Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action Plan Before you start, it is important to recognise that, although the dyslexic student may have difficulties in many areas, there will be areas of strength. Recognising and utilising these strengths is important to the student’s academic and intellectual development. These strengths are important to the self-esteem of the dyslexic student. Adapted from documents in the Resources section of the Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) for Dyslexia, Speech, Language & Communication Needs 2008 (DfCFS) Strengths to take into account and characteristics of some dyslexic students which can positively affect learning Recognising these talents within the classroom • Look for strengths • Notice areas of interest • Provide a wide variety of activities • Talk with the students about what they like to do and how they like to do it • Ask parents about a student’s interests and talents • Ask other teachers about the strengths they have noticed Creativity • A high degree of curiosity • Ability to concentrate intensely and for a long period of time on something they are interested in • May have excellent spatial skills – the ability to perceive and interact with three-dimensional space • Can think abstractly. Problem solving • Ability to think ‘outside the box’ • To see other ways of approaching the problem • To visualise a solution • Ability to see patterns in seemingly unrelated data Leadership • Good social abilities • Enthusiasm • Willingness to take risks • Willingness to work hard • A strong sense of humour • Empathy with others • Good observational skills Nurturing these talents within the classroom. • Recognise them • Provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their talents within the classroom • Utilise the talents within literacy and numeracy tasks – work to the interests, e.g. football – write game reports, produce league tables, train or bus timetable to get to away matches, etc. • Provide opportunities to discover and create new interests and talents Verbal skills • May be good at communicating verbally
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Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action Plan · 2019-03-20 · using abstract methods too soon. • Don’t overload themwith resources or visual cues – choose a small, select number
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Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action PlanBefore you start, it is important to recognise that, although the dyslexic student may
have difficulties in many areas, there will be areas of strength.
Recognising and utilising these strengths is important to the student’s academic and
intellectual development.
These strengths are important to the self-esteem of the dyslexic student.
Adapted from documents in the Resources section of the Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) for Dyslexia, Speech, Language & Communication Needs 2008 (DfCFS)
Strengths to take into account and characteristics of
some dyslexic students which can positively affect
learning
Recognising these talents within the classroom
• Look for strengths
• Notice areas of interest
• Provide a wide variety of activities
• Talk with the students about what they like to do and how they like to
do it
• Ask parents about a student’s interests and talents
• Ask other teachers about the strengths they have noticed
Creativity
• A high degree of curiosity
• Ability to concentrate intensely and for a long period of
time on something they are interested in
• May have excellent spatial skills – the ability to
perceive and interact with three-dimensional space
• Can think abstractly.
Problem solving
• Ability to think ‘outside the box’
• To see other ways of approaching the problem
• To visualise a solution
• Ability to see patterns in seemingly unrelated data
Leadership
• Good social abilities
• Enthusiasm
• Willingness to take risks
• Willingness to work hard
• A strong sense of humour
• Empathy with others
• Good observational skills
Nurturing these talents within the classroom.
• Recognise them
• Provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their talents within
the classroom
• Utilise the talents within literacy and numeracy tasks – work to the
interests, e.g. football – write game reports, produce league tables,
train or bus timetable to get to away matches, etc.
• Provide opportunities to discover and create new interests and talentsVerbal skills
• May be good at communicating verbally
Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action Plan
Factors to take into account and characteristics may affect learning
Effect on learning in the classroom Students may have difficulty with the following.
Strategies to incorporate into classroom teaching
• Working memory (the
ability to hold and juggle
information in short-
term memory) – if
overloaded, information
may be lost
• May be inaccurate
representations in long-
term memory.
• Remembering and carrying out
instructions
• Remembering recently-learned
vocabulary and specialised
vocabulary
• Repeating multisyllabic words
• May know the answer but
cannot verbalise it
• Remembering facts, figures,
place-names, number bonds,
multiplication tables, important
dates, etc.
• Present new information in small chunks.
• Allow plenty of time for recall.
