This was a Professional Development Hour session focused on supporting dyslexic learners and building their emotional intelligence in educational settings. Victoria Adong, an experienced speaker and mother, presented on how teachers can help dyslexic children remember what they are taught and manage emotional challenges. She shared a story about Jane, a girl who dropped out of school due to lack of confidence and emotional support, highlighting the importance of creating emotionally safe learning environments. Victoria explained key components of emotional intelligence including self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, emphasizing that teachers spend significant time with these children and can help parents understand their children’s needs. She discussed signs of emotional struggle in dyslexic learners, including isolation, loss of interest in activities, persistent sadness, fear, and withdrawal from social interactions. The presenter outlined practical strategies for teachers including creating emotionally safe environments, using positive language, providing visual learning support, allowing movement breaks every 20-30 minutes, and implementing multi-sensory teaching techniques. She emphasized that dyslexic children are not lazy or stupid but rather learn differently and need specialized support. During the Q&A session, Betty Auma shared specific challenges with a student who appears bright but struggles with reading and attention, leading to Victoria promising to provide simple assessment tools for identifying dyslexia in future presentations.
Science For Development And Transformation