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Dyslexia is a learning impairment that many do not know or understand properly. There

are many misconceptions about what dyslexia really is. According to the International Dyslexia

Association, dyslexia is defined as:

“... a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by

difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and

decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological

component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and

the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include

problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede

growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. (Definition of Dyslexia)

Students with dyslexia can have “feelings of being stupid, disappointment, or isolated”

(Glazzard). Because students with dyslexia struggle with school work, their self esteem can

become diminished. “…self-esteem had increased after the diagnosis had taken place. They

[students interviewed] felt that the label gave them a way of explaining their difficulties to their

peers and the word ‘dyslexia’ gave them a reason for their difficulties. The students no longer

saw themselves as stupid” (Glazzard). While there are difficulties and many students with

dyslexia face hardships, there are some upsides to having dyslexia:

In recent years, however, dyslexia research has taken a surprising turn: identifying the

ways in which people with dyslexia have skills that are superior to those of typical

readers. The latest findings on dyslexia are leading to a new way of looking at the

condition: not just as an impediment, but as an advantage, especially in certain artistic

and scientific fields” (Paul).

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Dyslexia is multifactorial and understanding it can be difficult. Learning how dyslexic children

feel and think, facts teachers need to know about dyslexia, and how to teach a dyslexic student in

the classroom can create monumental improvements for a dyslexic student.

The first step to understanding dyslexia and how it affects children is to know that

dyslexics are not being lazy, and they don’t just “see things backwards”. “Dyslexics can have

difficulties with spelling, writing and pronouncing words. There is a misconception among many

people that dyslexics simply read words backward” (Dyslexia misconceptions). Ignorance

undeniably is not bliss in regards to dyslexia. Misinformation and misconceptions of the learning

disability makes it more difficult for those with dyslexia. “Ignorance about dyslexia makes it

harder to help those with the learning disability, some parents of dyslexic children say. Those

unable to recognize it may assume that children struggling to read are not trying hard enough”

(Dyslexia misconceptions).

Dyslexia is one of the various learning difficulties encountered by children and adults.

The word dyslexia is derived from a Greek word to mean difficulty with words. This

implies that the problem is not simply reading, but includes all language processing

aspects like speech, spelling and writing (How to Support a Dyslexic Child).

It can be tremendously frustrating to those who are dyslexic, and know they are, when society

simply assumes a general definition of dyslexia. There is certainly a need for “more information

for teachers and parents, and people with dyslexia themselves, to see dyslexia as a positive in

their lives and get the support they need to be better readers” (Dyslexia misconceptions). “If a

child is diagnosed as dyslexic, appropriate and timely support is paramount to ensure the child

succeeds in the future” (How to Support a Dyslexic Child). Dyslexia is not something that will
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prevent anyone from achieving their dreams. With support from family and friends and the right

kind of intervention, dyslexics can excel in anything.

In a school environment, teachers must be open to all the types of learning styles every

individual student has. Students will learn in many ways. It is important for teachers to be able to

teach in ways that all the students will be able to grasp the concept of the lesson. Dyslexia is real.

There is no doubt about that, but it is seldom talked about. “Autism affects one in 68 children

and we hear about autism all the time. What you might not realize is that dyslexia affects one in

five people—that’s up to 20 percent of the population” (WeAreTeachers Staff). A teacher who

can recognize that a student has dyslexia and adapt the classroom to be beneficial to that student-

and all students- will have lasting impacts on that student’s education. Teachers ought to

remember that dyslexia varies from person to person:

Even though the diagnosis of dyslexia has one common name, its effects vary for

different students. It is important both for young children with dyslexia and for students

in higher education that teachers recognize the diversity of their impairments and

identify their individual strengths and weaknesses in order to pinpoint the critical aspects

of each person’s reading ability. Only then will it be possible to direct adequate and

appropriate instruction to enhance reading abilities (Wennas Brante).

Teachers are constantly influencing their students. They are there to benefit the lives of their

students. Being an informed educator about dyslexia can prove to be the support a student needs

to achieve their goals and accomplish their dreams. “Through precise knowledge of the

individual reading abilities of young and adult students, teachers can increase opportunities for

students with dyslexia to continue to higher education, and not only those students who have

exceptional parental support” (Wennas Brante). A teacher plays many roles, not just an educator.
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Many students will refer to teachers as their mentor, role model, and even friend. It only takes

one teacher to change a student’s life:

If a teacher has done his or her research and has suspicions that dyslexia might be the

culprit of a child’s difficulty, the resources you give to the parent and the red flags you

raise may be the difference between that child having a successful academic career and

that child failing to meet his or her potential (WeAreTeachers Staff).

