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Up to 43.5 million Americans of all ages have dyslexia nowadays. And they’ll all tell you the same thing: the way they’re taught makes an almighty difference to how well they learn.
Are you a teacher with dyslexic kids in the class? Want to create the best possible classroom setting and provide the right kind of support to facilitate their education? Check out this brief guide on how teachers can help students with dyslexia learn.
In This Post:
Be Patient
The first thing to know about dyslexia is that it has nothing to do with intelligence or work ethic. It’s a debilitating learning disability that makes things like spelling, reading, and writing a genuine challenge! As a result, it’s the responsibility of any educator to stay calm, patient, and understanding in the classroom.
Avoid judgment and never rush kids who have it; try to empathize with them instead. They’re trying hard and may already feel alienated from their peers. Having a kind, patient, and considerate teacher will a) let them know they’re supported, b) reduce any shame they may feel, and c) convince them to keep trying at literacy tasks they find challenging.
Simplify Instructions
Some students with dyslexia can struggle to follow along with complicated instructions. The result?
Dyslexia-friendly teaching involves keeping them simple! Avoid issuing multiple commands at once and put them in both written and verbal form to accommodate different learning styles. moneyman
It’s worth double-checking that everyone understands what you’ve been talking about before moving onto new topics too. And, if you’re worried people with dyslexia wouldn’t admit it if they didn’t, consider pulling them aside after class to ask. Offering extra support if they haven’t grasped something should ensure they stay up to speed with the class.
Encourage Their Participation
It’s tempting to let children coast when you know they find certain tasks difficult. However, a dyslexia friendly classroom isn’t one where you get a free ride!
The reality’s that you aren’t doing them any favors by taking this tack. They might enjoy the short-term reprieve from negative emotions (such as embarrassment) isn’t helping students read or develop the skills and mental fortitude required to succeed. Instead, they may learn at a slower rate, feel bored in class, and disengage from the learning process.
Now, you should never be hard on dyslexic kids in your class (and you definitely don’t want to shame them). But it is important to encourage their participation. Teaching them to persevere in spite of their challenges and not to shy away from their learning disability will empower them and, ultimately, help them learn.
Remember These Tips for Helping Students with Dyslexia
Knowing the best way to teach students with dyslexia isn’t always easy. Trust us, though, it’s a thousand times harder having the learning disability itself! As an educator, it’s up to you to find and leverage different teaching methods and tools that’ll facilitate their learning.
We hope the suggestions in this blog post will help you do exactly that. To read more articles like this one, search ‘education’ on the website now.