Unlocking the Traits of Dyslexia
Understanding dyslexia is crucial for proper support and intervention. This section explores the various characteristics and traits associated with dyslexia, enabling educators and parents to recognise the signs early on. Enhanced awareness can lead to prompt assistance and improved outcomes for individuals with dyslexia.
Common characteristics of dyslexia include difficulties with phonological processing, challenges in spelling, and issues with decoding words. Individuals may also demonstrate inconsistent performance, where their ability can vary significantly from day to day. By acknowledging these traits, parents and educators can foster an environment conducive to learning, creating strategies tailored to support the specific needs of those with dyslexia.
Children
Children with SpLD dyslexia often exhibit a range of characteristics that can affect their reading, writing, spelling, and overall learning, which may vary in severity and presentation from one child to another.
The next section covers common dyslexic style difficulties in children.
Adults
Adults with SpLD dyslexia may experience ongoing challenges with reading, writing, and organisation, often alongside strengths in creativity, problem-solving, and holistic thinking.
Understanding the Importance of Dyslexia Screening
Identifying Needs Early for Effective Support
Dyslexia screening plays a crucial role in the educational landscape, serving as the first step in identifying individuals who may require additional assessment and specialised support.
Dyslexia indicators in children
Even though children can begin to show signs of dyslexia from a young age, it is typically not diagnosed until around 7 years old. That said, some children will not be diagnosed during their school years.
Dyslexia affects each individual differently, however, there are some signs that you can look out for in your child which may indicate dyslexia.
- Difficulty following instructions
- Forgetful with words or unable to recognise words that are familiar to them
- Stronger oral skills than written work
- Poor comprehension skills
- Disorganised
At secondary school these indicators become more specific and can include:
- Confusing words
- Confusing right and left
- Clear difficulties processing information
- Disorganised
- Much stronger knowledge than is able to express in written form
If you believe your child has dyslexia, or their school has suggested an underlying issue, it is important that you speak to their class teacher and SENCO (special needs coordinator) as the school will be able to advise on the support available.
Parents/Guardians seeking independent dyslexia assessments for children can request a dyslexia diagnostics assessment from us.
Support Strategies
The Defining Dyslexia assessment report is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of your child’s unique learning profile. It not only identifies their strengths and challenges but also offers a wide range of personalised strategies tailored to support their specific needs. These strategies are practical, evidence-based, and aim to empower both your child and those supporting them, fostering confidence and enhancing their learning experience. Whether at home or in the classroom, this report equips you with the tools to help your child thrive and reach their full potential.
This section provides an overview of general strategies and interventions designed to support children with dyslexia. These approaches aim to address common challenges faced by dyslexic learners, such as difficulties with reading, spelling, and processing language, while building on their strengths. By incorporating practical, evidence-based techniques into everyday learning environments, parents, teachers, and caregivers can help dyslexic children develop confidence, resilience, and essential skills. From multisensory activities to tailored learning tools, the strategies outlined here are adaptable and effective for a wide range of needs, fostering both academic progress and a positive approach to learning.
Spelling Challenges and Support for Dyslexic Individuals
Spelling is one of the most significant and common challenges faced by dyslexic children and adults. While many dyslexic individuals can learn to read proficiently with appropriate support, spelling often remains a persistent difficulty throughout life.
The reasons for this ongoing challenge are not fully understood. However, it is known that dyslexia affects phonological processing and memory. This can make it hard for individuals to identify the distinct sounds in words (phonemes) and to break words into smaller parts, which is essential for spelling. Many dyslexic learners struggle to understand the connection between letters and sounds and may find it difficult to recall the correct letters to represent the sounds in words. The complexity of English, with its irregular spelling patterns and sight words (e.g., the, said, was), adds an extra layer of difficulty.
Despite these challenges, there are effective strategies that parents and teachers can use to support spelling development. Here are some simple and engaging activities to help strengthen spelling skills:
- Syllable Awareness: Teach your child that words are made up of syllables, each containing a vowel sound. Practise breaking words into syllables and spelling one syllable at a time.
