How do your classroom practices align with these straightforward adjustments? Would you consider your classroom to be dyslexia and literacy difficulty friendly?

Download the classroom poster below to share with your staff.

1. Backgrounds – Consider altering your smart board backgrounds to a different colour to enhance readability for everyone. If a pupil already has a colour preference, accommodate that; otherwise, opt for a school-wide colour scheme, with light blue being a popular choice.
2. Books and overlays – Some pupils may find it easier to write in books with coloured backgrounds and to use coloured overlays. This adjustment is cost-effective yet immensely impactful. Please note that you do not need to have a diagnosis for a pupil to put in in this reasonable adjustment. Often parents have to go to a private optometrist for further investigation which is severely limiting for many as it is costly. If a £1 overlay can support a pupil, there’s no reason not to try it.
3. Dyslexia-friendly fonts – Utilise fonts specifically crafted for dyslexia, enhancing readability for all. Explore options such as those available at https://www.dyslexiefont.com/ and https://opendyslexic.org/.
4. Visual aids – Incorporating more visual elements into teaching benefits all students, aiding in retention and facilitating information retrieval. This could include simplified knowledge organisers, a hand drawn mind map of key vocabulary or pupils having their own copy of what is on the learning wall (take a photo and print so that pupils don’t always need to track from the board/learning wall to their book).
5. Simplified instruction – Breaking down lessons into smaller, digestible segments (chunking) and utilising straightforward language enhances comprehension for everyone. Strategies like the mini-plenary and now/next boards can help achieve this goal.
6. Technology – This is getting better and better! See if you can obtain some scanning pens to support pupils as well as exploring speech to text and other accessibility options such as ‘read to me’ in Microsoft word. Get pupils typing as soon as possible. If you consider that they will be well supported by a laptop moving forward, then provide one ASAP and before that, get going with regular typing skills sessions.
7. Avoid singling out students for reading – Refrain from putting students on the spot to read aloud, as it can be demotivating and potentially upsetting. Instead, provide opportunities for them to read to an adult daily, independently or with a trusted peer. Some schools have school pets to read to as well!
8. Implement supportive strategies – Employ techniques such as natural brain breaks, memory aids like word mats, ensuring a clear line of sight to the teacher, and seating arrangements conducive to taking an active part in lessons and accessing resources like the board easily.
9. Positive feedback – Adopt a feedback-oriented approach, emphasising what students have accomplished before addressing areas for improvement. Focusing solely on grammar and punctuation can be demotivating and may hinder creativity. Check your marking policy is positive and inclusive. Hopefully your policy follows a feedback model where staff can have meaningful conversations with pupils.
10. Inclusive homework practices – Ensure that homework assignments are accessible and beneficial for all students, including those with additional needs. Avoid assigning tasks that require too much parental assistance beyond the child’s capability, and instead, encourage meaningful tasks that support their development. Track back to where the pupil’s starting point is. Don’t provide any year 5 spellings if they have not yet mastered the first 100 words for example. Homework tasks should not take more than half an hour to complete. Also allow parents to adapt homework if they wish to make it more meaningful and enjoyable.

These strategies for a dyslexia friendly classroom should ensure that your pupils with dyslexia or other similar literacy difficulties are able to access the curriculum more easily.

Thanks for reading,

Lynn

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