A dyslexic child may avoid reading aloud, take longer to finish work, produce short written answers, struggle to copy from the board, forget instructions, lose their place, become tired during written tasks, or appear distracted. None of this means they aren't capable.
Classroom adjustments that help
- Dyslexia-friendly fonts and clear, uncluttered worksheets
- Larger text and coloured paper if it helps
- Reading rulers or overlays
- Less copying from the board — printed notes instead
- Extra time
- Visual instructions and checklists
- Word banks, writing frames, mind maps
- Assistive technology (text-to-speech, speech-to-text, audiobooks, touch typing)
- Multisensory phonics
- Pre-teaching vocabulary
- Small-group intervention or precision teaching
- Not forcing reading aloud
- Checking understanding privately
Teacher do's
- Give instructions clearly, one step at a time
- Provide written and visual reminders
- Allow extra processing time
- Mark for content as well as spelling
- Use multisensory teaching
- Encourage assistive technology
- Notice signs of fatigue
- Work with parents
Teacher don'ts
- Don't make the child read aloud unexpectedly
- Don't cover work in red corrections
- Don't use copying as the main learning method
- Don't assume lack of writing means lack of knowledge
- Don't shame spelling errors
- Don't say "hurry up"
- Don't compare them to peers
- Don't remove support because they are "old enough now"
Homework without battles
Homework is hard because the child is already tired from a full day of processing. Try:
- Short sessions with breaks
- A visual checklist
- A quiet space
- Reading instructions aloud
- Scribing ideas, typing, or using speech-to-text
- Setting time limits — focus on quality over quantity
- Telling school how long homework actually takes
- Asking school for reasonable adjustments if it takes far longer than expected
Don't turn homework into a battle, make the child redo work repeatedly, or push through distress.
Exams and access arrangements
Depending on need and eligibility, exam support may include:
- Extra time (commonly 25%)
- A reader and/or scribe
- A word processor
- Rest breaks
- Coloured paper or modified papers
- A separate room
- A prompter
- Reading software
Speak to the SENCO early — access arrangements need evidence of "normal way of working" built up over time, not a last-minute request before GCSEs.
Assistive technology is not cheating
A person who wears glasses is not cheating at seeing. A dyslexic child using text-to-speech is not cheating at reading. Introduce tools early, let the child practise when calm, and use them at home and school so they become normal.