One of the most common questions asked at an IEP meeting is, “Well, how do we fix it?” After hearing the evaluation results and learning that their child has a learning disability, most parents want to know how to “cure” their child. Unfortunately, a learning disability is something that never really goes away. Nevertheless, a child with a learning disability – with the proper support and instruction – can learn to work around their disability and use their strengths to “compensate” for their weaker processing skills.
Here are are some common ways you can accommodate the materials in your classroom to make learning more accessible for your students.
Classroom Accommodations for Dyslexia:
Large Text for Books and/or Worksheets – If reading is difficult for a child, reading small print is all the more tedious. When the print on a page is larger, students are more likely to be able to track the words on the page and see the individual letters and words. That means their brains don’t have to concentrate so hard on decoding which impacts their overall fluency and comprehension.
Clear Reading Strips – This reading tool reduces distracting text to reduce word- and line-skipping. It helps the reader stay concentrated on the current sentence. People with dyslexia may often feel overwhelmed with large amounts of text so using a tool like this helps them stay focused on each part they’re trying to read.
Handheld Magnifying Glass – Though dyslexia has nothing to do with a vision impairment, it does help to have a few magnifying glasses available in the classroom when certain texts or assignments can’t be blown up to reduce the amount of words per page. It’s also an appealing tool to use because it makes kids feel like they’re detectives! 😉
Graphic Organizers – There are plenty of graphic organizers available online – through Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers – but I’m the type of person that likes to have hard copies of things to browse through. This book has so many options to choose from. Graphic organizers, in general, help the students listen for key information. While simultaneously providing a visual representation that uses symbols to express ideas, concepts, and convey meaning.
Audible or Bookshare – There are so many software programs or audiobook apps accessible for a small cost. This is a great way to have your students follow along and get them invested in the learning process without spending all their brain power focused on decoding words.
Instructional Accommodations for Dyslexia:
- Repeat directions.
- Simplify directions by presenting only one portion at a time. New or difficult information should be presented in small sequential steps.
- Provide a copy of notes. By providing the notes, the student can focus on the information and not spend so much time and energy trying to transfer information from the board to their paper.
- Combine verbal and visual information. Verbal information can be provided with visual displays (e.g., an anchor chart, etc.)
- Maintain daily routines. Students who have learning difficulties in general thrive off of structure and daily routine to know and do what is expected.
Questions of the Day:
- What accommodations would you add to the list?
This is so helpful. My kids don’t have this, but I do have a son with autism so I’ve been through many IEP meetings to find things that will make his life easier at school.
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These are great resources! I have a few people in my family who are dyslexic and I know these would be helpful to them. Thanks for sharing, Divya!
I LOVE reading stripes- the yellow ones 🙂
Audible is a great idea! I’m a firm believer that each student learns a bit differently than others, so I love these ideas to accommodate those with dyslexia.
Such great ideas! I love that they are all easy accommodations to make as well.
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Good info shared here…I can’t imagine how hard it has to be trying to teach a child with autism. I think teachers and parents both probably sweep the net on a regular basis trying to find resources like this entry.
Thanks for sharing!
I agree, these things should be in the clasrooms.
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Where were this tools when I was in school?! It’s good to see teacher that care. Thanks for your tips and hard work.
I couldn’t imagine trying to go through school and keep up when you have dyslexia. These resources will be super helpful to someone who suffers.
These look like very sensible accommodations that should be available to every student who needs it. I have a cousin with dyslexia who struggled through school because of lack of these.
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Such helpful and unique tips. I rarely see articles addressing this issue. Great job. I’m sure this was just what someone was searching for.
This is such a handy post! I also like to follow-up individually to check instructions were understood or identify if there were any gaps. If needed I try to check back every 5-10 minutes to make sure they are on track too 😉
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This is a wonderful list of resources. I really love the idea of the clear reading strips.
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I do the 504s on our campus and one of the most commonly used accommodation is oral administration of assessments and oral support across all content areas. I also use “allow for oral response as needed” Sometimes students with dyslexia don’t need to write an entire paragraph to show they know the content if they just tell the teacher.
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These are all great ideas! I have a friend who has dyslexia and she absolutely adores Audible so I’m really glad you put that as a suggestion!
This is good info that I am going to save and share with my teachers. I am an OT in the public school system and we typically use and recommend many of these strategies. I find that in my district, dyslexia isn’t really tested for so it can be addressed specifically. Thanks!
Great ideas! This will definitely help out students in my class
I have dyslexia and these things would have made me so much more willing to learn. To this day I dislike reading based on how things went in school. I think if more teachers take these suggestions those of use with dyslexia would have a more positive learning experience.
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I love these tips and I live how they are all perfect for the classroom or home. In addition to the clear reading strips to chunk text, I have used colored strips or highlighting tape. This is not scientific, but I have several students in which the colored tape helped the students put the letters in order!
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Oooo what a great resource!!!! Honestly I never really knew much about it until I read this!
This is such a great post! Hubby is dyslexic so we always keep an eye out for it with our kids. Thanks so much for these suggestions in case we need them in the future!
I would like to commend you on how sweet and thoyght youvare for your students’ needs. Hope that many teachers will be like you.
You are such a kind teacher I love reading post like this. You have a great heart.
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Another fantastic resource, thank you!
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I learn something new every time I am on your blog. It is really interesting to know different methods that can be adopted to teach kids with Dyslexia.
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Modified homework assignements (while not technically in the classroom) as a big one fpr us. It takes everything my child has to hold it together and focus during the day, and bu afternoon he’s just done. Eliminating and/or reducing afterschool assignments really helps.
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I utilize audio books a lot for my struggling learners. Your list is really helpful! These are all great ideas for accommodating multiple learning styles.
I love when media posts similar articles, where readers like me learn about problems others might be facing. I wasn’t aware of Dyslexia until I read your post.
This is great information! Having worked with children with dyslexia before, it’s greatly improved their reading skills.
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When children who struggle with dyslexia see their peers reading confidently, they may develop a negative self-concept. This negative self-concept can lead to depression or low motivation at school. Early intervention services are the best way for children to develop self-confidence and learn to enjoy reading, both of which support a healthier school career.
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Thank you for such an insightful post! The accommodations you’ve highlighted are incredibly valuable for supporting students with dyslexia in the classroom. Simple adjustments like extra time, visual aids, and multisensory activities can make such a huge difference in building confidence and engagement. I also love the idea of integrating creative tools like music for dyslexia, which can help with auditory processing and focus. It’s wonderful to see educators like you actively working to create inclusive environments where all students can thrive. Thanks for sharing these practical strategies—they’re sure to inspire and support many teachers and parents!