The simple act of being informed about dyslexia can be enough to start the process going for a

struggling student. Many undiagnosed students have a low self-esteem because they do not

understand why they aren’t learning like or as fast as the other students. A teacher who stops and

considers dyslexia may be the underlying problem, not an intellectual deficiency or simply

laziness of the child, can change the world for the dyslexic student.

One of the most important things a teacher can do is understand that hidden disabilities

are still disabilities. The student struggling in the classroom due to dyslexia may be faced with

difficulties twice as much, simply because classmates and educators cannot physically see

something abnormal. This is true even more so for the undiagnosed student. "The first thing you

see is they absolutely don't want to go to school. They will come up with any excuse possible ...

because on a daily basis, they experience failure" (Undiagnosed and misunderstood). Keith

Gray, age 81, a dyslexic, and a now retired top financial executive for TD Bank said, "It is hell

for a child with dyslexia at home. It is hell in the playground, and it is hell in school. They're

wired differently" (Undiagnosed and misunderstood). School can be challenging, and kids can be

cruel without the added pressure of a learning disability. Every teacher should be mindful of

potential reasons for a student’s struggles aside from just laziness. In regards to dyslexia

specifically, researchers have found that teachers seem to lack information about dyslexia which
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can influence teaching efficacy and behavior (Sicherer). An educator's purpose is to educate

those around them, but how can teachers teach dyslexic students if the teachers themselves do

not know what dyslexia even is? In a study, researchers conducted a multiple case study

involving nine elementary schools from a district in Wayne, NJ:

Findings suggested that teachers did not seem to have significant knowledge or an

accurate definition of dyslexia. The findings also suggested that participants generally

believed that they did not have adequate training on the subject of dyslexia and admitted

that this lack of training affected their teacher efficacy. Results suggested that teachers

lack training on and do not have appropriate knowledge about dyslexia. Recommended

actions from the study included appropriate training for teachers in teacher training

programs on teaching students with dyslexia including interventions, explorations of

phonological processing as the basis of dyslexia, and management of inclusive

classrooms (Sicherer).

The proper training for teachers is crucial for students to succeed to the best of their abilities. In a

general education classroom, there can and most likely will be be a mixed of student with

different skill levels and abilities. No classroom contains a completely homozygous group of

students. No matter the exceptionality, students are most likely to achieve in a general education

classroom. With that in mind, teachers of all grades should be looking for new and innovative

ways to teacher all their students.

It is important to remember that students with dyslexia (and with all exceptionalities) are

humans first. Society is big on using labels, but the only label that truly matters is that everyone

is human. Everyone has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. In regards to students with

dyslexia:
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Dyslexics have many strengths: oral skills, comprehension, good visual spatial

awareness/artistic abilities. More and more dyslexic children could become talented and

gifted members of our schools if we worked not only with their specific areas of

difficulty, but also their specific areas of strengths from an early age. To do this we have

to let go of outmoded viewpoints that a dyslexic child must first fail, in order to be

identified. (Hodge)

Teachers who see beyond the exceptionality and strive to allow their students to reach their full

potential are the teachers who are going to make a difference. It is important to have patience and

to incorporate an all-inclusive classroom for all students.

There are numerous ways in which a teacher can teach a student with dyslexia. A few

simple accommodations to the classroom can drastically improve a dyslexic student’s academic

performance. To start, always clarify or simplify written directions. Some directions are written

in paragraph form and contain many units of information. These can be overwhelming to some

students. The teacher can help by underlining or highlighting the significant parts of the

directions. Rewriting the directions is often helpful (Dyslexia in the Classroom). Everyone gets

confused or misunderstands every once in a while, but the dyslexic student is more likely to be

misunderstand something if directions are not clearly stated. In addition to clear instructions, a

teacher may consider providing all students, not just the dyslexics, with an outline of what is

going to be taught in the lesson and ending the lesson with a resume of what has been taught. In

this way information is more likely to go from short term memory to long term memory

(Hodge). An outline also enables some students to follow the lesson successfully and make

appropriate notes. Moreover, an outline helps students to see the organization of the material and
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ask timely questions (Dyslexia in the Classroom). This is not only reinforcing content material,

but also provides the dyslexic student a hard copy of accurate information on what was taught.

