SwimKid 2 is dyslexic. Current day school suggested that he not take a forgein language. (DC agrees). SwimKid2, while dyslexic, is also extremely smart AKA twice exceptional. Will he be able to get into boarding school without taking a forgein language? He has dreams of attending a top boarding school like SwimKid1 for the opportunities to continue to stretch his intellectual curiosity. We laugh that he is is actually much smarter than kid 1 but can’t spell his way out of a paper bag!
American Sign Language (ASL) is a great option instead of a foreign language. Some public schools actually offer ASL as one of the languages that meets the foreign language requirement, and many colleges accept ASL as well. My student is in her second year of ASL at public high school and will continue ASL individually at her boarding school next year.
I’m not an expert on dyslexia, but assume it applies to reading/writing, not speaking… so perhaps there can be accommodations to push for oral proficiency only?
I know dyslexics who speak more than one language fluently…
My son’s middle school did not offer a foreign language. So yeah, boarding schools will admit you without a foreign language.
I think you can get admitted without one but will they require you to take one once there? For the top schools, my guess is yes since it is a graduation requirement.
Another question to ask would be how your child would do with heavy writing and reading assignments with his dyslexia? Would that be an issue?
Yes the heavy writing assignments are a big issue currently. The reading not so much. Reading is almost remediated and he uses learning ally to listen to books as he reads along. A top BS may not be the place for him at all, but I just want to make sure my bases are covered if the writing progresses. It will be the major focus of his tutoring for the next 3 years. We are more likely looking at schools like proctor, but you never know what will happen in 3 years. He wouldn’t be the first dyslexic kiddo at a school like Exeter. John Irving is dyslexic. He struggled at Exeter but survived! SwimKid2 dreams of MIT. It’s known as the MIT disease with somewhere close to 40% of the kids having dyslexia!!!
My son is twice exceptional and has some processing issues. Foreign language is definitely not for him and he will not pursue it beyond two years in HS. He’s a sophomore (local public school) so he’s done. He wants to be an engineer and I researched a number of colleges that might be of interest to him and they do not require anything beyond two years and some actually required none. Granted he’s not looking at the Ivies but places like WPI require no language at all.
That’s great to know about WPI!!! @MAandMEmom!!
@MAandMEmom My son also only took 2 years of foreign language, and was admitted to engineering at schools that supposedly required three years. It really was not an impediment for him, and he absolutely did NOT want to take a third year!
Mine is looking forward to June when he can put Spanish behind him @hopeyhippie !! He has what appears to be a photographic memory so vocabulary is easy. It’s the speaking part on demand that’s rough for him.
Yes, that was my son two years ago, @MAandMEmom!
At my son’s current middle school they allowed him to take his language classes (French) pass/fail due to his mild dyslexia. This was a good compromise, as I didn’t want him to miss out on learning a language. Next year in BS that won’t be an option, but he has made enough progress that I don’t think this will be an issue going forward. You may want to look at Suffield - I was impressed by their academic support.
Many school do give a foreign language waiver for kids who have learning differences (the Neuropsch evaluation has to recommend the waiver in the report). I have a child who got the foreign language waiver for the first time this year and she’s in 7th grade. She has a language based learning issue and when we apply in the fall to boarding school, that will be one question we will ask. My oldest is currently a junior at a BS and her school agreed to waive her third year of Spanish because it was a struggle for her because of her mild language based learning difference. She struggled for the first two years and it was the only course that gave her a problem. The stress turned into anxiety and panic attacks over Spanish. She did pass it but it really brought her GPA down. This year she opted not to take it and she’s not stressed, no panic attacks and she’s doing great in everything. My friend’s daughter is a junior at a prestigious NYC day school, is dyslexic and was given the foreign language waiver. I’d look into it. Having a child stress over this, isn’t worth it.
My youngest is a boy and just diagnosed with dyslexia (8yr old). He attends a private school in NYC for kids with language based learning differences. His school does not push foreign language because they know that having trouble with language in general is hard for these kids, imagine a foreign language.
@GMC2918 I actually talked to learning services at Suffield while we were there for revist day for SwimKid1. I’m hoping him deciding not to go doesn’t effect SwimKid2’s chances there!!! There is lots to love about that school.
I was wondering if some BS’s would waiver the requirement. I know public school does, but I didn’t even think about the fact that some BS’s might. It’s just not worth the stress!
@momof3swimmers none of my 4 who attended PEA took any languages before attending.
Some kids with certain types of reading & language differences
actually benefit from taking Latin. Our school used to offer this as an option for students . There is some research on this subject. As noted above by another parent, we also had a friend whose child attended Suffield and they worked out course accommodations & support.
Exeter has a foreign language requirement–chinese may work as it is symbols but I dont know. try some quizlet or coursera chinese for kid2 and see how it goes…