• Multi-sensory learning: show it, listen to it, look at it, hear it,
say it, write it.
• Support learning with visual cues.
• Provide Working Memory Strategies Training - train
children to be able to rehearse, visualise, chunk – See
Black Sheep Press resources.
• Use concrete resources as much as possible, even when
the child seems to have acquired a new process or
concept. This is particularly true of maths.
• Keep concrete resources in view and encourage use of
them (with more modelling if necessary) even when
children seem to have grasped a process – they can forget
too, without regular revision and should not be pushed into
using abstract methods too soon.
• Don’t overload them with resources or visual cues –
choose a small, select number that are effective
Memory
Share strategies with all staff in the classroom.
Tick what you use and highlight what you will try out.
Revisit this action plan whenever you need to – children’s needs may change over
time.
Factors to take into account and characteristics may affect learning
Effect on learning in the classroom Students may have difficulty with the following.
Strategies to incorporate into classroom teaching
• Putting things in order:
alphabet, letter order in
words, word order in
sentences, etc
• Finding words in a dictionary.
• Ordering days of the week,
months, numerical data, etc.
• Seeing how separate facts and
information come together to form
the big picture.
• Holding information in their heads
and re-ordering it.
• Working out what to do first, next,
etc.
• Teach strategies to aid memory and sequencing, eg list the
information and cross it off as it is used.
• Have charts, lists of vocabulary, diagrams etc. on display in
the classroom.
• Allow for frequent practice using rhyme, rhythm, games,
songs etc.
• Use a multi-sensory approach that involves seeing,
listening and physically handling / moving items.(
movement and touching incorporates sensory information
into processing and encourages deeper processing)
• Use no more than 2-3 pictures if their working memory is
very poor. You can always sequence some for them on the
sheet, to cut down the memory load., eg: every other
picture, so that they have less to process.
Sequencing
Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action Plan
Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action Plan
Factors to take into account and characteristics may affect learning
Effect on learning in the classroom Students may have difficulty with the following.
Strategies to incorporate into classroom teaching
• Slower to respond to
incoming information
(across the senses)
• Responding to information or
instructions.
• Understanding and responding
to a continuous flow of
information.
• Pulling back information from
long-term memory.
• Responding to questions.
• Working out what has to be
done and in which order.
• They may lose track of where
they are up to.
• Completing tasks, having first
had to think things through
rather than perform tasks in a
fluent, easy and unconscious
manner.
Allow extra time for processing: slow down presentation.
Use concrete resources for physical handling as much
as possible
Encourage children to tell you or show you what they
have to do – this aids deeper processing and memory.
Use short sentences containing one instruction at a time.
Support instructions with visual cues, such as symbols
from Communicate in Print, with actions where
appropriate or with real objects. Movement helps
processing and reasoning. It also aids retention of key
concepts and processes.
Use ‘Now and Next’ task board to record immediate
tasks. The child can mark off on the board when a task
has been completed.
Use ‘another child as a ‘study buddy’ to help the child
keep on track.
Allow extra time for the child to process instructions – 15
seconds processing time before they give an answer.
Allow extra time for the completion of tasks set.
Pre-teach topic vocabulary and provide a ‘table mat’ or
key ring with key information, topic words etc for easy
reference.
Give child a copy of instructions that are on the board.
Use highlighter pens, different colours for each row.
‘Talking tin lids’ / ‘talking postcards, iPads or tablets can
also be used to record information for the child to use
and refer back to.
Speed of information processing
Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action Plan
Factors to take into account and characteristics may affect learning
Effect on learning in the classroom Students may have difficulty with the following.
Strategies to incorporate into classroom teaching
• Poor ability to
discriminate /
differentiate between
words / similar shaped
letters
• Differentiating between similar-
looking words.
• Problems with correct
punctuation.
• Visual cue cards – on place mats on table or as key rings
for individuals.
• Make differences explicit: use Play Dough / plasticine etc
for modelling as well as concrete resources in maths –
visualisation and handling will help.