Practice makes perfect is the famous saying that holds true when learning something new.

Students with dyslexia work twice as hard as non-dyslexic students and therefore need additional

practice to master skills. Providing additional practice activities in class is another approach to

teaching a dyslexic student. Some materials do not provide enough practice activities for students

with learning problems to acquire mastery on selected skills. Teachers then must supplement the

material with practice activities. Recommended practice exercises include instructional games,

peer teaching activities, self-correcting materials, computer software programs, and additional

worksheets (Dyslexia in the Classroom). This not only allows for the student with dyslexia to

have more practice, but it also a reinforcement for the entire class. In regards to reading, teachers

should consider developing reading guides. A reading guide helps the reader understand the main

ideas and sort out the numerous details related to the main ideas. A reading guide can be

developed paragraph by paragraph, page by page, or section by section (Dyslexia in the

Classroom). This way, the student will be able to understand the important concepts from the

reading and will help in keeping the student on course. It should also be noted to not randomly

have the dyslexic student read aloud in class. Instead, “reserve this for a quiet time with the class

teacher. Alternatively, perhaps give the child advanced time to read pre-selected reading

material, to be practiced at home the day before. This will help ensure that the child is seen to be

able to read out loud, along with other children” (Hodge). Reading aloud is a task that many

struggle with, but for the dyslexic student, this can be a monumental challenge. Save the student

the public embarrassment by giving them a day’s notice to review the section they are to read. It
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is important to remember that the classroom should be a safe environment and that all students

be equally included in the lesson.

Technology is ever changing and with that comes the endless possibilities in which

technology can help a student with any given exceptionality. Audio is an excellent tool for

students with dyslexia. Directions, stories, and specific lessons can be recorded. The student can

replay the tape to clarify understanding of directions or concepts. Also, to improve reading skills,

the student can read the printed words silently as they are presented on tape (Dyslexia in the

Classroom). With an audio recording of directions and the lesson itself, dyslexic students are

able to revisit exactly what was stated and not rely simply on what they wrote down. Assistive

technology products such as tablets, electronic readers/dictionaries/spellers, text to speech

programs, audiobooks, and more can be very useful tools (Dyslexia in the Classroom). This then

provides them with various ways to obtain the proper information needed for assessments. In

regards to testing they can be given in oral or written format. Students can be allowed to

complete projects instead of oral reports or vice versa (Dyslexia in the Classroom). These

modifications are to accommodate the exceptionality, not make the work load or test easier, and

can drastically improve the student’s grades.

The classroom is an ongoing interactive environment. It is important to have all students

participate in activities and to never exclude a student for any reason. All students need structure,

but specifically, “many students with learning problems need the structure of daily routines to

know and do what is expected” (Dyslexia in the Classroom). Maintaining structure of routines is

key to not only the dyslexic student, but to all students. Children learn classroom procedures at

pre-k and kindergarten levels, because the consistency is key in their development. Mnemonic

instruction can be a valuable approach as well. Mnemonic devices can be used to help students
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remember key information or steps in a learning strategy (Dyslexia in the Classroom). This can

benefit all students in the classroom, as it provides unique ways to remembering key components

of a lesson. Also, in regards to maintaining a routine, the day should start and end with a daily

review. Daily review of previous learning or lessons can help students connect new information

with prior knowledge (Dyslexia in the Classroom). A brief review of the previous lesson’s main

idea will provide students with an idea on how the current lesson will be connected. It is always

important to quickly review the big idea of the current lesson through outlines, graphic

organizers, and/or review games.

Dyslexia is very complex in its nature and while it is a lifelong exceptionality, early

intervention can be beneficial:

The most widely used remedial method is the Orton-Gillingham Technique. First, a

language evaluation study is done. This points out a person's particular difficulties. A

simultaneous association of visual, auditory and kinesthetic language stimuli is used. One

of the aims of this type of remedial teaching is to break the complex whole into smaller,

more understandable units. The remediation is handled as a team, with parents, teachers

at school, a tutor, and the student participating. The program is individually tailored to

the student. Rosanne Aman, Director of the Wisconsin Dyslexia Institute says that,

"dyslexia can be overcome with appropriate therapy. Language and reading responses

can become automatic and interlaced." Information is arranged sequentially and taught

directly. A multi-sensory approach is used. (Griesbach).

