Teaching Students with Dyslexia 101: A Guide to Language Systems and Support

By Dr. Stephanie Brenner

Welcome to Dyslexia Awareness Month! This October, we’re shining a light on dyslexia—a learning difference that’s more common than you might think. If you’re a teacher, most likely you have already worked with several students who have dyslexia. The most common questions I receive are: What exactly is dyslexia? How do you know a student has dyslexia? What do I do to help students with dyslexia in the classroom? Let’s dive into the essentials and equip you with three powerful ways to help your students thrive.

What Exactly is Dyslexia? 

Dyslexia is a phonological-based learning disorder that affects reading, writing, and speaking aspects. It impacts the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words, decode words, recognize sight words, spell, read, write, and speak fluently. Spoiler alert: It has nothing to do with intelligence. The real challenge is it makes reading, spelling, and writing trickier than it should be. But fear not—with the right instruction, dyslexic students can unlock their full potential.

The Language-Knowledge Teachers Need

Dyslexia is a language-based issue, meaning teachers need a solid understanding of how language works—particularly its systems. Knowing the fundamentals of phonology, morphology, orthography, syntax, and semantics can make all the difference in your instruction. If these words seem Greek to you, you are not alone. In fact, most teacher preparation programs do not spend a significant amount of time ensuring future teachers have adequate knowledge of reading and writing systems and processes (Brenner, 2020). However, a solid understanding of these language systems is crucial to effectively tailor literacy instruction and intervention to support dyslexic learners.

Common Characteristics of Dyslexia

Dyslexia doesn’t present the same in every student; however, there are common characteristics:

• Poor phonological awareness: Most dyslexic students struggle to break down or manipulate sounds, such as rhyming, blending, or recognizing syllables in spoken words.
• Difficulty decoding words: Students may struggle to connect letters to their corresponding sounds (phonemes), making it hard to sound out unfamiliar words.
• Slow, laborious, and inaccurate reading: Dyslexic readers often read slowly, with several pauses, errors, self-corrections, attempts to sound out words, and mispronunciations, leading to frustration and fatigue.
• Trouble spelling: Frequent and inconsistent spelling mistakes, especially ones that involve similar-sounding letters and the omission of syllables and/or sounds, can make reading a student’s writing challenging. 

Difficulty speaking: Students often have difficulty quickly recalling specific information or words when composing responses and may use “um” as a filler for think time. Additionally, students may confuse words with similar sounds and use vague words such as “thing” or “stuff.”

Four Ways to Make a Difference

While dyslexia presents challenges like those mentioned above, teachers can implement targeted strategies to help students succeed. Here are four highly effective ways to support dyslexic learners in the classroom that pack a big punch.

1. Structured Literacy Instruction

Structured literacy is the most research-backed method for teaching reading because it is taught in a highly explicit, systemic, and sequential manner. It is good for all students but critical for dyslexic students. Structured literacy focuses on the evidence-based elements of reading and breaks down the processes of reading and writing into bite-sized chunks that give students clear directions to navigate the world of literacy. Think of it as teaching reading with GPS: clear directions and no unnecessary detours. The components of structured literacy can and should be incorporated into the curriculum a district writes and adopts. If needed, there are many structured literacy programs available for Tier 1 instruction and intervention that could be incorporated into a curriculum. Such programs can help take the guesswork out of how to teach reading to dyslexic students.

2. Mix in Multisensory Learning

Dyslexic students benefit when they engage multiple senses at once. This means using a combination of seeing, hearing, and physically engaging with material during instruction and practice. For example, when learning new words, students might say the word aloud (auditory), trace the letters in the air, write on paper, or finger trace it in sand (kinesthetic), and see the printed word (visual). This multisensory approach reinforces learning pathways, making language interactions sticky, and helps students effectively retain information. 

3. Leverage Tech Like a Pro

Assistive technology is a lifesaver for students with dyslexia. Tools like text-to-speech software, audiobooks, speech-to-text apps, and editing programs are a few examples. Utilizing video or audio resources in place of or in addition to text materials when providing content is another way technology can assist dyslexic students. Tech tools help students access and produce grade-level material without being bogged down with reading and writing difficulties. Not all students benefit from these tools, nor should they be expected to use all of them. Before students can use them independently, explicit teaching and practice with the tech tools must occur.  

4. Integrate High-Leverage Accommodations

Accommodations can level the playing field for students with dyslexia. Thinking critically about the classroom environment can help teachers identify additional accommodation opportunities. The assistive technology previously mentioned is just one form of accommodation. Extended time for everything (reading, assessments, homework, responses, etc.) is one of the best accommodations to provide dyslexic students. Additional examples include shortened assignments, allowing oral responses over written responses, utilizing concept maps and illustrations to represent knowledge, providing teacher-completed notes, and having a trusted partner for thought processing and assistance with reading and writing.

Final Thoughts

Dyslexia may complicate reading, but it doesn’t have to stop your students from excelling. With the right instruction and interventions, teachers can make a significant difference. Armed with a deeper understanding of what dyslexia is, the foundational systems of language, and the right instructional strategies, you can create an environment that empowers your students to overcome challenges and unlock their potential. During Dyslexia Awareness Month, let’s commit to making classrooms a place where all dyslexic students can thrive and are met with understanding and support. 

References:

Brenner, S.M. (2020). The impact of teacher knowledge on the dyslexic student [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Maryville University. 

Moats, L.C. (2020). Speech to print: Language Essentials for Teachers (3rd ed.). Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. 
Shaywitz, S. & Shaywitz, J. (2020). Overcoming dyslexia (2nd ed.) Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.