Empowering Children with Dyslexia through STEM Learning: Why Everyone Should Have Access
September 9, 2024 / Heather Reyes
In STEM learning, every child should have the opportunity to showcase their abilities, regardless of the challenges they face, including those associated with dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that primarily affects reading and writing skills. People with dyslexia may struggle to process and remember what they see and hear, impacting their ability to learn and acquire literacy skills. However, with tailored approaches, STEM learning can be adapted to meet the needs of students with dyslexia, allowing them to thrive.
Thinking differently has its advantages. Many people with dyslexia excel in reasoning, visual, and creative domains, which are highly valuable in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. By integrating STEM learning strategies that align with these strengths, educators can help students with dyslexia leverage their unique skills.
Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein were all considered poor students during their childhoods but were later discovered to have had dyslexia. Despite their significant challenges in traditional learning environments, they went on to change the world, illustrating that STEM learning dyslexia can indeed lead to extraordinary achievements.
If your child has dyslexia, avoid labelling them as "clumsy" or "slow." Remember, they may struggle with reading, writing, and spelling, but their ability to think critically or solve problems is not affected. What we need to do is find learning methods that suit them, providing a unique and supportive environment to help them thrive.
This article will explore how to help children with dyslexia engage in STEM learning and why we must give them the opportunity to experience STEM.
Benefits of STEM Activities for Children with Dyslexia
1. Hands-On Learning Approach
STEM learning, which encourages hands-on activities, is more accessible to children with dyslexia than traditional text-heavy learning. Children can grasp and remember knowledge by building models, conducting experiments, or creating simple devices instead of relying solely on reading or writing.
2. Visual Learning Opportunities
STEM education often employs pictures, charts, images, and other visual tools. These tools make complex concepts more concrete, helping children with dyslexia better understand and remember information, deepening their grasp of abstract ideas.
3. Development of Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking
Children with dyslexia often excel in environments that value creativity and critical thinking. STEM learning starts with real-world problems, encouraging children to view and solve issues from different perspectives, which further develops their skills in this area.
4. Building Confidence and Resilience
When children successfully solve a problem, they gain a great sense of accomplishment. This positive feedback can help them build confidence and overcome the challenges posed by dyslexia. STEM learning also fosters an environment that views failure as a learning opportunity, encouraging children to keep trying, build resilience, and develop a growth mindset.
Tailored STEM Activities for Dyslexic Learners
1. Simple, Visual Instructions
Using clear, concise, and visual instructions is key. Step-by-step guides with accompanying illustrations or even videos can make it easier for children with dyslexia to follow along, keeping them engaged in the task.
2. Interactive and Collaborative Projects
In a group setting, children without dyslexia can take on more reading tasks, while those with dyslexia can excel in hands-on making and creativity. These interactions and collaborations can help them learn from each other, better integrate into the team, and build confidence through cooperation.
3. Flexible Teaching Methods
Not every child learns the same way, so offering various methods of expression is important. STEM learning tailored for children with dyslexia should be more inclusive. Children can learn and express themselves through drawing, building, or experimenting in different ways.
STEM Box Activities Suitable for Children with Dyslexia
On the one hand, STEM Boxes contain a wealth of hands-on projects, which to some extent reduces the reliance on reading. On the other hand, some specialized themed boxes can also help children exercise and develop language skills, helping them improve their adaptability and better cope with dyslexia.
Children can learn STEM knowledge such as engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology through hands-on activities. Although the text information in STEM Box activities has been simplified as much as possible and replaced with more pictures, parents and caregivers can provide additional support by reading aloud when children need it.
We hope that children can learn STEM and enjoy the fun of creation before they learn to read.
Farm STEAM Box Activity (Ages 3-5)
Young children will visit a farm, where they will build a felt barn and create walking felt animals to place inside. They can also play farm guessing games with friends or family to enhance logic and language reasoning skills.
Through this activity, children will practice fine motor skills such as matching shapes, threading, and buttoning, which can help improve their penmanship and writing abilities.
The included beautifully illustrated science magazine will engage children in exploring farm animals, plants, and tools, helping them develop an understanding of their characteristics and master asking insightful questions. Through activities like the 'Messy Dough' sensory game and replanting experiments, it will also foster empathy and enhance their natural observation skills.
Stories with Puppets STEAM Box Activity (Ages 3-5)
How to help children with dyslexia complete a script reading? This box helps children overcome the psychological barrier of reading by transforming words into theatrical performances.
Children will step into the role of playwrights as they construct their own rotating stage and design captivating scenery. They will then create puppet characters for their show, exploring the art of puppetry and the cultural aspects of drama. Throughout this process, they will learn to craft various types of puppets and familiarize themselves with essential theater vocabulary.
Stories with Puppets STEAM Box
Castle and Catapult STEAM Box Activity (Ages 3-5)
This box is ideal for children with dyslexia to explore. It includes 30 story creation picture cards that help them understand emotions and craft their own narratives by combining images. As they engage with the cards, they will develop story structure and logical thinking skills, while also enhancing their language expression abilities.
They will also build a dragon catapult and a castle marble run to kick off their castle-saving adventure. Through this activity, they’ll explore the principles of catapult engineering, grasp the relationship between force, angle, and motion, and observe fundamental concepts of gravity.
Mirror Vision STEAM Box Activity (Ages 6-8)
This engaging and challenging activity allows children to learn about light reflection by constructing goggles and periscopes. They will discover how mirrors create reverse images that can trick the brain through interactive games, while also developing reverse thinking skills to tackle problem-solving.
Probability Science STEAM Box Activity (Ages 6-8)
Probability is everywhere in our lives, but it can be a bit difficult to introduce the concept of probability to children. The Probability Science STEAM Box offers a gamified way to introduce this science to children.
Chemical Tornado STEM Box Activity (Ages 9-12)
Your child will be mesmerized by this dazzling chemical tornado, focusing on the thrill of discovery rather than any challenges they encounter. They will construct an electromagnetic stirrer and learn how it operates. Through engaging experiments, they will delve into the intriguing science of acids and bases while mastering the scientific method of experimentation.
This box is perfect for igniting children's interest in chemistry. It integrates textbook concepts with hands-on experiments and includes all the materials needed for exploration—knowledge, activities, and equipment. With no preparation required, you can easily provide your child with an engaging and informative STEM learning experience.
STEM learning fosters an inclusive and supportive educational environment for children with dyslexia, enabling them to harness their unique strengths. While reading skills are still essential, acknowledging their talents in STEM fields can inspire them to overcome literacy challenges and boost their confidence.
It's difficult to imagine how many successful scientists and engineers with dyslexia would have achieved their potential without early exposure to STEM education.
Tinkerer aims to assure children with dyslexia that they are welcome and capable of succeeding in STEM fields. We strive to provide equal access to STEM learning opportunities for all, regardless of the challenges they may encounter. Tinkerer STEAM Boxes are committed to making STEM learning accessible and fun so that every child can reach their full potential.
