Reduce Effects of Dyslexia and other Learning Difficulties with Parkour

Stress causes a reflex reaction that triggers the eyes to "move peripherally so they can take in as much of environment as possible." (Smart Moves, Hannaford). This means if a child finds school stressful (common among children with dyslexia) their body will trigger a response that makes it even harder to focus and track the words on the page.

Helping a child reduce stress and learn to control their emotions in stressful situations is a powerful tool to support students with dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

Parkour helps children interact with situations that could be seen as stressful in a positive environment. Walking on a rail or taking a jump you have not done before can spike fear and trigger stress in a child. This gives the coach a wonderful opportunity to walk the child through focusing, deep breathing, and logical thinking skills that will help lead them to overcoming the physical task at hand. This does two things 1) builds proof in the child's mind that they are capable and that they can do hard things and be successful and 2) gives the child a fun environment to practice controlling their fear, stress, and emotions which builds a foundation that can be pulled from in other less exciting environments like school and learning to read.