• Focus on what is done well and give praise and encouragement. Be wary of asking pupils to read aloud in a large class. If necessary for oral assessment etc. give them cue cards with small amounts of text rather than one long block of text.
• When marking tick the correct work – don’t highlight all the mistakes. With older children a dot in the margin is a good way to indicate mistakes rather than using lots of red pen.
• Give written instructions for homework and in class, try to write instructions on board.
• Don’t give out too much work at one time.
• If possible, consider other ways of recording work, e.g. tape recorders, diagrams, computer etc.Encourage the child to think what he/she has to do before starting and perhaps verbalise it to you.
  Display key words/subject vocabulary on walls; provide word banks.
• Provide photocopied notes; highlight or underline key phrases etc. Increasing the line spacing between rows of word may help. Try different fonts in word processed work, e.g. Comic Sans size 14/16 is reported to be quite successful with those who have SpLD. Even in 6th form where pupils are considered to be capable and relatively independent it is important to give them full sets of notes as they are not likely to be able to take notes and achieve full understanding at the same time. If possible provide the notes a day or so before the lesson so that the pupils can read them and be ready with questions; this can help where delayed processing is an issue.
• Provide support in form of frameworks for writing. The pupils may lack organisational skills. Mind maps and diagrams can be very helpful. These pupils may need longer than others to produce written work.
• Sometimes pupils with dyslexia find it hard to concentrate. Using a visual timetable/list of things which have to be done may help, e.g. date, title etc. when completing a piece of writing.

Further Information

A Dyslexic Child in the Classroom by Patricia Hodge

Dyslexia and Maths

Dyslexia and Handwriting

Dyslexia in School: Planning and Implementing Appropriate Teaching Interventions

Readability Essay (D Wilson)

Teachers’ Questions and Answers (pdf)

Strategies for Mainstream Teachers

Teachers’ Questions and Answers (pdf)

Tips for learning number words from

http://www.dolphi.co.uk/lexicon

Mindmapping

An Introduction to Concept Mapping

Inclusive Dyslexia Friendly Practice

• Three times as many males as females affected
• Three types of dyslexia; motor, visual and auditory

Dyslexia is usually diagnosed by a psychologist based on data gathered by teachers and parents. In order to decide whether a child has SLD/dyslexia a picture of the whole child needs to be developed. It is likely that there will be marked deficits in their achievements despite being of average or above ability

SLD causes significant problems with reading writing and spelling, and sometime maths. Short-term memory, concentration, personal organization and sequencing can also be affected. In other respects many people with SLD are very creative.

Things to look out for: problems with phonics, poor short term memory and problems with distinguishing right and left. The child might seem bright in some ways but with a ‘block’ in others. The child may have difficulty with carrying out a sequence of three or more instructions. He/she may write letters and numbers the wrong way round, e.g. 17 for 71, 9 for 6, b for d etc. He/she may write a word in several ways without recognizing the correct version. There can be confusion with left and right and he/she may have a poor sense of rhythm. Learning about time and tense can also cause problems.

In older children he/she may make unexpected errors reading aloud, have difficulty copying and taking notes and spelling. He/she may have problems planning and writing essays and with mental arithmetic. It might take him/her a very long time to read a book with understanding. A lack of self-esteem is often apparent.

Dyslexia can be diagnosed at any stage in a pupil’s life. For many able pupils they are able to use coping strategies for years until the level or amount of work increases to such a state that they can no longer cope. For pupils with dual exceptionalities, e.g. giftedness and dyslexia this is most common.

Case Studies

Teaching Strategies

People who can help: SENCO/Resource Teacher

Books

Further Information

Dyslexia Checklist Information taken from Dyslexia – Successful Inclusion in the Secondary
School edited by Lindsay Peer and Gavin Reid, 2001 London, David Fulton.

Dyslexia and Omega 3 Supplements

http://www.dolphi.co.uk/lexicon/
http://www.dyslexia.ie/schoolsup.html
Neuro-Developmental Factors in Dyslexia
Identifying Dyslexia (In Touch June 2003)

Articles of Interest

Visual-Spatial Learning
The Power of Visual Thinking – downloadable article.