Common Misconceptions About Dyslexia
Common Misconceptions About Dyslexia
Blog Article
Dyslexia Teaching Strategies
Students with dyslexia are often confused and frustrated with their lack of success. Their self-esteem can suffer and they may develop coping strategies like acting up in class or blaming others for their academic struggles.
Teachers can support their students with dyslexia by providing a supportive classroom environment and using specialized Dyslexia teaching strategies. These include multisensory learning approaches, text-to-speech software and other assistive technology.
1. Structured Learning
Students with dyslexia often feel disengaged from the curriculum. Educators have the power to inspire or deflate student confidence, so creating an environment where every child feels valued is important for dyslexic learners.
To promote this, teachers should use student centred teaching, where the students are given the option to learn topics and texts that interest them. This can help them feel less like they are a burden in the classroom and more confident about their academic potential.
Additionally, students with dyslexia can be confused by complex written instructions, so simplifying them helps to level the playing field. For assignments, offering extra time to complete them can also reduce stress and ensure they turn in their best work. In addition, allowing students to respond verbally or through presentations can encourage creativity and build self-confidence. This method is also a great way to support students who have difficulty copying from the board or reading other people's handwriting.
2. Multisensory Learning
Dyslexic students benefit from learning through multiple senses, and multisensory learning helps them retain skills. It also keeps lessons fun and engaging, boosting student engagement and motivation.
Visual techniques such as posters, pictures and mind maps work well for dyslexic students. They may also benefit from a kinesthetic approach, including tracing letters in the air or on a surface, using mnemonic devices and rhymes to remember sounds, acting out scenes for vocabulary or reading aloud.
Students who are auditory learners remember words better when they hear them, so it’s important to use music, songs, rhymes and audio tones during study sessions. They also tend to prefer verbal instructions and might find it easier to follow spoken rather than written directions.
Students with dyslexia often have difficulty absorbing new information, especially when it’s abstract or involves memorizing sequences of steps. Breaking down complex tasks into smaller parts and giving dyslexic students mini-deadlines to complete each chunk can help them feel less overwhelmed.
3. Phonics
People with dyslexia have trouble with the phonological component of language. They often have difficulty pronouncing words, learning new vocabulary and reading and spelling. This can result in a delay or deficit in academic achievement, even with adequate intelligence and appropriate classroom instruction.
Dyslexia teaching strategies focused on phonics help students understand the relationship between print letters and their sounds, improving decoding skills and boosting comprehension. For example, use flashcards with the alphabet on one side and the sound it makes on the other to encourage children to match the two together.
Providing dyslexia-friendly lessons also helps learners with dyslexia feel confident and comfortable in the classroom. Establishing daily routines and clear expectations is helpful for students with dyslexia as it gives them a sense of stability and reduces anxiety. Providing hands-on materials like letter tiles or cubes that can be touched, or a magnetic board to build words provides tactile support and a visual reference.
4. Reading Comprehension
Students with dyslexia often find it difficult to process and understand the information they read. Dyslexia reading advocacy and awareness comprehension strategies like reading fluency, questioning before and during reading, summarization and visual representation can help improve comprehension for students with dyslexia.
Students may need extra time to complete written assignments and can be easily confused by written instructions. Try to avoid tasks that require copying from the board or handwriting, and offer a computer option for all assignments where possible.
Teachers must have a good understanding of Dyslexia and how it affects reading. They must also be sensitive to their student’s needs and expectations, so they don’t reinforce negative beliefs about Dyslexia. This will allow them to build the student’s confidence in their own ability to learn, and create an internalized sense of possibility for the student. Educators who are aware of dyslexia are better equipped to encourage and support all students. Using a Dyslexia friendly teaching approach will ensure that all pupils receive the best learning outcomes.