Teaching dyslexics in Primary Schools

Source: British Dyslexia Institute

1. Use a wooden alphabet to teach the names and sequence - capital first, then lower case - close eyes to feel the shape and remember its name and associated sound/sounds.
2. Use pictures and memory hooks to provide pictorial and memory hooks for sounds.
3. Use the labels 'vowels' and 'consonants', and teach about the jobs they do.
4. Teach joined-up writing from an early stage - practise this in the air, in sand, on a blackboard and in books.
5. Develop a structure for the introduction at letter, word, sentence and text level for the whole class, for groups in the class and for individuals. Dyslexia learning resources such as Alpha and Omega (Hornsby) and Units of Sound (Dyslexia Institute) will help.
6. Let children develop their own word bank/dictionary or cards or notebook where they can practise difficult, new or irregular words.
7. Talk about letters, words and stories to create an interest in words and books.
8. Use technical aids to individualise work - tape recorder and earphones, computers etc.
9. Play games to reinforce learning.
10. Give as much practice in reading, writing and spelling as possible to develop automatic skills, and remember - dyslexic children need more practice than most children.