1. Dyslexia Supporting Children with Dyslexia
An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Dyslexia Supporting Children with Dyslexia
Trinity Cluster Parents’ Group
Will give sources of further information
Fiona McCrory May 2017
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

2. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Aims for Session
Dyslexia / Literacy Difficulties
Literacy and Dyslexia Guidelines
Resources and strategies used to support literacy difficulties/ dyslexia
What support is available
What you can do to support your child
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

3. Simple View of Reading
Word recogniton skills must be balanced with language comprehension skills to ensure balanced strengths.
Concentrating on phonics but no part of a systematic phonics approach to teaching early reading skills denies the value and importance of sharing and enjoying books and texts of all kinds as part of the wider literacy curriculum.
Two dimensions of reading: word recognition/ decoding and language comprehension
Four possible outcomes:
Good word recognition and good language comprehension
Poor word recognition/ decoding but good language comprehension
Good word recognition but poor language comprehension
Poor word recognition/ decoding and poor language comprehension

4. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Dyslexia effects people of all cognitive abilities.
We don’t use term “diagnosis” – it’s not medical
Schools can make an identification of dyslexia
Can range from mild to severe
Studies suggest 10% of population are dyslexic
Supports are based on pupil needs – most can be addressed at class level (pathway 1)
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

5. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Adopted Definition
‘Dyslexia is evident when accurate and fluent word
reading and/or spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty.
This focuses on literacy learning at the ‘word level’
and implies that the problem is severe and persistent
despite appropriate learning opportunities.’
Focuses on Reading
There are associated difficulties – it’s important to identify and assess for these especially in the case of older pupils or those who appear to be managing their literacy eg scoring in average range for reading
Literacy and Dyslexia Guidelines: Definition developed by the British
Psychological Society
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

6. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Areas of Difficulty
Phonological
Reading
Spelling
Writing
Phonological – sounds and how they are used. Can impact on phonics – sounds and how we represent them as letters
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

7. Associated difficulties
An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Associated difficulties
Memory
Emotional / behavioural
Organisational and motor skills
Reading comprehension
Maths
Information processing
Speech and Language
Inconsistent performance
Signs of fatigue
Poor working memory
Problems remembering numbers, names and details
POSSIBLE GENERAL INDICATORS
Difficulty following instructions
Speed of processing - spoken and / or written language slow
Word-finding / other language difficulties
Planning, organising, sequencing difficulties = following/ giving instrucitons
Difficulty with time keeping, managing time, organising self and work
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

8. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
The Gift of Dyslexia
Can be very creative
Enjoy and excel in practical tasks
Strong visual thinking skills
Good verbal skills
Good social interaction
Good at problem solving
Unfortunately not true of all dyslexics – some may have difficulties in these areas
Lot of research to show there are links with other difficulties eg ADHD,Dysgraphia,Autism,Dyscalculia,Developmental coordination disorder(DCD)/Dyspraxia
Strong visual thinking skills e.g. see/ think in 3D, visualise a structure from a plan
Good a problem solving = thinking outside the box, seeing the whole picture
= ask them to suggest solutions to problems and they often have an effective answer
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

9. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Identification
Parents
Class teacher
Child/ Young person
Support for Learning Teacher
Early identification and provision of appropriate support ASAP
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

10. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Check for: or
Essential checks in first place
visual impairment
hearing impairment
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

11. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Visual aspects
Reading
Rulers
Irlen/Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome:
Not detected by a standard eye test
Can have perfect vision
Not all dys have and non-dys can have
Irlens= sensitivity to light, pattern and flicker = distortions in the text
Binocular instability= both eyes not working together,rotaion and focus- unclear image
Eye exercises
=sore eyes/ eyestrain
Tiredness when reading
Headaches/ migraines
+ words and letters move and blur
Tinted paper
Binocular instability and visual stress
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

12. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

13. Reading - some indicators
An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Reading - some indicators
Fear / avoidance of reading tasks
Dislike of reading aloud publicly
Lack of progress:
slow & laboured or fast & inaccurate
Word known on one line but not the next
Reversals (e.g. b/d, was/saw)
Tendency to repeat / lose place
Losing track of meaning as the process is so hard
Skipping lines when reading
Compare with oral comprehension
Bear in mind age/stage of child eg b/d confusion very common in P1 and P2
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

14. Writing - some indicators
An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Writing - some indicators
Avoidance of writing tasks
Lack of punctuation
‘Much better
orally’
Spelling mistakes
Immature letter formation
Difficulty copying
Pupil can explain, tell a story perfectly but can not get it on paper
Having to consider several processes for writing at once
Implications for seating in relation to board, and necessity for much of the copying required.
Poor spacing
Transposed letters
Reversed letters
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

15. Literacy and Dyslexia Guidelines
An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Literacy and Dyslexia Guidelines
Produced to identify and meet needs of learners with literacy difficulties, including learners who may be dyslexic
Checklists with linked strategies/supports
Pupil and Parent Voice
Summary Framework
Formal assessments
Organised in 2 main areas: Identifying learning needs Supports and strategies Detailed list of literacy and dyslexia resources.
Guidance on teaching approaches; effective transitions; whole-school approaches to literacy
TO BE UPDATED. Identification is an ongoing process.
Published 2010
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

16. The Interventions Read Write Inc – P3,P4 and P5 if appropriate
Fresh Start – P5 –P7
SRA (Fast Track) – S1,S2 (some S3)
What are they? Reading progs based on a firm understanding of phonics
Who are they for?
How does ASL service support them Intervention Mentor day training/ development day/ sharing practice sessions/ FS RWIncLead in every school/ Training PSA hot list

17. Literacy/ Dyslexia Support Team
An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Literacy/ Dyslexia Support Team
Offers support to pupils with literacy difficulties/ dyslexia who, despite intensive support in their own schools, have found it difficult to make progress in literacy.
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

18. Literacy Dyslexia Supports
An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Literacy Dyslexia Supports
Map supports already in place
Detailed literacy assessment
Report to school and parents/ carers
Develop individual literacy programme
Block of weekly individual direct teaching
Train a learning assistant and teacher
Consultation and advice
Recommendation of next steps
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

19. Hints and Tips to support your child
An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Hints and Tips to support your child
Choosing a book to read – 5 finger test
Written homework – options, time (note to school if taking too long)
Help them love books – read to them, use of Epic, speech to text, poems/non-fiction
Memory - tables, spelling common words
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

20. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Support organisation – checklists, colour coding, post its, mind maps
Encourage keyboard skills
Be encouraging and understanding. Help them find their own strategies
Communication with school
Be aware of tiredness
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

21. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Reading
Soundstart
Start to
Finish
Sparklers
Zoom
Trackers
Planet
Wobble
Rapid
Readers
Dandelion Readers/ Totem Series
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

22. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Barrington Stoke
Non-patronising, high-interest, lower reading age books for struggling readers,
written by first-class authors.
Printed on high-quality cream or off-white paper - more restful on the eye
Specially modified font to encourage a smooth read
Teachers’ site - for information
on dyslexia and additional resources.
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

23. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Paired Reading
1) Adult reads alongside child, mirroring.
2) Child signals for adult to stop. Child continues
3) If child is stuck – give word after 5 seconds
4) Adult and child read together until child signals again
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

24. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Comprehension
Comp- Vocabulary development
-discuss/ use in sentence
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

25. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Useful apps
reading
Hairy Letters
Glow draw
Teach Monster
Memory
Music
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

26. An Introduction to Dyslexia Handout from Dyslexia Scotland
15/11/07
Useful sites
Handout from Dyslexia Scotland
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh

27. An Introduction to Dyslexia
15/11/07
Any questions ?
Anne Sandison & Alison Waugh