Tutoring for Dyslexia
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a disability that impacts a person’s ability to manipulate language. People with dyslexia have difficulty processing single words within a sentence. At times dyslexic individuals may have trouble with spelling, pronunciation, reading and writing. However, people with dyslexia don’t have trouble understanding the meaning behind words. They can infer and extrapolate meaning from texts upon deciphering sentences.
According to the ADA (Australian Dyslexia Association), up to 10% of the Australian population are impacted by dyslexia in some form. As with ADHD, dyslexia can look different in every student and manifests in multiple different ways. Dyslexia also varies in severity.
Common signs of dyslexia include:
Problems learning the letter sounds for reading and spelling
Difficulty in reading single words, such as on flash cards and in lists
Lack of accuracy
Lack of fluency
Reading slowly with many mistakes
Poor spelling
Poor visual gestalt/coding
Reading comprehension can be impeded as a result
Studies and research have also shown that dyslexic individuals have also displayed some of the following attributes:
Inquiring minds
Incredible problem-solving skills
Analytic thinking & Creative thinking
3D construction
Ability to find alternatives and options
Ability to see the big picture
Insightful thinking
Stronger verbal capabilities than written
These are all attributes that we aim to encourage and nurture in our tutoring.
How do we support students in their lessons?
How do our tutors support students with dyslexia in their lessons?
To better understand and support students with ADHD, BTA tutors are encouraged to:
Use multisensory learning
Give students as much time as they need to complete their set tasks
Give feedback based on effort and ideas
Use large and simple fonts
Read things out loud and have them follow along with their finger on the text
Frequently check-in to make sure your student feels supported
For more information, we encourage you to visit the Australian Dyslexic Association.