Supporting Dyslexic Students: Practical Strategies for Every Classroom
Discover effective strategies for supporting students with dyslexia. Learn about identification, classroom adjustments, and interventions that help dyslexic learners succeed.
Key Takeaways
- Dyslexia Is Neurological: Dyslexia is a specific learning difference affecting reading and spelling, not a reflection of intelligence. Students with dyslexia often have average or above-average cognitive abilities.
- Early Identification Matters: The earlier dyslexia is identified and appropriate support provided, the better the outcomes. Teachers play a crucial role in recognising early signs, often working alongside teaching assistant support.
- Structured Literacy Works: Evidence consistently supports explicit, systematic phonics instruction with multisensory methods for students with dyslexia.
- Beyond Reading: Support extends to spelling, writing, working memory, and organisation. Reasonable adjustments enable dyslexic students to demonstrate their true capabilities.
What Is Dyslexia and How Does It Affect Students?
Dyslexia is a neurological learning difference that primarily affects reading and spelling abilities, occurring in approximately 10% of students regardless of intelligence level. It results from differences in how the brain processes written language, particularly in identifying and manipulating sounds within words (phonological processing). Students with dyslexia often have average or above-average cognitive abilities but struggle with decoding written text.
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that primarily affects reading and spelling. It is neurological in origin, meaning it results from differences in how the brain processes written language. Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities and is independent of socioeconomic background.
The Rose Report (2009) defined dyslexia as characterised by difficulties with accurate and fluent word reading and spelling, with these difficulties typically resulting from a deficit in the phonological component of language. This means students with dyslexia often struggle to identify and manipulate the sounds within words, which is the foundation of decoding written text.
Dyslexia is common, affecting approximately 10% of the population to some degree, with 4% experiencing severe difficulties. This means that in a typical class of 30 students, three are likely to have dyslexic characteristics, and one may have significant difficulties. It's worth noting that dyslexia can co-occur with other conditions, making ADHD assessments sometimes relevant for comprehensive support.
Recognising Signs of Dyslexia
Early Years
Early signs may include difficulty learning nursery rhymes, trouble recognising rhyming patterns, delayed speech development, difficulty learning letter names and sounds, and confusion with similar-looking letters (b/d, p/q). Children may also struggle to remember sequences such as days of the week.
Primary School
As reading demands increase, difficulties become more apparent. Signs include slow reading progress despite good teaching, phonological difficulties (sounding out words, blending sounds), spelling that does not improve with practice, reading that is effortful and error-prone, and avoidance of reading aloud. Working memory difficulties may affect following multi-step instructions. The cumulative effect of these challenges can significantly impact student wellbeing and academic confidence.
Secondary School
By secondary school, some students may have developed coping strategies that mask their difficulties, but others may experience frustration, low self-esteem, and social and emotional challenges as a result of ongoing academic struggles.udents may have developed compensatory strategies, but difficulties often persist. Signs include slow reading speed affecting exam completion, continued spelling difficulties, trouble taking notes while listening, difficulty with foreign language learning, and discrepancy between verbal ability and written work.
Effective Approaches
Structured Literacy Instruction
Research consistently supports structured, explicit, and systematic phonics instruction for students with dyslexia. Programmes should be multisensory, engaging visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic pathways simultaneously. Effective instruction follows a logical sequence, moving from simple to complex, and provides extensive practice opportunities.
Multisensory Teaching
Multisensory approaches engage multiple senses simultaneously. This might include tracing letters in sand while saying the sound (visual, kinaesthetic, auditory), using colour-coded syllables, or building words with physical letter tiles. The additional sensory channels strengthen memory and provide multiple pathways for retrieval.
Overlearning and Automaticity
Students with dyslexia often need more repetition to achieve automaticity than their peers. Skills that are not automatic consume working memory capacity, leaving less available for comprehension. Distributed practice over time is more effective than massed practice for building lasting automaticity.
What Classroom Adjustments Help Students with Dyslexia Succeed?
