Unlocking potential

There is widespread agreement that teaching for dyslexic children and adults should be:

· STRUCTURED - so reading and spelling make sense. 

· CUMULATIVE - to build up skills gradually. 

· MULTI-SENSORY - using sight, sound and touch. 

· THOROUGH - over-learning to compensate for weak memory. 

· ACTIVE - to make it interesting. 

· USEFUL - related to everyday life tasks. 

This method leads to successful learning and builds up the student's confidence.

HOW DOES SPECIALIST TEACHING FOR DYSLEXIA WORK?

I teach in ways that dyslexic students can learn. The programme is based on the Dyslexia Institute Literacy Programme (DILP). DILP draws on the work of Orton and Gillingham in the USA; Kathleen Hickey the first director of the Dyslexia Institute; and the most recent research. It was first published in 1993. It forms the core course material for teachers trained to diploma standard and may only be used by them. I have also been trained to use the updated Dyslexia Action Literacy Programme (DALP) and I add elements from that programme into my lessons.

The course is structured. It introduces letters and groups of letters, strategies for tackling long words, 'tricky' words and spelling rules, in specific order. At each stage the student is working only with the part that has been covered during lessons. This builds confidence to tackle longer words and passages. It also involves some effective routines for tackling work.

The course is cumulative. Each part of the programme leads on to the next and the students can be confident that they are only expected to do work for which they have been well prepared.

The course is multi-sensory. I use multi-sensory methods for teaching and the students use multi-sensory ways for practising and learning. This means using as many senses as possible at a time to make learning easier - looking, listening, saying and doing. In this way strong channels of learning are used and they help build up weaker but essential ones. For example: A new sound is listened to then spoken, then the letters representing it are looked at and written down. 

The course is thorough and active. Varied and interesting activities are used for essential practice. Students must have regular revision and "overlearn" until they automatically use sounds, letters and rules in reading and writing. Short, varied activities throughout the lesson help effective learning.

The course is useful. Every effort is made to help students see the relevance of the lessons to their success in school or work. Lessons are purposeful and given in friendly surroundings. 

Research for reading and spelling stresses the importance of dyslexic individuals being aware of the sounds that make up words (phonological awareness). This is often an area of particular difficulty for dyslexic students and the programme is careful to develop this ability.

The students use their reasoning power to consider the most efficient ways for them to learn. They are encouraged to think about what strategies have worked well in the past.

Progress is made at the student's own pace. Students are actively involved throughout the lesson. The level of work is planned so that progress is made while the student enjoys success.