Odd experience

[Malika]

An odd experience this morning. I took J to see the school psychologist, not to discuss the hyperactivity this time but because of the slight concern over his seeming inability to learn or identify colours (he is not colour blind; has been tested). The concern is that it could be a warning sign of a learning difficulty such as dyslexia. In the car he asked why we were going to the doctor. Not thinking of anything better than the truth, I told him that it was because he had a little problem with colours. Anyway, we got there and I talked to the psychologist who asked for details about him, took a history, etc. Then she spread out lots of different coloured pens on her desk. Asked him in turn to choose a different colour and draw a little man - red, black, yellow, and so on. Each time he did it correctly, only hesitating slightly over the red before picking it. And then, to top it all, he spent the rest of the interview, while I talked to the psychologist, sorting out the big bundle of pens into colour groups - not so easy because there were lots of different shades. He did it totally correctly.
I just looked at him in something of amazement and the psychologist laughed... "He is proving you wrong!" she said.
What I take away from this strange episode is another bit of proof that really we cannot set things in stone with young children or jump to quick conclusions...

 

[HaoZi]

When you thought he didn't know them, was he trying to read the names or just go by what they look like? Some people who are dyslexic or illiterate are very good at memorizing instead. They can have someone read something to them and toss it back word for word, hiding the fact that they have problems instead of getting help.

 

[Malika]

No, he doesn't read at all yet HaoZi! Or write... They just teach them to write their first names at this stage, without teaching them as letters, just as a graphic exercise in holding a pen, making shapes, etc. They begin to teach reading and writing next year. So it was just that he apparently couldn't tell you the colour when you asked (after being told it before, obviously)...

 

[HaoZi]

Was just a thought I figured I'd toss out there. Teach them their names without teaching them the letters first?

 

[Malika]

Yes, I thought it was a bit strange too, when I first came here. I think the idea is that it gets them used to the shape and sound of letters before actually coming to learn them and also trains them to hold a pen to write... I suppose there are many ways to catch a goose or whatever the saying is.

 

[nvts]

Wow! That's quite a different way to learn to write your name! I guess it works - the last I heard, most people in France can write their names!

Beth