- Multisensory Learning: Encourage your child to write words using different coloured pens to create a rainbow effect, or practise spelling in shaving foam, flour, or sand. Repetition helps with memory retention.
- Highlighting Tricky Parts: Work with your child to identify and highlight the challenging parts of words using colours or other visual aids.
- Prefixes and Suffixes: Focus on common chunks like -tion and -ness. Explore how these appear in multiple words and practise spotting them.
- Repetition and Visual Exposure: Use flashcards or matching games to help your child see words repeatedly, reinforcing both reading and spelling skills.
- Building Words: Use magnetic or cut-out letters to construct words together. After mixing up the letters, rebuild the word as a team.
- Mnemonics: Create funny or memorable sentences where each word starts with the letters of the word to be spelled, e.g., “Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants” for because.
- Finding Hidden Words: Look for smaller words within larger ones, like finding “hen” in when.
- Spelling Rules: Review basic spelling rules together, such as "q is always followed by u." Your child’s teacher can provide a list of rules taught in class.
Although spelling is likely to remain a challenge for many dyslexic individuals, these strategies can build confidence and improve skills over time, creating a more positive and successful learning experience.
Handwriting
When learning to read, children must first connect the shape of a word on the page with the sound it represents. Writing then requires them to recreate that shape on paper.
For children with dyslexia, decoding these patterns and forming these connections can be particularly challenging. As a result, they often struggle to develop the automatic flow of handwriting that enables clear and effortless written expression.
Handwriting Tips
- Practice is key: Regular, consistent practice is essential for building handwriting skills.
- Keep sessions short: Use timed, focused sessions to help your child maintain concentration without becoming bored or uncomfortable.
- Ensure proper posture: Make sure your child is sitting comfortably with their feet flat on the floor. A slanted writing surface can also be helpful for some children.
- Focus on grip: Teach your child the tripod grip, which allows free movement of the fingers and wrist without putting undue pressure on the hand.
- Build hand strength: Encourage activities like playing with play dough or hand exercises to strengthen the muscles used in writing.
- Use continuous cursive handwriting: This method helps children avoid having to learn letter formation twice and supports faster, more efficient writing later on.
- Consider co-occurring conditions: Be mindful that some dyslexic children may also have conditions like Developmental Coordination Disorder (dyspraxia), which can further impact handwriting. For more information, visit Dyspraxia Foundation. Ergonomic tools, such as special pens or grips, can help children who find holding writing tools uncomfortable.
- Explore alternative methods: For some children with dyslexia or dyspraxia, handwriting difficulties may make it challenging to achieve the speed required in education. In these cases, using a computer and learning to touch type can be highly beneficial.
By employing these strategies and tools, children can develop greater confidence and capability in their handwriting, ensuring that this essential skill becomes less of a barrier to their success.
Homework
Homework can often be a source of frustration and stress for dyslexic students and their parents.
For a student with dyslexia, it’s not just the homework tasks themselves that pose challenges. Difficulties with organisation, concentration, and short-term memory can make homework a confusing and frustrating experience. This can lead to reluctance, lack of motivation, and diminished self-confidence.
Fortunately, there are strategies parents can use to support their child’s learning and make homework more manageable.
Establish a Routine
- Dyslexic learners may find it hard to concentrate for extended periods and tire quickly. A "little and often" approach is more effective than lengthy sessions.
- Consider after-school activities when creating a homework schedule to avoid overloading your child.
- Encourage your child to prepare for the next day by writing down what they need and checking the list before leaving for school or college.
Support Your Child
- Be positive and encouraging. Praise their efforts specifically, such as, "I was really impressed when you..."
- Review homework instructions together to ensure your child understands the task. Work with them to prepare for tasks and brainstorm ideas before they start.
- If your child struggles to write down homework at school or remember assignments, speak with their teacher about alternatives, such as worksheets or online resources.
