09/01/2026
Never sacrifice your family life on the altar of homework!
They ARE trying. đź’™ As both a teacher and a parent of a child with dyslexia, I think this is something we need to remember.
Dyslexia is not a lack of effort, motivation, or intelligence. Research has shown differences in how the reading network is activated in people with dyslexia, and some language and reading tasks can require significant effort and the recruitment of additional brain resources.
That effort doesn't necessarily end when the school day does.
For some students, an assignment that takes another child 20 minutes may take much longer. Reading the directions, decoding the text, organizing thoughts, spelling, writing, and checking their work can all add to the load.
By the time they get home, they may be exhausted. We might see frustration, avoidance, shutting down, tears, or even meltdowns.
I see this with my own son. After a full day of school, homework can sometimes feel like climbing a mountain after already running a marathon.
As teachers, it's worth thinking about how much homework we are assigning and how long it may actually take that particular student to complete it.
As parents, sometimes what our children need most at the end of the day is patience and understanding.
Richards et al., 1999
Shaywitz et al., 2002
Shaywitz, Lyon, & Shaywitz, 2006
