Identify dyslexic strengths

  • 12 minutes

Identifying the strengths of a learner with dyslexia is key to empowering them as you weave opportunities for those strengths to shine in classroom instruction.

  • Take time and spot the strengths of a learner with dyslexia.  
  • Identify possible strengths in dyslexic thinking such as creativity, thinking outside the box, and strong spatial thinking.
  • Help students identify areas that are hard, or skills they may struggle with, to build self-advocacy skills.

Reflection

  • What are ways you can help students understand their learning profile?
  • How can you incorporate students’ passions into your instruction?
  • Why is it important to find different ways to deliver information and different ways for your students to show what they know?

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Teaching to dyslexic strengths

Learning comes in many different ways. More modalities and ways content is presented to learners increases the opportunity for recall and retrieval of that information.

  • There are multiple ways to come to an understanding and more than one way to demonstrate that knowledge.
  • Multisensory instruction provides the brain with more than one way to remember and retrieve information.
  • Don’t focus solely on reading! Consider using similar strategies in math and other content area classes to teach a learner with dyslexia.

Reflection

  • How might you add movement into your instruction and in your classroom?
  • What other forms of instruction will you use to engage students with dyslexia in your classroom?
  • Why is it important to know the strengths of a learner with dyslexia and to help that student use them as they move towards independent application of skills?

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Assessing using dyslexic strengths

Assessment can be challenging and stressful for all students. Using a variety of strategies and some creativity helps students with dyslexia showcase their knowledge.

  • When assessing a student with dyslexia, ensure they feel safe, and they know you're interested in understanding what they know, not uncovering what they don't know.
  • Speed and rote memorization shouldn't be the only ways you assess a learner with dyslexia.
  • Think about ways the student with dyslexia can shine on an assessment like using their strong verbal skills rather than writing a short answer.

Reflection

  • What are the different styles of response choices you can provide on a math assessment? On a science assessment?
  • Evaluate your assessments—which elements of the assessment meet the strengths of a learner with dyslexia?

Other resources