10 Expert-Backed Ways to Support Dyslexic Students

As the teacher or parent of a young person with dyslexia, you’re only too aware of the challenges they can face as they move through their education journey. You want to create an inclusive and supportive environment in which they can learn successfully and attain their potential.

The dyslexia teaching methods and strategies in this guide are backed by expert research. Employing some or all of these tools when teaching dyslexic students can help you to reduce frustration levels and allow young learners to play to their strengths.

1. Provide Clear and Concise Instructions

Deliver instructions in simple, direct language when teaching dyslexic students. Back up your verbal directions with written or visual cues. Allowing students extra time for processing and responding can also be beneficial.

Why it works: Students with dyslexia can often find it hard to hold long verbal instructions in their working memory. Simplifying language and offering visual prompts reduces cognitive load.

Tip: Write task instructions on the board or screen and read them aloud. Check understanding by asking students to repeat them in their own words.

2. Break Tasks into Manageable Steps

Divide lessons or homework tasks into smaller, clearly defined steps. This enables students to see and achieve success. For example, when tackling a writing project, set achievable milestones such as selecting a topic, research, writing a draft, and checking and editing it.

Why it works: Large tasks can feel overwhelming. Chunking tasks helps dyslexic students stay focused and gives a sense of progress.

Tip: Use checklists, flowcharts or timelines. Celebrate each milestone to build motivation.

3. Embrace Multisensory Learning

Engage multiple senses – sight, sound, touch, and movement – to reinforce learning. When learners use more than one sense at a time, their brain is stimulated in a variety of ways. Multisensory activities might include a combination of reading, viewing videos, touching objects, or speaking about topics.

Why it works: This approach helps the learner to make connections and retain information more easily than using single senses.

Tip: Let students use a variety of activities when learning. Encourage them to speak, sketch, move, or role-play ideas during a learning session.

4. Provide Assistive Technology

Make use of tools designed to support dyslexic learners. Text-to-speech software can assist with reading, while speech-to-text programs help with writing. 

Audiobooks and apps that highlight text as it's read aloud can also be beneficial to students. One group of students I worked with thoroughly enjoyed a “spooky” interactive app which helped Edgar Allan Poe’s work come alive for their KS3 English Gothic study.

Why it works: Technology can remove barriers, allowing students to show what they know without being held back by decoding or spelling issues.

Tip: Explore a range of apps like Immersive Reader or Ghotit. Let students try different tools and choose what works best for them.

5. Use Paired Reading Sessions

Pair a dyslexic student with a fluent reader (a peer, teacher, or parent) to read aloud together.

I have used this strategy extensively across my career with both older ‘reading buddies’ and trained volunteers from the local community. It’s incredibly powerful. Our testing showed that with a focused intervention programme, students could improve their reading age by one year in just ten weeks.

Why it works: Paired reading helps to build reading fluency and confidence, especially when learners hear fluent models and get immediate support. It’s also great fun for participants.

Tip: Let the dyslexic student choose the text to boost engagement and encourage a love of reading for pleasure. Pause often to check understanding, and check comprehension with a brief discussion at the end of the session.

6. Implement Structured Literacy Programs

Teach reading using a structured, evidence-based literacy programme, focusing on phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Why it works: Research shows that structured literacy programmes are highly effective for dyslexic learners. They directly teach the rules of language in a clear and scaffolded way.

Tip: Explore the variety of evidence-based programmes, such as Sounds-Write. If you’re a parent, ask your child’s teacher to advise you on how to support the work they are doing in class.

7. Encourage Overlearning and Repetition

Go back over content regularly. Use low-stakes quizzes, retrieval activities and review games.

Claire Yates, a primary school SENCO, recommends pre-teaching as well as overteaching:

“We commonly pre-teach before the start of lessons, going over key points with students with dyslexia to give them a heads up for what’s coming. At the end of the lesson, the class teacher or teaching assistant does some overteaching. They will go over the key information with the student once more to reinforce learning.”

Why it works: Dyslexic learners benefit from repeated exposure to content in order to build long-term memory. These activities will benefit everyone else in the group, too!

Tip: Use flashcards, retrieval grids, or quizzes. Your students can help to create the formats and you can discuss which ones work best.

8. Build a Print-Rich, Dyslexia-Friendly Learning Environment

Keep dyslexic students’ visual and cognitive needs in mind when designing resources. Use clear fonts, pastel backgrounds, and uncluttered resources. Display key vocabulary and scaffolded charts.

Why it works: Dyslexia-friendly layouts support visual clarity and have been proven to reduce cognitive overload.

Tip: Use sans-serif fonts like Arial or Comic Sans and avoid black text on a white background.

9. Foster a Supportive Environment

Create a learning environment where a student’s effort earns praise and reward. Encourage oral discussion, group presentation, and creative tasks, rather than focusing only on written outcomes.

Why it works: Dyslexic students can lose confidence quickly. Focusing on their strengths helps to build confidence, encouraging them to maintain their efforts.

Tip: Allow students to share their knowledge through a variety of methods: verbally or through artwork, drama or tech-based presentations.

10. Build a Strong Network

The best way to ensure success for a student with dyslexia is to adopt a consistent approach to their learning. Schools should work closely with special education professionals and families to develop tailored support plans to suit the individual needs of the student. 

Why it works: Regular communication ensures consistency across home and school environments, facilitating better outcomes for the student.

Tip: Establish regular communication between school and home, celebrating successes and highlighting any issues or needs as soon as they arise.

By implementing these strategies, you can create an inclusive and supportive environment that empowers dyslexic students to achieve their full potential.

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References

British Dyslexia Association

Special requirements | Cambridge English

Supporting People with Dyslexia

Interview with Claire Yates, SENCO, Springwood Heath Primary School, Liverpool