Celebrating Dyslexia Awareness Week

This week we celebrated Dyslexia Awareness Week, with the 2023 theme of ‘Uniquely You’. Spearheaded by the British Dyslexia Association, the week is an opportunity to celebrate students’ unique Dyslexia journeys and focus on empowering ourselves with knowledge.

With this in mind, we wanted to share our favourite dyslexia resources with you, to support you and your family, wherever you may be in your dyslexia journey.

What are the signs of dyslexia and how is it diagnosed?

Dyslexia is a learning difference that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling. It is very common – it’s estimated that up to 1 in 10 people in the UK are dyslexic.

Often the first signs of dyslexia appear when a child starts school and starts learning to read and write. Students with dyslexia generally may confuse the order of letters in words, read and write slowly, spell poorly, struggle with planning and organisation or have difficulty with written information.

Dyslexia is diagnosed by an educational psychologist or qualified specialist dyslexia teacher. Assessments can only be taken from age 7 onwards. Generally an assessment will examine children’s reading and writing abilities, memory, visual and auditory processing speed and logical reasoning among other core skills.

Read more here.

Advice for parents supporting children with dyslexia

The British Dyslexia Association has some fantastic resources for parents on supporting young people with dyslexia. Take a look here for some insights on helping with spelling, handwriting, homework and reading.

Some suggestions include:

• Supporting spelling by writing words together in different coloured pens to make a rainbow or in shaving foam, flour or sand to help your child remember them
• Keeping homework or reading sessions short so children are able to maintain concentration without becoming bored
• Use cut out or magnetic letters to build words together, then mix these up and rebuild the word together

How can I use technology to support my child with dyslexia?

The technology at our fingertips today can make a huge difference to supporting leaders with dyslexia. You might want to try:

• Using reading apps or e-readers: Lots of young people find using technology such as a Kindle or reading app on their phone makes reading easier than in a book format. Text can be split into several pages and font size, type and spacing can be easily adjusted.

• Making use of text-to-speech software: Especially useful for older students, text-to-speech software reads out text on a screen for students who struggle to read from a computer. It can also help them proof-read their own work audibly. Take a look at The Dyslexia Association’s recommendations here.

• Using reading pens: For printed materials, you may want to try reading pens. These are pen-shaped electronic devices that scan printed text and read it aloud via headphones. If approved as part of access arrangements, they can also be used in GCSE or A Level exams.

• Using mind-mapping software or smartpens: Many students enjoy using tech-based solutions useful to create mind maps, take notes or flexibly record their thoughts. Older students might also benefit from smartpens, which help learners to organise their notes. Many pens also include voice recorders, which is useful if students would like to record sound and take notes simultaneously. Take a look at some options here.

How can Enjoy support my child with dyslexia?

We’re here to support you, wherever you are on your journey. Our experienced team, tutors and network of specialist consultants support families of children with dyslexia with:

• Specialist 1:1 tuition: One-to-one support with experienced SEN tutors.
• Academic Coaches: Specialist Coaches to support students throughout the year, embedding core learning, revision and exam skills to keep your child on track and feeling positive about learning.
• Residential Tuition: Short-term tuition sprints over the holidays, accelerating learning and helping students catch up with any missed work.
• Finding your next steps: If your child has been recently diagnosed, our Head of Learning Development, Kate, is here to help you demystify diagnoses and Educational Psychologist reports, so you can feel confident in your strategy going forwards. We also work with a highly qualified dyslexia specialist, Lisa, who assesses learning gaps and helps students to get on top of the foundations of their literacy.
• Home-schooling: Creating personalised plans to support students to reach their goals, overcome challenges and enjoy a tailored learning experience.

We are proud to work with so many dyslexic students to help them overcome challenges, access their unique talents and achieve their potential. Wherever you are on your dyslexia journey, our team and talented tutors are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to discuss building a positive educational pathway for your family.