What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia can affect as many as 1 in 10 and can affect anyone, irrespective of background, culture or abilities. In school we can assess for dyslexia from Primary 5 onwards and if you have any concerns that haven’t already been discussed, please contact Mrs Hunter, Depute Head Teacher.
Dyslexia can be described as a range of difficulties in learning to read, write and/or spell, which persist despite the provision of appropriate learning opportunities. These difficulties often do not reflect an individual’s cognitive abilities and may not be typical of performance in other areas. The impact of dyslexia as a barrier to learning varies in degree according to the learning and teaching environment, as there are often associated difficulties.
So how does it present itself?
There are strengths that are often associated regularly in pupils with dyslexic tendencies:
- Very practical and creative in their approach to tasks
- Strong visual thinking skills
- Good verbal skills and interaction
- Stronger problem solving skills, able to think outside the box
Strategies
A few of the supports we can use in school include:
- Provision of appropriate teaching and or learning assistant support as soon as possible
- Peer support for help with reading/writing activities
- Use of mind-mapping for planning and capturing ideas
- Regular tasks and instructions broken down into graphics
- Use of coloured overlays and coloured paper
- Assistive Technology for reading, writing and recording of information
Tips for Parents
There are 6 main things you can do to help
Additional websites
The following list is a good starting point for further information:
