supporting pupils with dyslexia

In 1999 the British Psychological Society proposed a working definition of dyslexia in an attempt to end the debate over labelling: "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 whole word level and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities. It provides the basis for a staged process of assessment through teaching."

Dr Chris Singleton, senior lecturer in educational psychology at the University of Hull, describes developmental dyslexia as "a constitutional condition which results in differences in some aspects of information processing by the brain and which causes difficulties in specific areas of learning, particularly literacy skills. It may confer advantages in other skill areas, such as visual or practical thinking."

So dyslexia exists when there has been appropriate teaching and the pupil continues to experience difficulty in developing fluent literacy skills. Dyslexic difficulties form a continuum of severity from mild to severe and this manifestation will of course interact with the emotional and learning experiences of the individual.

What causes dyslexia?
There is increasing evidence that dyslexia is inherited and "runs" in families (in about 70 per cent of cases) and particularly amongst males (4:1). There is also increasing awareness of the importance of early identification and support for dyslexia and improving teachers ability to teach dyslexic pupils in their classes.

Early identification
It can be very useful to talk to parents about their child's early development to identify whether there is a history of difficulty. Teachers in the Early years need to be alert to the following:

• Poor language development
• Poor phonological awareness (the awareness of the patterns of sounds in language - for example, rhyming or alliteration)
• Difficulty in acquiring phonic skills - the child can't retain individual sounds well and will confuse them
• Slow development in reading and recurring patterns of errors often due to an over reliance on phonics
• Poor spelling development also due to over reliance on phonics
• Disorganised poorly sequenced writing
• Left right confusion
• Difficulty in the orientation of number/letter shapes
• Visual discomfort/tiredness

Many of the above can occur in the development of many children and not be a cause for concern but a constellation of these difficulties and their persistence over time should be a trigger for action that can be preventative of further difficulty and inform the way in which the child is taught.

Supporting the dyslexic pupil
There are many excellent resources now available (some referenced at the end of this article) that provide guidance on the most appropriate ways to teach dyslexic pupils. I have outlined below broad principles of effective intervention:

• Using multisensory teaching has been found to be most effective for these pupils.
• Using the channels of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic memory simultaneously has been found to be the most productive way of promoting letter/word recognition.
• The teaching of reading, spelling and writing should be integrated so that skills and concepts can be overlearned and retained.
• Lessons should be structured so that the learning is cumulative and builds on earlier successes and retention.
• The pupil should be involved as much as possible in monitoring their own progress to enhance motivation and develop an acceptance of learning as small steps towards an overall goal.
• Phonological awareness should be specifically taught - that is, an awareness of the units of sounds in words, patterns, syllables, rhyming etc.
• Playing games which promote these skills in the early years will reduce feelings of tension associated with failure and rehearse important skills.

The introduction of IT should occur as early as possible and be promoted as an important learning and recording skill for the dyslexic pupil (this can only increase as the technology rapidly advances). There are many excellent programmes for supporting the dyslexic pupil available.(see references/resources).
Whenever possible the pupil should be praised for their thinking, creativity and problem solving. It is vital that their ability is acknowledged in different ways and they realise that reading and writing skill is only one way of reflecting thinking and reasoning.
There are times when it is highly appropriate to scribe for the child or let them dictate their thoughts into a tape/Dictaphone. They need the chance to be relieved of the "mechanics" of reading and writing to free their thoughts and their potential for thinking. Listening to recorded materials - for example, tapes - can also therefore be very valuable for comprehension and analytical skill development.

Ongoing support
Once an appropriate learning programme has been established in the early years and the pupil is progressing there are many ways in which their ongoing educational success can be maintained.

A pupil with a history of dyslexia can be eligible for special exam arrangements which can take into account their difficulties on recording and reading under timed conditions. The provision of extra time, word processing and breaks can be requested. In extreme circumstances amanuensis (scribing) and a reader for the pupil may be given.

Teachers in secondary schools need to be aware of the needs of dyslexic pupils in their class and consider the demands they place on them in terms of written work, copying and recording at speed. They also need to be aware of marking policies which focus on spellings and may demoralise the student for their weakness in presentation when their thinking has been very good.