There are numerous interventions and strategies that can be used by teachers and reading specialists to specifically support students with dyslexia in overcoming their reading deficiencies. Decoding, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, spelling, and self-advocacy are all important skills students need to be successful in the classroom. However, it is important to remember that the primary goal when teaching children with dyslexia is preserving their self-esteem (Shaywitz, 2020). In this blog, I have listed a variety of specific strategies with links to resources to teach students with dyslexia how to survive and thrive.
Strategy: Fluency Development Lesson
(Rasinski, 2017)
Purpose: The Fluency Development Lesson (FDL) is designed to support students in become more fluent readers through practicing reading a text several times in a variety of contexts. This is a great strategy for a variety of students who may have trouble with fluency; however, students with dyslexia respond well to repeated reading activities.
Target: Fluency
Implementation Directions:
Teacher selects a text above the students’ reading level.
The teacher reads the text several times while students follow along.
Teacher leads discussion over text.
Teacher and students read the text chorally two or three times.
Students work in groups of 2 or 3 to practice reading the text. One student reads while the other follows along.
Students individually read the text aloud to an audience.
Teachers and students select 5-10 words from the text to engage word study activities.
Students are asked to read the passage at home for a family audience.
The next day, students practice the previous day’s passage and a new FDL is implemented.
Assessment: Teachers can gauge fluency by doing pre and post words per minute assessments. However, more informal assessments can be used in small groups.
Materials: Teacher must select a daily text that is just above the student reading level for practice in class and at home.
Expected Outcomes: Fluency skills will increase as students continue daily practice.
Strategy: The STEPS Framework
(Smartt & Glaser, 2010)
Purpose: The STEPS Framework gives teachers a strategy for supporting students during small groups. Implementing the use of small groups (three to four students) can be as effective as individual tutoring in bringing students with dyslexia into average reading range (Griffiths & Stuart, 2011).
Literacy Target: Decoding, Comprehension, Spelling & Vocabulary
Implementation Directions:
1. S - Set Up for Learning (3-5 minutes)
Begin the lesson with a review of the skills you have been working on.
2. T - Teach (3-5 Minutes)
The teacher explicitly teaches the skill through explanation, modeling,
showing, and telling.
3. E - Engage (3-5 Minutes)
With teacher support, students engage and practice the new skill.
4. P - Practice (15-20 Minutes)
Students practice the skill multiple times. Teacher supports students through coaching, correction, feedback, re-teaching, and praise.
5. S - Show you Know (3-5 Minutes)
Teacher quickly assesses student mastery of skill.
Assessment: Teachers can quickly assess skills in a number of ways, which should be dependent on the skill learned. Students can read words or passages, spell new words, or use words in context to show mastery.
Materials: No specific materials are needed for this strategy. This is a skills-focused strategy for helping readers in small groups.
Expected Outcomes: This practice and coaching approach
Links: STEPS Framework
Strategy: Improving Self-Advocacy Skills
(Pitt & Soni, 2018)
Purpose: Research is revealing the relationship between student success and academic self-concept in students with dyslexia. Improving academic self-concept and advocacy skills support students in controlling their educational outcomes. A positive dyslexic identity correlates with student success (Pitt & Soni, 2018).
Literacy Target: Student self-concept or Literate Identity
Implementation Directions:
Reading specialists, teachers, and other stakeholders need to lead students through discussions to help them better understand what dyslexia is and how they can identify how they learn best. Consider asking students with dyslexia the following questions to promote advocacy:
How do you think your dyslexia affects you in all the areas of your life?How do you think you learn the best?Are there any strategies that seem to help you?What do you know about your IEP/504?Are you familiar with your goals and accommodations?Do you know where to go for learning support?Do you know your legal rights?
Assessment: Teachers can quickly assess how students feel about themselves and their literate identity through discussion.
Materials: No specific materials are needed for this strategy. However, after speaking to children with dyslexia about how they can be supported, acquire the specific materials that they may need to feel successful. For instance, students who struggle with organization may need planners or other organization resources.
Expected Outcomes: Students with positive feelings about who they are as learners and the skills to advocate for themselves are prepared to tackle any learning environment. Self advocacy skills are integral for students with dyslexia entering college.
Strategy: Building Word-Rich Environments
(Redford, 2017)
Purpose: According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), there is no better way to build vocabulary than independent reading. Therefore, because independent reading is challenging for students with dyslexia, we must support them in building word-rich lives (Redford, 2017).
Literacy Target: Vocabulary
Implementation Directions:
1. Read Aloud to Students - Reading aloud to students is beneficial in supporting them with developing vocabulary. While reading may be difficult, they will still acquire vocabulary through listening. Audio books are also a useful tool in supporting vocabulary acquisition.
2. Illustrating & Sketchnotes - When learning vocabulary, allow students to draw, illustrate, and sketch in order to learn and retain new vocabulary. Sketchnotes can be useful for students to take notes and also as a way for them to share their knowledge.
3. Using flashcards - Make flashcards or even use flashcard apps to support students in vocabulary growth.
4. Word Walls - Exhibit interesting words in a specific area of the room in large and easy to read letters. Think of it as a Word Bank in the room where students can find interesting words to use during reading and writing activities.
Assessment: Vocabulary growth can be assessed formally through vocabulary quizzes or through writing projects. It can also be assessed informally through asking students about words they have learned through the week.
Materials: All of these implementation plans can be easily created at school. Flashcards, Sketchnotes, and Word Walls can be made using index cards or construction paper. Read Alouds can be performed by the teacher.
Expected Outcomes: As students become more exposed to rich vocabulary, they will use more advanced vocabulary in speaking and writing. Additionally, the vocabulary words will become easier to recognize when reading texts.
Strategy: Spelling Dictation Activities
(Herbert et al., 2018)
Purpose: Dictation activities that allow for students to use phoneme parts as they build the word can support them in gaining phonemic awareness. For this activity, students spell the word one unit at a time. Improving spelling actually supports students with dyslexia in becoming stronger writers (Herbert et al., 2018).
Literacy Target: Decoding, Spelling & Phonemic Awareness
Implementation Directions:
1. Teacher coaches students through the spelling of the words starting with the first sound.
2. Teacher provides students with images with phonemes to help them identify the correct spellings.
3. Teachers continues coaching students through the spelling of the word.
*See Figure below for implementation ideas.
Assessment: Formal or informal spelling checks can be used to assess if students are improving in spelling. However, dictation activities can also be utilized using self-assessment where students evaluate their own work.
Materials: Teacher will need to supply students with visual phonemic cards in order to support them with learning the phonemes as they practice spelling.
Expected Outcomes: Dictation should supports students with dyslexia in becoming stronger decoders and spellers. Additionally, spelling improvement is linked to improvement in composition.
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