Did you know about 20% of the population is dyslexic?
For teachers, this means it is likely that you will come across a dyslexic student at some point in your career. Dyslexia can create challenges that non-dyslexic students wouldn’t normally face.
Supporting your dyslexic students and catering to their specific needs can help them thrive in the classroom. Check out this list to discover how you can support your students with dyslexia.
Understand Your Students With Dyslexia
The first thing you need to do before understanding how to support students with dyslexia is to understand what it means to be a dyslexic student. Understanding what specific struggles or needs they might have can help you to create a classroom where they will be able to thrive.
A dyslexic student may struggle with reading and comprehension, spelling and writing, or have a hard time distinguishing sounds. They also may have difficulties following changing schedules, have issues with certain social cues, and can become overwhelmed easily.
Managing dyslexia can make it difficult to function in a normal classroom. Students can become frustrated and unmotivated if their learning environment is too stressful. Make sure you prepare your classroom in a way that will help your students succeed.
If you want to learn more about classrooms for dyslexic students, Sage School offers many resources, so visit for more information.
Use Your Voice
You can help your students with dyslexia by reducing the number of written assignments you have. If you have written instructions for an assignment, read them out loud as well.
By using audiobooks options for your dyslexic students, or allowing them to use text-to-speech technology, you can give your students the tools they may need to take part in class assignments.
Another way to accommodate dyslexia in the classroom is to allow the use of headphones while students work independently. This will help them to reduce distractions and keep other students from getting distracted as well.
Work Together
Set aside time for group projects so that your students can take turns reading and writing. This will give your dyslexic students a chance to work with other students and take a break from reading. You can also assign study buddies or have students pair up for certain activities as well.
Make sure you are also working with the parents of your students with dyslexia. Ask them how your teaching methods have been working for their child. If they have any discomforts or wishes for change, apply them to your classroom.
This will help you to create a classroom that is geared towards your students’ specific needs. That way, you can help your students succeed.
Give Extra Time
To help your students to grasp different assignments, give them an extra bubble of time. Similarly, when you ask a question in class, allow extra time for your students to process what you said.
If a student is having trouble understanding sounds or struggling with comprehension, giving them more time to think. This will give them a better chance to succeed in your classroom.
Teach Structure
Having a set schedule for your class can help your students managing dyslexia feel more structured. By giving them a set routine, they won’t be discouraged by struggling to keep up with change.
You can also teach different organizational methods and skills they can use for planning out their own days. This will help them better manage their own time at home as well as in school settings.
Make Accommodations
Bringing in extra elements to your classroom can help your dyslexic students to learn. Add in visual elements to lectures or make use of texture and different materials to written elements.
You can bring in physical objects to represent numbers or manipulative objects that your students can use to better grasp certain concepts. This allows them to learn with a hands-on approach rather than reading about different concepts.
You can also make use of games and activities in the classroom to help your students learn. This will create a fun learning environment that is less stressful for someone managing dyslexia.
Break Things Down
When giving assignments, make sure you break them down into easy-to-follow steps. You can also make sure that all instructions are simplified to reduce any confusion or frustration.
When your students are taking tests or working on assignments, check in on them to make sure that they are understanding the instructions and know what they are supposed to be doing. That way, you can break down the assignment more if needed or repeat any instructions they may have missed.
Another way you can help your students with dyslexia is to show an example of what a completed assignment should look like. This will help them to get a better idea of what they need to be doing and give them a visual comprehension of the project.
Help Your Students Succeed
Students with dyslexia may have a more difficult time in a regular classroom environment. Making accommodations for them and supporting their needs will help them to feel comfortable in your classroom.
Your students will be able to have a comfortable learning experience if you make the right accommodations for them. Help them thrive in your classroom by breaking things down and by bringing in helpful materials.
Do you want to enroll your child in a dyslexia-friendly learning environment? Check out the admission process for some of the schools out there and you can determine which one to choose.