Like most exceptionalities, early intervention at a young age can help increase a person’s ability

to becoming a functioning member in society. As teachers, it is our job to prepare the leaders of

tomorrow, even if that means making changes and providing the accommodations needed.
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“These are the children of our future and they have a right to help and support before they

develop the dreadful sense of failure which is so insidious. Class teachers dealing with dyslexic

children need to be flexible in their approach, so that they can, as far as possible, find a method

that suits the pupil, rather than expecting that all pupils will learn in the same way” (Hodge). No

two students learn the same way and it is ignorant to believe otherwise. Dyslexia is tremendously

common and in one classroom there can be multiple students with dyslexia or presenting

symptoms of it:

‘Dyslexia is the most common learning disability, accounting for over 80 percent of these

disorders,’ notes Sally E. Shaywitz, M.D., co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia &

Creativity. It affects one in five kids, which means a typical classroom has at least four to

six dyslexic students who require diagnosis and targeted reading instruction, Dr.

Shaywitz says. Unfortunately, the majority of these kids fall through the cracks: Either

they're never identified, or they don't receive effective reading interventions. (Pevzner)

Ultimately, teachers need to have better training and an overall concept of what dyslexia is and

how to treat and teach a student with dyslexia. “There must be an understanding from all who

teach them, that they may have many talents and skills. Their abilities must not be measured

purely on the basis of their difficulties in acquiring literacy skills. Dyslexic children, like all

children, thrive on challenges and success” (Hodge). Students with dyslexia are students first.

Teachers must do everything in their power to make the classroom the best environment for all

students. Because everyone learns differently, teachers need to keep an open mind to any all

types of learning.
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Works Cited

“Definition of Dyslexia.” International Dyslexia Association , International Dyslexia

Association, 2017, dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/. Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.

“Dyslexia in the Classroom: What Every Teacher Needs to Know.” Probate and Trust
Legislation, 1 Jan. 1991, pp. 1–16., Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.

"Dyslexia misconceptions frustrate those who have it." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review [Pittsburgh,
PA], 12 Apr. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A286040201/OVIC?u=oceancc&xid=e4fa173a. Accessed
17 Apr. 2017.

"Finding a voice: early intervention of dyslexia pays off." Age [Melbourne, Australia], 31 Dec.
2016, p. 2. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A47
5448273/OVIC?u=oceancc&xid=778cb569. Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.

GLAZZARD, JONATHAN. "The Impact of Dyslexia on Pupils' Self-Esteem." Support for

Learning, vol. 25, no. 2, May 2010, pp. 63-69. EBSCOhost,doi:10.1111/j.1467-
9604.2010.01442.x. Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.

Griesbach, Gay. Dyslexia: Its History, Etiology, and Treatment. 01 Jan. 1993. EBSCOhost,
libproxy.ocean.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&
db=eric&AN=ED358409&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.

Hodge, Patricia. “A Dyslexic Child in the Classroom.” Dyslexia the Gift, Davis Dyslexia
Association International, 2000, www.dyslexia.com/about-dyslexia/understanding-
dyslexia/guide-for-classroom-teachers/. Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.

Paul, Annie Murphy. "The Upside of Dyslexia." New York Times, 5 Feb. 2012, p. 5(L).
Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A279022803/OVIC?
u=oceancc&xid=0b457713. Accessed 17 Apr. 2017.

PEVZNER, HOLLY. "When READING Isn't Esay." Scholastic Parent & Child, vol. 22, no. 5,
Feb/Mar2015, pp. 64-67. EBSCOhost,
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db=aph&AN=100984024&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 12 Apr. 2017.

Sicherer, Mati. Exploring Teacher Knowledge about Dyslexia and Teacher Efficacy in the
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Inclusive Classroom: A Multiple Case Study. ProQuest LLC, ProQuest LLC, 01 Jan.
2014. EBSCOhost,
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"Undiagnosed and misunderstood, students with dyslexia face stigma and shame." The
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 9 Sept. 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
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WeAreTeachers Staff. “8 Things Every Teacher Should Know About Dyslexia.”

WeAreTeachers,
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Wennas Brante, Eva. "I Don't Know What It Is to Be Able to Read": How Students with
Dyslexia Experience Their Reading Impairment." Support for Learning, vol. 28, no. 2, 01
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