SEN Guide: Addressing literacy difficulties

It is highly likely that you will meet pupils who experience difficulties in literacy in your classes at some time or another. Some may be identified as dyslexic.

What is Dyslexia?
Professor Margaret Snowling describes dyslexia as a ‘developmental disorder’, of genetic origin’ and ‘characterised by phonological deficits’, that ‘primarily (but not exclusively) affects learning to read and spell’. It is ‘characterised by poor verbal memory and poor phonological learning’ and ‘often affects development of arithmetic skills, foreign language learning, speech development and expressive language skills’. It ‘typically shows poor response to standard forms of literacy teaching’ and ‘may have knock-on effects on organisational skills and on confidence and self-esteem’. The British Dyslexia Association contains useful advice about dyslexia.

What can you do to help dyslexic learners in your classroom?
Studies of the experiences of dyslexic pupils indicate that the most effective teachers:

• Validate and praise
  

• Help learners, adapt work, explain

• Understand learners and treat them respect  (do not show them up)

• Keep their voices quiet

• Maintain a sense of humour

• know that learners are dyslexia

• Treat the dyslexic learner as intelligent

The least effective teachers become impatient very quickly, do not understand, are not sensitive, blame learner , think learners are lazy or cover learners’ work with red lines.

In our present state of knowledge it does not appear to be helpful for teachers to think of some of their learners as 'dyslexics' and of others as ordinary poor readers. The research does not indicate that 'dyslexics and 'ordinary poor readers’ should be taught by entirely different methods. Many of the methods promoted as specialist interventions for dyslexic learners are also suited to supporting the development of particular aspects of literacy in mainstream schools generally.

Reference:
Snowling, M. (2000) Dyslexia  London: Blackwell