Key adjustments include providing extra time for reading and writing tasks, offering alternative ways to demonstrate knowledge such as oral presentations, and using assistive technology like text-to-speech software. Teachers should also provide written instructions alongside verbal ones and allow students to use colored overlays or specific fonts. These adjustments enable dyslexic students to show their true capabilities without being hindered by their processing differences.
| Area | Adjustments |
|---|---|
| Reading | Audio versions of texts, reduced reading load, pre-teaching vocabulary, paired reading, reading pens |
| Writing | Extra time, word processing, speech-to-text software, reduced copying from board, alternative recording methods |
| Spelling | Focus on key subject vocabulary, personal spelling dictionaries, spell-checkers, not penalising spelling in content subjects |
| Organisation | Visual timetables, checklists, colour-coded folders, homework recorded digitally, advance notice of tasks |
| Working memory | Instructions broken into steps, written reminders, regular check-ins, reducing distractions |
| Examinations | Extra time (typically 25%), reader, scribe, word processor, separate room to reduce distraction |
How Can Teachers Create a Dyslexia-Friendly Learning Environment?
A dyslexia-friendly classroom uses clear, consistent labeling with both words and pictures, displays key vocabulary with visual cues, and minimizes visual clutter on walls and worksheets. Teachers should use cream or pastel-colored paper instead of bright white, choose sans-serif fonts like Arial or Comic Sans, and ensure adequate spacing between lines of text. Creating predictable routines and providing visual schedules also helps dyslexic students navigate their learning environment successfully.
Many adjustments that help dyslexic students benefit all learners:
Visual clarity: Use dyslexia-friendly fonts (Arial, Verdana), avoid pure white backgrounds (cream or pastel reduces glare), ensure adequate spacing, use clear headings and bullet points.
Reduce copying: Provide printed notes or access to slides. Copying from the board is particularly challenging for dyslexic students and provides limited learning value for anyone.
Instructions: Give instructions clearly, break them into steps, and check understanding. Provide written as well as verbal instructions for complex tasks.
Reading aloud: Never force dyslexic students to read aloud unexpectedly. If reading aloud is necessary, give advance notice so they can prepare, or use paired reading approaches.
How Can Teachers Build Confidence in Students with Dyslexia?
Teachers can build confidence by celebrating students' strengths and efforts rather than just outcomes, providing specific praise for progress in reading and spelling skills. Creating opportunities for dyslexic students to showcase their talents in areas like problem-solving, creativity, or oral communication helps them recognize their abilities. Implementing a growth mindset approach and sharing stories of successful people with dyslexia demonstrates that dyslexia doesn't limit potential.
Many students with dyslexia experience frustration, anxiety, and reduced self-esteem due to their difficulties. They may feel "stupid" despite being perfectly capable intellectually. Teachers can support self-esteem by:
Highlighting strengths: Many dyslexic individuals have strong verbal skills, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and visual-spatial skills. Ensure opportunities for these strengths to be recognised.
Providing success experiences: Ensure tasks are achievable with appropriate support. Success builds confidence that enables students to tackle challenges.
Normalising difference: Discuss famous dyslexic individuals and the diversity of learners. Emphasise that different brains work differently, not better or worse.
How Should Teachers Collaborate with Parents and Specialists for Dyslexic Students?
Effective collaboration involves regular communication through progress meetings, sharing specific strategies that work in the classroom for parents to reinforce at home. Teachers should document observations and interventions to share with educational psychologists or specialist dyslexia teachers during assessments. Creating a consistent support plan between home and school, including agreed-upon accommodations and goals, ensures the student receives unified support across all environments.
Effective support for dyslexic students requires collaboration. SENCOs can provide expertise, coordinate assessments, and advise on interventions. Educational psychologists may conduct formal assessments. Specialist teachers may deliver intensive literacy programmes.
Parents are essential partners. They can support reading practice at home, reinforce school strategies, and provide insights into their child's needs. Regular communication ensures consistent approaches and helps identify what is working.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dyslexia a disability?
Under the Equality Act 2010, dyslexia is considered a disability if it has a substantial and long-term negative effect on the person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure dyslexic students are not disadvantaged.
Can dyslexia be cured?
Dyslexia is a lifelong difference in brain processing, not a disease to be cured. However, with appropriate teaching and support, dyslexic individuals can develop effective reading and writing skills. Many dyslexic adults become proficient readers, though they may continue to read more slowly or rely on strategies like spell-checkers.
Should dyslexic students be exempt from learning foreign languages?
Learning additional languages is challenging for dyslexic students, but not impossible with appropriate support. Transparent languages with consistent spelling-sound relationships (Spanish, Italian) are generally easier than English or French. The decision should be made individually, considering the student's aspirations and the support available.
How do I get a student assessed for dyslexia?
Discuss concerns with your SENCO, documenting the difficulties observed and interventions already tried. The SENCO may conduct screening assessments or arrange for fuller assessment by an educational psychologist or specialist teacher. A formal diagnosis is not always necessary for appropriate support to be provided.
