“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn” Ignacio Estrada

Early intervention is the absolute key to success. Looking for early warning signs and providing these children with extra support will inevitably ensure a much smoother learning journey for children with dyslexia.

Early Warning Signs

  • Difficulty with rhyming (recognising and producing)

  • Difficulty with instructions with multiple steps

  • Difficulty with sequence and patterns (including left and right, counting, days of week, seasons etc)

  • Confusion of letters with similar sounds

  • Difficulty learning the letter names and letter sounds of the alphabet

  • Reversals and transpositions of letters and words with similar visual appearance that persist past age 7 ( eg. P and q, on and no)

  • Difficulty learning new words

  • Discrepancy between spoken and written words

Simplify Instructions

Simplify instructions as much as possible and don’t give too many instructions simultaneously - a dyslexic student will struggle with this.

Build on Strengths

Try to find your student’s strengths and allow him/her to shine in this strength. Whether it is art/craft, music, sport, dance, drama etc.

Avoid

  • Asking student to read in front of the class

  • Focusing on spelling and grammar - focusing on content is preferable

  • Singling out the student

Working Memory Games

Dyslexic students generally have weak working memory. Try to play as many games to exercise and strengthen working memory. For more ideas contact us via link below.

Instruction

It is extremely important to break tasks down into the smallest possible chunks. A dyslexic child will become extremely overwhelmed with too many instructions or too bigger tasks and will likely not even attempt the work.

Technology

Allow students to use technology such as speech to text apps as well as reading assistance apps such as Microsoft Immersive Reader or Speechify. This is invaluable to the dyslexic student.

Time

Dyslexic students take longer to read and process tasks. Giving them extra time to complete set tasks is so important, particularly during tests/exams.

Literacy Instruction

Effective literacy instruction. should be evidence based and include a systematic, cumulative approach with explicit instruction. Decodable readers should be used always in early instruction and students should not be expected to know concepts which have not been explicitly taught.

Adjustments

Dyslexic students should be offered accommodations such as extra time, alternative ways of presenting work, use of technology and possible scribe.

Organisation

Helping students organise their time by using strategies and devices can be helpful. Dyslexic students like to know daily routines.

There is overwhelming research evidence that demonstrates early reading progress is most likely to occur when the early reading instruction includes systematic and explicit teaching of phonics, especially for those children who are at greatest risk of reading difficulties. Phonics should not be taught on its own. Phonics should be taught alongside phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension every day in the beginning stages of learning to read.