Dyslexia and memory, organization, and concentration

  • 5 minutes

Learn more about how technology can support learners with dyslexia organize and bring brilliant ideas to life.

Understand strengths and challenges

While learners with dyslexia bubble with brilliant ideas, they often face challenges with memory, organization, and concentration. These can include:

  • Verbal challenges - Remembering spoken instructions
  • Sequential challenges - Ordering facts and information
  • Working and visual memory challenges - Writing down thoughts and ideas

Provide solutions

To build on the strengths of learners with dyslexia, encourage them to talk about how they use classroom systems for recording and submitting assignments, as well as their planning processes around assignments. Technology tools that provide structure and multi-sensory experiences, such as organizers and mind maps, can help learners develop focus and confidence.

Organize learning content into a personal workspace using OneNote

OneNote is a helpful organization tool, helping students track assignments, processes, and more in an easy-to-use digital notebook. Learners can keep all their content in one place so it’s easy to find what they’re looking for and great ideas never get lost. It also provides multi-sensory experiences to turn notes into living documents through features like:

  • Digital inking
  • Sketching diagrams
  • Adding videos
  • Inserting pictures and images

 This video shows how to organize thoughts with OneNote.

Bring brilliant ideas to life with Microsoft Whiteboard

Many learners with dyslexia benefit from organizing ideas visually. Microsoft Whiteboard, a collaborative digital canvas in Microsoft 365, gives students opportunities to mind map and express ideas using:

  • Ink and highlighters
  • Sticky notes
  • Shapes and lines
  • Images
  • Templates
  • Color coding, and more

Explore how to get started using and collaborating with Microsoft Whiteboard.

Reflection

  • How might your learners with dyslexia utilize technology tools like Microsoft Whiteboard and OneNote to develop organization skills while utilizing their strengths? 
  • What opportunities exist to use technology tools to build clear, structured systems in your classroom?