What it means?

o    Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty relating to words and letters

o    1 in every 20 children is affected to some degree 

o    Dyslexic pupils often have poor sequencing skills, and cannot process information easily - skills that are essential in the modern, busy classroom

What it looks like?

Reading

o    Words look like a moving or swirling mass

o    Frequently lose their place 

o    Frequent basic errors with common words, despite coping with complicated ones

o    Requires a lot of effort

Writing

o    Poor standard compared to oral ability

o    Messy writing, with frequent attempts at a single word

o    Confuse letters with similar shapes – b/d/p/q, m/w, n/u

o    Write in anagrams – tired instead of tried

o    Spelt words may seem bizarre to us, but do make sense

General 

o    Poor short term memory

o    Poor organisation

o    Tiredness

o    Uneven performance 

o    Behaves badly due to frustration 

o    Processes instructions slowly

o    Struggles with putting things into a sequence

Strengths 

o    Creative skills, (e.g. art, drama, music, architecture) tend to be stronger

o    Sporting ability can be great

o    Can be gifted at lateral thinking

If your child exhibits any of these symptoms, it does not automatically mean they have Dyslexia. All specific educational needs have to be carefully diagnosed by a professional. If you have any concerns, please talk with your child’s class teacher, and they will investigate further.

What can parents do?

o    Work from their areas of strength 

o    Use multi-sensory methods to communicate

o    Use pictures and flow charts

o    Tape their ideas for their work before they write them

o    Use voice recognition software

o    Use mind maps to remember facts

o    Use rulers or line trackers to focus on their writing

o    Allow sufficient time to finish a task

o    Use lots of praise

Where can I get more information?

You can find out more about Dyslexia by talking to your child’s class teacher or our Special Needs Co-ordinator. Alternatively, you can visit