Resources to Support Students With Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a condition that affects how a person processes words and numbers, which can also impact how they learn. Many people with dyslexia are not diagnosed until several years into their schooling or even into adulthood. In order for children with dyslexia to get the tools and assistance they need, it’s helpful for teachers and parents to understand dyslexia and how these children learn effectively. 

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that affects the ability to read, spell, write and speak. According to Nemours Kids Health, while many people think that having dyslexia results in people getting letters mixed up or backwards, the main challenge of dyslexia is difficulty recognizing phonemes, the basic sounds of speech (the “b” sound in “bat,” for example). People with dyslexia struggle to make the connection between the sound and the letter symbol for that sound. 

Dyslexia affects 1 in 10 people, many of whom are not diagnosed and receive little or no intervention services, according to the International Dyslexia Association, Inc. (IDA). Undiagnosed dyslexia is “a hidden disability” that can result in difficulty navigating academic environments, underemployment and challenges in job settings, and lower self-confidence. 

Most students who are diagnosed with dyslexia aren’t identified until at least third grade, according to Dr. Sally Shaywitz, co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, and author of Overcoming Dyslexia. In a 2017 APM Reports documentary, “Hard to Read: How American schools fail kids with dyslexia,” Shaywitz said it is not uncommon for people with dyslexia to go undiagnosed until adolescence or adulthood, “a systemic shortcoming that effectively abandons struggling young readers during the most critical years of learning.”

If you think you or your child may be dyslexic, you can take IDA’s test: Do I have dyslexia? Self-assessment tool

“Dyslexia is not due to either lack of intelligence or desire to learn; with appropriate teaching methods, students with dyslexia can learn successfully,” noted IDA. The problem is that in public school settings many teachers may not be knowledgeable about spotting or teaching students with this condition. 

According to Kids Health, some signs of dyslexia that may show up in the classroom include:

• Poor reading skills
• Poor spelling and writing skills
• Difficulty finishing assignments and tests within time limits
• Trouble remembering the right names for things
• Struggles with memorizing written lists and phone numbers

Children with dyslexia who receive effective interventions as early as kindergarten and first grade have significantly fewer problems learning to read at grade level than children who are not identified or helped until third grade, the IDA reports. And this delay can have a major impact: 74 percent of the children who are poor readers in third grade remain poor readers in the ninth grade, and even into adulthood. That said, people with dyslexia can learn to read, process, and express themselves more efficiently as they grow older.

Parents who have children diagnosed with dyslexia may need to be proactive about seeking out specific methods of reading instruction and other resources to help their children learn effectively. According to Kids Health, a student with dyslexia usually needs to work with a specially trained teacher or reading specialist trained in specific learning and practice activities for dyslexia.

Some ways to help students with dyslexia include: 

• Step-by-step instructions on the basics of reading, such as Structured Literacy: explicit, systematic teaching that focuses on phonological awareness, word recognition, phonics and decoding, spelling and syntax 
• Allowing students different ways to show what they know, such as speaking rather than doing a written report 
• Technology like audiobooks and text-to-speech to level the playing field

One way to support students with dyslexia is to teach them how to use “mind mapping.” This technique is a visual way of taking notes. It helps break down concepts, sketch out ideas and plan longer written assignments. It can reduce the number of words a child has to read and write to record and access information. Here’s how mind mapping works:

Tips: Use space, colors and pictures, don’t write full sentences and don’t worry about keeping it neat.

Here’s a video that shows mind mapping in action. 

The following information is for informational purposes only. For more information on how to identify whether a child has dyslexia and how to support them, please reach out to a health care professional.