Dyslexia Teaching Approaches
There are many individual differences between dyslexics and there is no single approach or teaching method that will work with everyone - response needs to be individual.
- Learning styles will be individual and possibly unusual: learners may not be aware of how they learn best and it is important to help them discover their learning styles because this will maximise their sensory strengths. Learners will have preferences towards auditory, visual or kinesthetic (touch/movement) styles and they will know what works for them.
- Multi-sensory teaching approaches - help to employ other senses (and alternative pathways) - touch/movement, audio and visual. As well as using sensory strengths, multi-sensory approaches help to stimulate weaker pathways.
- Presentation - variety is important. Handouts should be in plain English; text should be in lower case and broken up with images or charts or 'white space'. Information should be 'chopped up' into memorable patterns.
- Pace of Learning Ensure that learning takes place in manageable chunks. There should be planned breaks and each piece of writing should be followed by an activity which employs different senses from the previous one. (For example; learnng - break - change - reinforcement - break).
- Over-learning (regular reinforcement of learning) - short-term memory difficulties need continual reinforcement. In many cases, studying for ten minutes each day can be more beneficial than for long periods every so often.
- Organisational methods such as mind mapping, spider plans, chunking material, use of different coloured pens, index cards. Many dyslexic adults find it difficult to organise themselves and time spent showing learners how to organise their work will be worthwhile.