Recognise and manage stress and anxiety
Strategies to strengthen inclusive practice
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Reduce anxiety
Reduce anxiety
Recognise and help ākonga manage anxiety as they participate in literacy and numeracy learning and assessment activities.
- Reduce surprises and provide support when ākonga do a new task or assignment type for the first time.
- Give ākonga the chance to practice newly learned skills in a safe places.
- Create opportunities for ākonga to share successes (if they are comfortable to do so).
- Talk with ākonga about the ways in which their dyslexia influences their learning and what supports are useful and would be valuable in assessments.
- Make time to discuss recognising and managing anxiety with the whole class, provide options such as a padlet or anonymous box where learners can post questions or ask for help.
- Encourage ākonga to look ahead and anticipate key dates and pressure points, such as assignment deadlines or timed assessments and work through scenarios and solutions.
- Introduce and explore the concept of adopting a growth mindset.
Source: International Dyslexia Association (opens in a new tab/window)
Schedule regular check-ins
Schedule regular check-ins
At your regular check-ins with ākonga, ask how they are feeling.
Also ask what supports and strategies are working well and what needs to be adjusted.
- What’s working well for you at the moment?
- How are you coping with the workload? Let’s look at your timetable/organiser and see what changes we can make.
- Is any part of the work challenging at the moment?
- What kind of support would be useful?
- What's something you're looking forward to in the next few days?
- Is there anything I can do to help?
Provide timely, useful guidance
Provide timely, useful guidance
Review and give direction in ways that work for ākonga.
Some may prefer hearing the teacher’s voice, others may prefer written notes. Ask ākonga what they prefer.
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Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Support self-advocacy
Support self-advocacy
Encourage ākonga to identify learning needs and preferences and how to advocate for them across multiple contexts.
Create opportunities for ākonga to genuinely practice self-advocacy.
- How to identify when to work alone and when to collaborate.
- How and when to use text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools.
- How and when to use text-to-speech to read back text to support editing.
- How to select the best physical environment for a task or assessment to support attention, focus and achievement.
- How and when to request and use headphones.
- Knowing what supports editing in an assessment: Reading aloud written examination responses and correct as they read or hearing what they wrote, and determining whether it is what they intended.
Developing growth mindsets
Developing growth mindsets
Watch this video with ākonga.
Discuss how to move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset in literacy and numeracy learning.
Useful resources
Useful resources
The dyslexia-stress-anxiety connection
Read time: 10 min
This resource explains stress and anxiety and how they connect with dyslexia. It includes a step-by-step guide for supporting individuals to de-stress.
Publisher: International Dyslexia Association
Too stressed for exam success?
Read time: 7 min
Strategies for neurodiverse learners to develop their self-belief, improve learning and relieve exam nerves.
Publisher: Optimus Education
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Supporting literacy and numeracy in NCEA”:
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Current page Recognise and manage stress and anxiety
Return to the guide “Dyslexia and learning”
How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Dyslexia and learning
Understand:
- Understanding dyslexia
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Understanding dyslexia and literacy acquisitionShow suggestions for Understanding dyslexia and literacy acquisition
Strategies for action:
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Develop a schoolwide approachShow suggestions for Develop a schoolwide approach
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Identify student needs and how to provide supportShow suggestions for Identify student needs and how to provide support
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Support early literacy development through a structured literacy approachShow suggestions for Support early literacy development through a structured literacy approach
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Helpful classroom strategies in years 1–8Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies in years 1–8
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Helpful classroom strategies in years 9–13Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies in years 9–13
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Supporting literacy and numeracy in NCEAShow suggestions for Supporting literacy and numeracy in NCEA