• Use a feely bag and model an activity where the child has
to discriminate between two letters or symbols, with both
hands in the bag. Make sure you have a set of the same
items on view for reference.
• Be positive, even when child makes mistakes here: they
may be able to do it one day but not the next.
Auditory discrimination / perception
• Difficulty in perceiving
the difference between
similar sounds
• Difficulty identifying
sounds
• Pronunciation, even of words
encountered quite frequently.
• Recognising familiar words and
phrases.
• Confusion of similar-sounding
words.
• Reading, especially reading
aloud.
• Use a multi-sensory approach.
• Check if child is secure with Phase 1 Phonics. Use Ready
for Sounds assessment (BWD resource) and teach:
• if a child is in the Reception class: any where score
is 50% or below.
• From Year 1 onwards: any below 100%.
• Use the Ready for Sounds Follow Up pack to
teach each area needed.
• Don’t make child read out loud unless they volunteer.
Visual discrimination / perception
Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action Plan
Factors to take into account and characteristics may affect learning
Effect on learning in the classroom Students may have difficulty with the following.
Strategies to incorporate into classroom teaching
• Weak sound/symbol
correspondence
• Pronunciation, even of words
encountered quite frequently.
• Recognising familiar words and
phrases.
• Confusion of similar-sounding
words
• Use a multi-sensory approach.
• Check if child is secure with Phase 1 Phonics. Use Ready
for Sounds assessment (BWD resource) and teach:
• if a child is in the Reception class: any where score
is 50% or below.
• From Year 1 onwards: any below 100%.
• Use the Ready for Sounds Follow Up pack to
teach each area needed
• Don’t make child read out loud unless they volunteer.
Phonological processing
Dyslexia Friendly Classroom – Action Plan
Factors to take into account and characteristics may affect learning
Effect on learning in the classroom Students may have difficulty with the following.
Strategies to incorporate into classroom teaching
• Affected by weak
working memory and
thus lose meaning
• May be slow
• Reading without
expression
• Difficulty reading
aloud.
• Tracking difficulties
• Visual stress/text
seeming to move
about
• Coping with the amount of
reading required.
• Unable to decode words quickly.
• Remembering what has been
read.
• Selecting important areas to
read.
• Skimming and scanning for
information.
• Reading, especially reading
aloud.
• Difficulties with tracking text,
especially on Interactive
whiteboard
Limit how much child has to read – ensure child is working within
capabilities.
Provide support for reading – paired reading/ audio texts.
Provide good reading model – teacher to read aloud, so child hears good
model, including expression.
Provide visual cues to support reading.
Provide time where child hears text read aloud, then responds to the
content only, so that comprehension skills are not forgotten.
Use a multisensory reading intervention programme on a daily basis –such
as Dyslexikit ( lower to middle KS2 or Access Literacy(upper KS2 – KS3)
http://www.dyslexikit.co.uk/
Ensure that all staff working with the child know which strategies have
been taught in a phonics intervention group. They should be reinforcing
them in the classroom: children are very good at compartmentalising
learning!
Teach skimming and scanning using appropriate level of text and
highlighter pens, with children working in pairs. A good introduction is
through using word lists for spelling (familiar words only) that the children
can use to highlight all the words beginning with the same letter.
Try coloured overlays to see if they make a difference. Encourage child to
choose the colour which works best for them. Ask your SENCO who will be
able to help here. http://www.crossboweducation.com/ - the visual
stress assessment pack is extremely valuable for accurate
assessment here.
On interactive whiteboard: change the background to a pastel shade, to
reduce glare. Use double-line spacing and text in two shades of the same
colour to aid tracking.
Provide worksheets in a pastel shade or buff colour to reduce the glare.
Use dyslexia-friendly fonts, eg: Comic Sans – no serifs!
Think carefully about content of worksheets – too much information or too
cluttered can be inaccessible.
Reading
Use IT
Google Keyboard – free to download – easy to use for dictation