shared the same learning difference,” Dr. Richter says. “At home, this could translate to connecting your child with an older sibling, cousin, or family friend who has navigated dyslexia successfully, someone who can model routines like breaking down assignments or organizing a homework schedule.” Sometimes, all it takes is talking to someone who has also navigated the same hurdles and overcome them to encourage your child to keep fighting! 6. Don’t take your stress out on your kid. There are few things more frustrating than not being able to fix your child’s “problem,” especially when you’ve explained something 12 times already. (Why are 4th grade math problems so hard?!) It’s easy for that frustration to build and build until it reaches a tipping point. Whether it leaks out as anger or stress, your child can sense and be negatively affected by your emotions. “Findings from our review show that when mothers develop positive coping strategies and lower their own stress, their children with SLD show fewer internalizing and externalizing behavior problems,” Dr. Richter says. She recommends easing homework-time tension by using a calm tone, taking breaks, and practicing patience. 7. Take homework breaks. While it may feel like it’s more effective for your child to sit down and knock all of their
homework out at once, that is not necessarily true. “Studies our team reviewed found that longer homework time is associated with more perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in kids with dyslexia, while shorter homework sessions and regular breaks acted as protective factors,” Dr. Richter shares. “Chunking homework into shorter, timed segments with breaks can reduce this stress response.” 8. Don’t slack on sleep! Sleep is really important for everyone, but especially for brains working hard to process the day’s information. You wouldn’t expect a cookie baked for 50 percent of the recommended time to taste the same as one fully baked, so don’t expect your child’s brain to function at 100 percent when they’re not recharging it fully each night. “The mentoring study specifically found reductions in sleep difficulties among mentees, and separate research on stress physiology in SLD shows disrupted cortisol and melatonin patterns in these children, tying poor sleep to the broader stress response,” Dr. Richter reveals. She recommends working on homework before bedtime, giving kids’ brains time to relax and unwind. “A calm, consistent bedtime routine free of late-night homework pressure can support both sleep and next-day learning.” She also suggests creating scaffolding
around homework time like checklists, visual schedules, and consistent routines so your child’s brain can know what to expect. 9. Cheer on your child’s strengths! Take the wins where you can get them. Sometimes it may look like your child spelling a whole sentence correctly, or completing one problem without help. “One of the best ways to support your child is to focus on what they did right and encourage those behaviors,” says Dr. Richter. “For example, if your child gets three out of five questions right, the parent should focus on the correct questions and ask what they can do to get better next time.” Intentionally encourage your child on the hard days by pointing out what they are good at. Don’t dismiss their struggle with offhand comments like “It’ll get better” or “One day this will be easy.”“Framing schoolwork around what your child does well (creativity, verbal reasoning, problem-solving) while scaffolding the academic challenge can reduce the shame that often derails at-home learning,” Dr. Richter assures parents. 10. Give yourself (and your child) grace. You’re not going to be perfect, and neither is your child. It’s okay! And while homework may not be a fun experience, you can both grow together.
BIRMINGHAMPARENT.COM | OCTOBER 2026 13
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