- Develop an understanding of dyslexia and how it affects your students.
The basics:
Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling. Some dyslexics have difficulty with memory, so it can also affect maths and organisation.
As many as 1 in 5 people have dyslexia. It affects just as many boys as girls. In fact, for most people who struggle to read and write, the cause is dyslexia.
Dyslexia does not mean a child is unintelligent, but it doesn’t mean they are a genius either. Like all people, most are average, and a few are very smart. Most dyslexics have an average IQ.
Dyslexia is passed on through families. If a birth parent has dyslexia, there is a 50% chance that their child has dyslexia. Where both parents have dyslexia, it is almost certain that their children will also have dyslexia.
It is unusual for a dyslexic student to not display other neuro-diverse traits. Many dyslexic students will have co-occurring difficulties such as ADHD, Autism or dyspraxia. This is also true vice-versa.
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- Understand the common problems faced by dyslexic students.
Lack of self-confidence. Many students will hide their difficulties and can resist support, especially within a secondary school setting. They will mask their insecurities in many ways: becoming withdrawn, being overly chatty or disruptive, failing to hand in homework, persistent problems with attendance and using avoidance techniques. Schools are literacy-heavy environments.
For students who have difficulty with literacy, it can feel as if education is inaccessible. They believe that they are unable to fit into school life. Students, particularly teenagers, will look for other ways to fit in. This can lead to harmful behaviours.
A recent round table report, ‘Dyslexia and the Justice System’, stated that 80% of young people with dyslexia leave the education system undiagnosed. There is a direct link between undiagnosed dyslexia and anti-social behaviour. Currently, 60% of those within the justice system have dyslexia.
Organisational skills. Many dyslexic students find it difficult to organise themselves. They need to be taught skills to help them manage day-to-day life. They may lose planners, resources, PE kits etc. They may struggle to remember their timetable or how to navigate their way around unfamiliar environments. Dyslexia is a hereditary condition. Therefore, students may live in unstructured home environments. School paperwork may get lost- support from home is not always available.
Poor working memory. Most dyslexic students struggle with poor working memory. Working memory enables individuals to process and use multiple pieces of information. It is often described as the brain’s notebook. A poor working memory means that copying from the board can be challenging.
Processing multiple pieces of information can lead to the learner becoming overloaded and unable to complete tasks. Particularly in noisy and chaotic environments. To reduce strain on the working memory, information or instructions should be given clearly and in small manageable steps. This is often called chunking. Teach students how to chunk tasks for themselves. It allows them autonomy over their own learning needs.
Slower Processing Skills Some dyslexic students experience slower processing skills. This is the time it takes for the brain to process and react to information. This is seen most commonly when a learner is answering questions. The student may need more time to formulate an answer.
It can also appear as if they are not listening carefully. This can have an effect on forming friendships as they struggle to keep up with conversations. It can also mean that sporting situations can be tricky as they struggle to comprehend what is required of them in the middle of a busy environment.
Poor coordination skills Some dyslexic students struggle with coordination – remembering left from right and issues with balancing. This can mean that they appear clumsy or careless.
Poor communication skills Dyslexia can affect a student’s ability to remember words or lose their train of thought. This is due to the working memory becoming overloaded. This can become worse in stressful and challenging situations. For example, being put on the spot or made to give an answer.
Plenty of thinking time and a supportive environment can help to reassure students. Some dyslexic students excel with their oral communication. They will often show a deeper understanding or knowledge orally than with a written answer.
Simple Classroom Strategies:
A Targeted Structured Literacy Programme – A well-structured literacy catch-up programme can dramatically improve literacy skills. The programme needs to be designed to teach spelling rules, patterns, semantics and etymology. It should be delivered at the student’s pace and include opportunities for over-learning.
Vocabulary Banks – Ensure all key vocabulary is available in the form of a knowledge organiser so that a student can refer to it at their desk. Whilst a vocabulary-rich classroom is great, dyslexic students can struggle to effectively use vocabulary on a display board.
Crib Notes and Summaries – Some dyslexic students benefit from having an overview document so that they can refer back to the key information. A simple summary of the key learning points enables a student to be able to overlearn the essential information without being overwhelmed by large documents. For example, if studying a play a document which clearly outlines the plot, key characters and themes allow the student to access the play without feeling overwhelmed.
Font Size and Type – When organising resources for students, think about how accessible they are. Is the font clear? Is it in a larger enough font? Ideally a simple font like sans serif fonts, such as Arial and Comic Sans. Think about the spacing between the lines. Double spacing is always easier to read.
Chunking Information – Chunking information is simply ensuring that the information you give is broken down into simple, manageable steps. This means giving one instruction at a time. This may seem overly simplistic but, in a busy school environment, students already have to deal with a lot of extra information so their brains are already becoming overloaded. If too many pieces of information are given in one go then a student will stop taking them in and will be unable to complete the task set. Information or instructions need to be simple, clear, in plain English and ideally written down so a student can refer back to them.
Colour Coding Steps – If students need to follow multiple instructions, colour code each step. It makes reading and referring back to the instructions simple.
Example: Please write the date, write the learning objective and answer question one.
Allow the use of assisted technology – There are many different ways technology can be used to help a student show their knowledge and understanding. However, technology is only useful if the student and the teacher have a clear understanding of how it works.
Simply giving a student a laptop does not ensure success – particularly if they do have adequate typing skills or word processing knowledge. The student will also need clear guidelines about how the work they complete on a computer is assessed and how feedback is given.
Organisational Skills – Students need to be taught organisational skills. For many dyslexic students organising themselves can be challenging. They will need support in learning how to use a written planner, diary or timetable. Many may feel overwhelmed by online learning platforms and may not be able to access them independently. They may need reminders about the resources they will need in school. Written reminders are always more useful than oral reminders which will be quickly forgotten.
Carrot not Stick – Many dyslexic and neuro-diverse students will face increased negative responses to them. This ranges from negative comments to losing free time or privileges. Remember that a student’s neuro-diversity is not of their making and they deserve to be treated with understanding and respect. Try to work with their learning differences.
Targeted Support – Each dyslexic student is different. Allow the student to be an advocate for their own learning needs. Ask them what support they need and how they can best access the curriculum. This will enable them to be able to confidently ask for support within further education or the work place.