My pre-teen son feels he has outgrown his school

Schools have reopened, but my son was not as enthusiastic about going back to school because he feels like he has outgrown that school.

My son has dyslexia which is a reading disability.

On the flip side, dyslexic children are gifted and he is good in art, photography and is a multi-sensory learner.

If you put him in a classroom and just give instructions or dictate the lesson, he loses concentration in under 20 minutes.

But if you engage all his senses — sight, touch, sense of smell, hearing and even taste, he is your dream student.

PRACTICAL CLASSES

Most of the time, he comes alive during the practical classes. Art, scouting and even sewing.

I recognise his unique individuality — his inquisitive nature, his photographic mind and ability to crunch grasp logic very fast.

During the holidays, I try my best to expose him to different environments.

We travel together. We read some of my books. I tell him why I arrived at some decisions and most importantly, I allow him to challenge me.

And he does. Many times. Sometimes I laugh at his innocence, not to ridicule him but because I recognise my inner child in him.

If I know the answer, I tell him my version of it. If I do not know, we find out together.

I do not impress upon him that whatever I say is the absolute truth, but I share with him the little knowledge that I have on the matter, and let him know that if the answer feels unsatisfactory, he is free to inquire from people around him.

And he does.

Unfortunately, our school system is still instructional.

LEARNS MORE AT HOME

It does not encourage children to think for themselves.

My son feels like he learns more while at home than when in school where he cannot freely express his inquisitive self.

Also, since he has been exposed to many things, he comes across as a snob to his teachers and fellow pupils and he his ridiculed more often than not.

He has only one friend who totally understands him, having been as exposed and allowed to ask questions at home just like him.

Thus, when schools reopened, he sulked, and did not want to go back to that environment. I could not force him to go. I had to make him see the choices he had, as well as see his opportunity to expand himself beyond the “chicken yard” he was in yet he is an eagle.

I explained to him that in life there are people who will stifle him if he appears to be better than them in any way.

It does not mean that he is wrong or does not belong.

It simply means that its his opportunity to understand the difference between himself and them and figure out how to relate with them harmoniously without necessarily stifling himself in the process.

How is he going to do that?

I had no clue on specifics.

He had to create his own response to the situation.

He pondered on it. Of course, asking questions as they arose. After two days, he was ready to go back to school.