The Magic of Learning: How a Dyslexic Student Dominated the Leaving Cert

“If I study something a week before a test, I can never remember it – a week later, it’s gone.”

Picture this: I’m chatting with a 5th-year student last week, and he lands this on me:

“So I would literally wait until the last minute to study.”

Cue my jaw dropping.

I never realised many students especially those with dyslexia were avoiding studying not just because they didn’t like learning but also because they were smart enough to realise this was the only way they could study.

I mean let’s be honest. Why waste time, right?

He just waited until the last minute and then crammed like a man on a mission.

This was his default strategy for the Junior Cert. He also was intelligent enough to realise this would not work for the Leaving Cert. The courses are just too big. This is why he was talking to me.

But this chat sent me down memory lane, back to another student I worked with last year —let’s call him Magic Mike.

Why the nickname? Because working with Mike was like watching a magic trick unfold.

He was sharp, open to ideas, and coachable—the holy grail of any educator’s dream student.

Mike also had dyslexia, and like many others with it, he struggled with things like:

• Comprehension
• Working memory (a.k.a. the “Wait, what was I doing again?” syndrome)
• Slower processing speed

And here’s the interesting bit: because of these challenges, Mike thought he was… well, stupid. (Reality: He wasn’t. In fact he was very smart.)

So, what did we work on the most?

His confidence.

Forget memorizing formulas or drilling history dates—that was secondary.

My #1 job was to show him he wasn’t broken, just wired differently.

And guess what? Once Mike started believing in himself, the real magic began.

One of Mike’s favourite tools was a game we made up called Blankety Blank. Here’s how it works:

1. Take a set of notes.
2. Black out key words with a marker.
3. Use multi-sensory learning and fun associations to fill in the blanks.

Suddenly, studying wasn’t a nightmare. It was a game — he loved basketball only now we were throwing keywords through the hoops.

Mike really got into it. And at the end of one session, he turned to me and said, “It’s like magic.”

Fast forward: Mike smashed his Leaving Cert, and now he’s living his best life at UCD.

Here’s the moral of the story lads: studying doesn’t have to be a soul-sucking slog.

The problem isn’t that kids don’t want to study.

It’s that most of them don’t have the tools.

Without a method—especially one that works with their brain instead of against it—of course they’re going to procrastinate. (I mean, wouldn’t you?)

But when you give students the right tools? It’s pure, unadulterated magic.

So, whether you’re a parent, teacher, or just someone trying to help a kid level up, remember this: with the right approach, studying can actually be fun. (Okay, maybe “fun” is a stretch, but at least tolerable.)

And being able to remember the right thing at the right time, well that’s magic.

Until next time, keep RAYSING THE GAME!