Date
07 July 2025

Ask the student what will help

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Identify student needs and how to provide support’

On this page:

Ask what helps

Ask what helps

Discuss possible supports and make these available to all students.

Tate from Onslow College explains what works for him in the classroom.

Support self-advocacy with learner profiles

Support self-advocacy with learner profiles

Having students create a learner profile for themselves is a great way to have them develop a better and fuller understanding of who they are as learners …

This develops their independence and places them in a better position to self-advocate for the tools, learning materials, and presentation options that can optimise their learning experiences.

Naryn Searcy

Source: UDL Resource (opens in a new tab/window)

Source:
UDL Resource

Take a strengths-based approach

Take a strengths-based approach

Know your learners – understand what they can do, what their strengths are, and what their specific needs are.

Find out about:

  • what motivates them
  • what they are good at and enjoy doing 
  • what rewards them and reinforces their behaviours
  • important people in their lives
  • cultural connections and experiences and languages spoken
  • how they like to unwind and relax
  • dislikes and things they avoid
  • how they like to learn and what helps them learn
  • things that make it hard for them to learn
  • what they do when they need help.

Create a safe environment

Create a safe environment

Create an environment where your students are comfortable asking for what they need.

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Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

Source:
Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga

Useful resources

Useful resources

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Identify student needs and how to provide support”:

Return to the guide “Dyslexia and learning”

Guide to Index of the guide: Dyslexia and learning

Strategies for action:

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