Dyslexia…

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills.

It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields. (British Dyslexia Association)

Dyslexia can affect many aspects of an individual’s learning and development. It is often overlooked in the classroom and can be difficult for teachers to recognise because the profile of dyslexic learners can be very different to each other.

Individuals who are dyslexic might find the following more difficult than their peers:

• developing and retaining phonics skills

• spelling

• handwriting and written accuracy

• reading and writing speed

• reading comprehension, fluency and accuracy

• organisation

• memory

• processing

• speech and language development

• focus and attention

Because of these challenges, dyslexic pupils can also:

• have low self-esteem and confidence

• avoid school work and academic challenge

• feel socially isolated