One Day He Could. The Next Day He Couldn't. Here's What That Tells Us About Dyslexia
Why ability isn't always the issue for bright dyslexic childrenRecently, I worked with a bright seven-year-old boy.
His parents knew he was intelligent. His teacher could see his potential. So could I.
Yet there was something puzzling happening.
Some days he could read well, write clearly and fully engage with his work. And then, almost without warning, it would disappear. The same child. The same task. The same day.
One moment he could do it. The next moment he couldn't.
For many parents, this is one of the most confusing aspects of raising a dyslexic child.
If they can do it one day, why not the next? If they're clearly capable, why does everything seem so inconsistent?
The answer often isn't intelligence. And it isn't a lack of effort.
In many cases, it's something else entirely.
It's what we call focus or orientation.
Looking Beyond the Work
One of the biggest mistakes we make as adults is focusing only on the outcome.
Did they finish the work, read accurately, follow instructions?
Those things matter. But sometimes we're so focused on the result that we miss what's happening underneath.
What I began noticing with this young learner was that the issue wasn't a lack of ideas. There was no shortage of ideas, curiosity or imagination.
In fact, he loved writing prolifically. He loved creating stories. He loved talking about the things that interested him.
The challenge wasn't coming up with ideas. The challenge was achieving and maintaining a state of focus where he could translate his visual ideas into written words in a way that others could read and fully appreciate.
The Child Behind the Behaviour
Like many children, he had developed behaviours that adults found frustrating. He could become distracted, emotional or push back when things became difficult. Sometimes highly energetic and impulsive. Other times withdrawn completely.
Many families know this pattern well. A child becomes overwhelmed, an adult steps in to help, the child resists, everyone becomes frustrated and nothing gets done.
What often gets missed is that behaviour is frequently a form of communication. Children don't always have the language to explain what is happening inside their minds. Instead they show us — through avoidance, tears and frustration.
The behaviour becomes the message, and we miss the root cause driving it.
The Difference Focus Makes
One day, I handed him a pen and asked him to write keywords onto small notes.
The words he produced were beautiful. Carefully formed. Neatly spaced. Clear and readable.
It was the kind of work that makes you stop and think: there it is.
A little later, things changed. His focus slipped. His frustration increased. And suddenly the same child who had been producing beautiful work moments earlier was struggling again.
This wasn't because he had forgotten how to write. It wasn't because he wasn't trying. It was because he had lost access to the calm, focused state that allowed his abilities to shine.
And that changed everything about how we approached helping him.
When Agency Changed Everything
Something I noticed throughout the week was when this boy was at his absolute best.
It wasn't when he was told what to do. It was when he got to choose.
When he could pick the activity, own it as his own, and approach it on his terms — something shifted. The resistance dropped. The focus held. And the work that emerged reflected exactly what he was capable of.
One of the most striking moments came when he decided to have a go at something he was genuinely worried about failing. He chose to try anyway. And he succeeded.
That moment of self-chosen effort, followed by real success, did something no amount of correction could have achieved. It changed how he saw himself.
Children who have spent years being told — directly or indirectly — that they are the problem, often stop trusting their own judgment. They wait to be told what to do, because taking initiative has historically led to getting it wrong.
Giving this child genuine choice, and then protecting the conditions for him to succeed in that choice, was one of the most powerful tools we had.
A Different Conversation
Rather than constantly correcting mistakes, we started paying attention to something else.
What was happening when things were going well? What conditions allowed him to succeed? What helped him access his best thinking and stay regulated?
These questions led us in a very different direction. Instead of focusing solely on academic performance, we started focusing on attention, self-awareness and self-regulation.
In simple terms: how could he recognise when he was focused? And how could the adults around him help him stay there?
Small Wins Create Big Change
One of the most powerful things we introduced was celebrating success. Not perfection — success.
Neater printing. Paying attention to instructions. Doing a great job on a word model. Noticing when focus had slipped: "I stopped listening, didn't I?" Recognising what was working: "I love my dictionary."
Children rise when they begin to experience success. Not because they're rewarded. But because success changes how they see themselves.
Many struggling learners spend years hearing about what they got wrong, what they forgot, what they should have done. Eventually, some begin believing that struggle is who they are.
Progress builds confidence. Confidence builds willingness. And willingness creates opportunities for growth.
The Power of a Team
One of the most encouraging parts of this story has been watching the adults around this young boy come together. His parents, his teacher, his school — everyone is beginning to understand what helps him succeed.
When that happens, something powerful occurs. The child no longer feels like they're carrying the challenge alone. The focus shifts from "what's wrong with him?" to "what helps him succeed?" That single shift can change everything.
What Parents Need to Know
If your child seems capable one day and unable the next, please don't assume they are being lazy, or that they don't care, or that they're choosing to struggle.
Ask a different question: what was different? Were they tired, overwhelmed, anxious? Or were they simply unable to access the state of focus they needed in order to perform at their best?
Performance is not always a reflection of ability. Sometimes it's a reflection of being focused.
The Real Breakthrough
The biggest breakthrough wasn't reading — although by the end of the week he was reading at his age-level. It wasn't handwriting — although it's now legible and we can enjoy his stories. It wasn't spelling — although he's improving there too.
The biggest breakthrough was helping everyone, including this young boy himself, see that he was capable all along.
The ability, the intelligence, the creativity — it was all already there. What he needed was support, understanding and tools that helped him access those strengths more consistently — and the space to own his own success.
Sometimes the breakthrough isn't teaching a child something new.
Sometimes the breakthrough is helping everyone recognise what was there all along.
And once that happens, the future can look very different indeed.
If this resonates — whether you're a parent navigating something similar, a teacher looking for a different way in, or someone who recognises their own childhood in this story — I'd love to hear from you.
Email me directly: [email protected]
Link "Davis Parent Power - Dyslexia course" → https://dyslexiasupportcourse.com/dppdnov2026-1899
Link "focus or orientation" → https://masterdyslexia.co.nz/the-davis-method
Link "word model" → https://masterdyslexia.co.nz/mastery-for-dyslexia
