Yoga for Dyslexic Children

My Name Is Jorge and I am putting together a 45 minute Yoga class for dyslexic kids (7th and 8th grades). I will be using music and chanting as we do the asanas. I am working on coming up with games that I can use to keep the kids interested and at the same time teach them how to relax by using their breath.

This is the first time I am doing this so any kind of idea and suggestion will be extremely welcome.

Thank you very much in advance.

With Love and Respect
Jorge

ANSWERS:

From Susan Brochin
srbrochin@attbi.com

Jorge,

The main thing to remember with Middle Schoolers is to keep it light. It is good to set strong guidelines ahead of time, that yoga is an inner practice and to have them begin to develop the art of breath and awareness. Work on that. Middle Schoolers (I teach them during the day and teach yoga at night) are inherently very social beings.

I have done yoga with kids. I have them hold the postures for a relatively short time. Some of them are very flexible. Kids of all ages like the pace to be relatively fast (not rushed of course). I spend time on the floor. Warrior seems to be a popular posture.

When they go into savasana, it can be a very threatening time for some of them, so give them the option to keep their eyes open as well. Once they are in savasana, a journey to a place—a guided relaxation, let's say to the beach, works very well.

My students (fifth graders last year) LOVED savasana, and that seems to be the thing that they remember the most. Good luck. Feel free to e-mail me directly with any questions.

Namaste,
Susan Brochin

From Jo Marenberg, AYTT grad, spring 2002

Jorge,

I have a book called Yoga for Children by Mary Stewart and Kathy Phillips that I bought because I was scheduled to teach a yoga class for kids. The last section has several pages on games. I didn't get a chance to try any of them because the enrollment was too low and the class was canceled. But you may want to pick up a copy of the book for ideas.

From Donna O'Neil, Eugene, OR
yogawithdonna@rio.com

My experience working with dyslexic students is that it gets really hard when the right and left side are doing different things. I would suggest that the major focus is symmetrical postures and flows, with lots of repetition.

One thing that helps tune into the breathing is to do a variation of Circle of Joy Breathing, taking each movement and repeating it 3 or 4 times before changing to the next phase. For example, start with hands in Namaste', then interlace, keeping the hands in front of the heart, Inhale- lift the elbows; Exhale, lower the elbows. Inhale- lift the elbows, Exhale, lower the elbows (etc, focusing on filling the breath into the side ribs). Then Exhale the arms long out in front; Inhale the elbows bend and hands come back over the heart.

Repeat that sequence a couple times, then take the arms up, turning palms up, Inhale the elbows bend, exhale stretch up. Repeat that. Etc.

You can really take any simple movement and repeat it several times, focusing on moving with the breath. Double Breathing is fun and interesting to do many movements with.

Another way of working with asymmetrical postures, is to simply say, "Stand on one leg, Do this with the other." That way they don't get hung up in worrying about right and left.

Best Wishes,
Donna O'Neil

From Valerie Wint, YTT Fall 2001

Jorge,

You might want to contact George Welch, also of YTT Fall 2001, as he has lots of experience both teaching in the regular classroom, and teaching yoga to kids. (Valerie supplied George's address, but in respect for George's privacy, AYSutra is simply forwarding Jorge's address to George.)

Valerie