We finished! Would you like to come in, Tom’s mom?”
“I’m tired, but I enjoyed that.”
Tom has a specific learning difficulty. “What’s that?”
“Just another name for dyslexia. It’s called that because every dyslexic is different. Everyone has things they are good and bad at.”
“What is wrong with me?”
“There’s nothing wrong with your brain; you just use it differently. That is why school is so hard. You just need to be taught using your learning strengths. Some dyslexics are good at art, others at design, technology, sports, or drama. Perhaps you haven’t found out what you’re good at yet. Some of the cleverest people in the world have been dyslexic: Leonardo da Vinci, inventor and artist; Albert Einstein, famous scientist.”
“Dyslexia is passed on through families. Can you think of anyone in your family who might be dyslexic?”
“Dyslexics have bigger brains. 40% of self-made millionaires are dyslexic. Richard Branson has 360 companies and $2.8 billion. With determination and creative ideas, many dyslexics become successful entrepreneurs. Dyslexics are often creative: Kira Knightley, world-famous actress; Benjamin Zephaniah, poet, novelist, and playwright.”
“Not all dyslexics are hyper-talented geniuses; many are just ordinary people. Being dyslexic means school is likely to be one of the hardest times of your life, but many dyslexics do well when they leave school because they can do what they are good at. You will have to work harder than others while you’re at school. That will mean extra lessons, but taught in a way you learn.”
“Oh no, extra lessons!”
Tom does have extra lessons, but he plays games and learns quickly, so it doesn’t seem so bad. “This is a lot more fun than Mr. Teasell’s lessons.”
Mr. Teasell apologizes. “I’m sorry I called you lazy.” He has a huge box of chocolates. “I promise not to make you read aloud, not to expect you to write as much, and to give you a printout of homework questions that I’ve made sure you understand. Things will get better from now on.”
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any inappropriate or sensitive language.
Dyslexia – A learning difficulty that makes it hard for someone to read and write. – Example sentence: Even though Sarah has dyslexia, she works hard and enjoys reading stories with her teacher’s help.
Learning – The process of gaining knowledge or skills through study or experience. – Example sentence: Learning about different cultures in social studies class is one of Jake’s favorite activities.
Reading – The action of understanding written or printed words. – Example sentence: Emily loves reading mystery books because they keep her guessing until the end.
Writing – The activity of putting thoughts into words on paper or a computer. – Example sentence: Writing in her journal every night helps Mia express her feelings and ideas.
Spelling – The process of forming words with the correct sequence of letters. – Example sentence: During the spelling bee, Tom was nervous but spelled all his words correctly.
Challenges – Difficult tasks or problems that require effort to overcome. – Example sentence: One of the challenges of learning a new language is remembering all the new vocabulary words.
Homework – Assignments given by teachers to be completed outside of class. – Example sentence: After school, Lily spends an hour on her homework before going out to play.
Strengths – Qualities or abilities that someone is good at. – Example sentence: One of Alex’s strengths is his ability to solve math problems quickly and accurately.
Success – The achievement of a goal or the accomplishment of something desired. – Example sentence: Winning the science fair was a big success for Maria, who worked hard on her project.
Creative – Having the ability to make new things or think of new ideas. – Example sentence: Ben is very creative and loves to draw comics about superheroes he invents.