Checking Work
- Teach your child to check their work as part of their routine. This skill will become increasingly important as they grow older.
- Using a computer can often be easier for dyslexic students. Teach them to use spellcheck and encourage them to learn touch typing.
- Other strategies include:
- Reading work aloud or using text-to-speech software to identify mistakes.
- Keeping a personalised checklist of frequent errors, such as missed capital letters or punctuation.
Organisation
Dyslexic learners often face challenges with organisation, but technology can be a valuable tool for older students. Mobile phones can be used to:
- Take photos of important information.
- Set reminders for deadlines and events.
- Record voice notes as reminders.
Additional organisational strategies include:
- Creating a written homework and revision plan with tasks and deadlines.
- Colour-coding subjects and storing notes in dedicated folders.
- Using visual aids like a calendar or "to-do" list in a prominent location.
Study Skills
Help your child develop effective study skills, such as:
- Creating a revision timetable and using varied techniques like mind maps, discussing topics aloud, or recording information.
- Encouraging them to think creatively about tackling tasks in different ways.
- Developing coping strategies for when they get stuck, such as identifying who to ask for help or where to find resources.
By putting these strategies into practice, you can help make homework a less stressful and more productive experience for your child.
Reading
Many parents first notice their child’s dyslexia when they encounter difficulties with reading as they start school. Some children may also experience visual issues that cause the text to appear to move or blur on the page. If your child reports problems like these, it’s important to have their vision checked by an optometrist.
For children with reading difficulties, the effort needed to focus can be exhausting, often leading to frustration and a reluctance to learn.
Slow and laborious reading can have long-term effects, impacting a student’s educational progress. It’s essential to identify these difficulties early and provide the right support to help your child succeed.
Helping Your Child Read
Paired reading is a great way to help your child engage with books. Let your child choose a book they enjoy and begin reading it. If they make a mistake, give them a moment to correct it, but then say the word yourself to keep the flow going.
If the book feels too challenging for your child, read the words together. Read at their pace and let them signal when they’re ready to continue on their own. If they make a mistake, provide the word and continue reading together. Try to set aside 10 minutes each day for shared reading, focusing on enjoying the book together rather than just listening to your child read aloud.
After finishing a page or section, discuss what you’ve read. Ask what might happen next and whether it reminds them of another story or film.
Assistive Technology
E-readers: Many dyslexic individuals find that reading apps on mobile phones and e-readers, such as a Kindle, make reading for pleasure easier. These devices allow you to adjust the font type, size, and spacing, as well as the screen brightness, making the text more accessible.
Screen readers: These are software programs that convert text to speech and are particularly useful for older learners. Many are available as free apps for smartphones and tablets, and are also included in some e-readers.
Reading pens: Reading pens are portable tools that can be useful for reading short texts or individual words, providing immediate assistance when needed.
Audiobooks: Listening to audiobooks can help children stay engaged with stories, even when they are reluctant readers. Audiobooks also support the development of key skills such as listening, concentration, and vocabulary. Some apps highlight the text on screen as it’s read aloud, which can help children connect spoken words with written text.
Local libraries often have a selection of audiobooks available to borrow on CD, and several websites offer free audiobooks.
RNIB Bookshare is a free service offering audiobooks or books in a screen reader-friendly format to educational institutions. Ask your child’s school or college if they are registered.
Listening Books provides affordable annual memberships for access to a wide variety of audiobooks, with free memberships available for low-income families.
Calibre Audio offers audiobooks for individuals who struggle to access print, allowing them to enjoy stories, biographies, and more.
You can also find free audio stories and reading activities online, such as on BBC Bitesize.
We offer both short dyslexia tendencies report and full diagnostic assessments.
Our prices are available on our prices page. Ready to enquire - please use the contact us form below.
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E-mail: definingdyslexia@outlook.com
We operate virtually across the UK, providing accessible support wherever you are. For in-person appointments, we serve Sheffield, Peterborough, and the surrounding areas—contact us to learn more!
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