Let’s first address one question that often comes up in the minds of both teachers and parents when it comes to SpLDs.
A cognitive assessment and diagnosis of dyslexia can offer numerous benefits:
However it’s estimated that up to 80% of students who exhibit signs of dyslexia go undiagnosed. This isn’t surprising, as there can be barriers to accessing a professional evaluation. Diagnostic benchmarks and referral practices vary by region, and can be delayed by long waiting lists, prohibitive costs and extensive admin. Some settings simply lack the infrastructure or resources to support specific learning needs.
Often this means that students who require that extra support are not able to get a formal diagnosis. This can fall outside of a teacher’s powers, but what we can control is how we structure our classrooms and teaching strategies.
To help students with dyslexia achieve their potential, we need to identify and reduce literacy barriers. So how do we do that?
In this video, speech pathologist Elise Cassidy walks you through some of the most effective strategies and tools for supporting dyslexia.
Bonus tip
Teaching strategies that recognise and accommodate the needs of students with dyslexia also apply more broadly. For example, students who have English as an additional language may also benefit from extra time to read and process information.
Something to keep in mind is that there is no single ‘correct’ way to learn. There is huge variety in how we humans think, learn and express ourselves. In education, the term for this is learner variability. This is the natural variation in how we form neural pathways, leading us to learn in different ways. Greater awareness of unique learning pathways has led many schools to reconsider their approach to teaching.
Offering greater student choice benefits not only learners who require targeted learning support, but also advanced learners who are looking to be challenged. Students are able to discover and use their preferred learning methods, developing their self-directed learning skills in the process. This leads to deeper engagement and better outcomes.
Offer flexibility
Offer your students multiple ways to access information and demonstrate understanding. For example, presenting content in video or infographic format as well as written transcripts caters to diverse accessibility needs and learning preferences. Similarly, we can offer choice in how students showcase their learning, such as via a presentation, video or flow chart.
Focus on strengths
We all have areas where we struggle and excel. Strengths-based teaching identifies and positively reinforces students’ talents and leverages them for more challenging subjects. For example, a student with strong social skills may be encouraged to take a leadership role in group projects.
Offer choice over project topics
Students are naturally more engaged in topics that interest them. Seek opportunities to let students take ownership over work, such as allowing them free rein over the topic of a research project. Bear in mind that dyslexia and other SpLDs can impact executive functioning skills – they may require extra support with planning and time management. However all students can benefit from task scaffolding and being explicitly taught research skills.
Download this handy checklist to guide your lesson-planning.
In the next section, discover tools that personalise learning for all students.