Dyslexia Support

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling.

It's a specific learning difficulty, which means it causes problems with certain abilities used for learning, such as reading and writing.

Unlike a learning disability, intelligence isn't affected.

It's estimated up to 1 in every 10 people in the UK has some degree of dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a lifelong problem that can present challenges on a daily basis, but support is available to improve reading and writing skills and help those with the problem be successful at school.

What are the signs of dyslexia?

Signs of dyslexia usually become apparent when a child starts school and begins to focus more on learning how to read and write.

A person with dyslexia may:

  • read and write very slowly
  • confuse the order of letters in words
  • put letters the wrong way round (such as writing "b" instead of "d")
  • have poor or inconsistent spelling
  • understand information when told verbally, but have difficulty with information that's written down
  • find it hard to carry out a sequence of directions
  • struggle with planning and organisation

But people with dyslexia often have good skills in other areas, such as creative thinking and problem solving.

Read more about the symptoms of dyslexia.

Getting help

If you think your child may have dyslexia, the first step is to speak to their teacher. They may be able to offer additional support to help your child if necessary.

If your child continues to have problems despite extra support, you may want to consider requesting a more in-depth assessment from a specialist dyslexia teacher or an educational psychologist.

As a school, we are unable to offer dyslexia assessments. We can undertake a GL Dyslexia Screening Assessment which will indicate if a child is showing any dyslexic traits but we are unable to provide a diagnosis.

You can request a private assessment by contacting:

Educational interventions

A number of educational interventions and programmes are available for children with dyslexia in HBJ.

These can range from occasional teaching in small groups with a teaching assistant, to 1-to-1 lessons on a set intervention such as Fisher Family Trust (FFT). We also offer intervention for specific areas of weakness such as Nessy for spelling.

Most interventions focus on phonological skills, which is the ability to identify and process word sounds. These interventions are often referred to as phonics.

Phonics interventions can involve teaching a child to:

  • recognise and identify sounds in spoken words (for example, helping them recognise that even short words such as "hat" are actually made up of 3 sounds: "h", "a" and "t")
  • combine letters to create words, and over time, use the words to create more complex sentences
  • practise reading words accurately to help them read more quickly
  • monitor their own understanding while they read (for example, by encouraging them to ask questions if they notice gaps in their understanding)

These interventions should ideally be delivered in a highly structured way with development in small steps, and should involve regularly practising what's been learnt.

It can also help if your child is taught in a multisensory way, where they use several senses at the same time.

An example of multisensory teaching is where a child is taught to see the letter "a", say its name and sound and write it in the air, all at the same time.

How you can help your child?

As a parent, you might be unsure about the best way to help your child.

Read to your child

This will improve their vocabulary and listening skills, and will also encourage their interest in books.

Share reading

Both read some of the book and then discuss what's happening, or what might happen.

Overlearning

You may get bored of reading your child's favourite book over and over, but repetition will reinforce their understanding and means they'll become familiar with the text.

Silent reading

Children also need the chance to read alone to encourage their independence and fluency.

Make reading fun

Reading should be a pleasure, not a chore. Use books about subjects your child is interested in, and make sure that reading takes place in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

Parents also play a significant role in improving their child's confidence, so it's important to encourage and support your child as they learn.

Wheel of Apps.
 
Click on the link below to access a whole range of Apps to support specific areas of development. If you are unsure about which are your child may need support with, get in touch with your child's class teacher.