How a new perspective helped Marley gain confidence, feel positive and enjoy school again.
Marley, like others, struggled at school, always receiving a ‘below expected’ mark in most of his subjects. Despite working hard, and wanting to succeed, something wasn’t clicking. While his friends seemed to breeze through assignments and exams, Marley would find himself grappling with frustration.
He would have to re-read information several times to take it in and couldn’t finish work within lessons. He fell behind in most subjects and only seemed to do well in the more practical subjects like P.E and Food Technology. Despite trying his best, Marley was often told that he needed to listen more, and he understandably started to switch off and lose his motivation for learning.
Things came to a head in Year 9, when his English teacher suggested additional support may be needed. At the age of 13 Marley received a dyslexia diagnosis from Sparks and this is where his school life did a U-turn. To his mother’s delight and sheer relief, Marley then began to thrive in lessons and exams.
Following his assessment with Dyslexia Sparks, Marley’s mum, Naomi, said
”It was the best school year of his entire life!”
For Marley, the diagnosis of dyslexia offered him a new perspective on his abilities. “Now I know why I don’t always understand things like others, school is much easier”. He finally understood that his brain simply processed information differently. The diagnosis was just the beginning of Marley’s dyslexia journey.
The report provided by Sparks informed the school about Marley’s strengths and weaknesses, and helped them understand him better. Armed with the knowledge of how his mind worked, his teachers began to adapt his learning environment to meet his needs. They were able to make adjustments such as giving him a laptop to help overcome his biggest barrier – writing. Additional time is also given in exams, allowing him the time he needs to complete the work.
Marley is now excelling and achieving B’s in all his subjects, and has improved so much that he is now working at ‘above expected’ levels in English.
”His school report reads like a different child.”
Not only has his relationship with schooling changed, but it has also improved with his mum. Naomi previously worried about Marley’s future, but she now understands how he likes to work; giving him short instructions broken down, with lots of encouragement.
He’s already making big plans for his future career and we can’t wait to see what he’ll achieve over the next few years. Marley’s story is a reminder that with the right diagnosis, strategies, and support, any student can turn their academic life around.
Inspired by Marley’s Dyslexia Journey?
If you think your child may need a dyslexia assessment, please contact us today to see how we can support you going forward.
Team Sparks