Date
15 March 2024

Understand emotions and stressors and build confidence

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Helpful classroom strategies in years 1-8’

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Recognise student effort

Recognise student effort

Concentrating and processing information is tiring for learners with dyslexia. Use visuals to recognise small steps towards achieving larger goals. Provide specific positive feedback frequently. Minimise homework.

Recognise student strengths

Recognise student strengths

Get to know your students’ strengths.

Provide regular opportunities for students to demonstrate and utilise their strengths and talents.

A strengths-based approach: 

  • enables the student to receive positive feedback
  • builds their confidence as learners 
  • allows their peers to see them as successful.

Students feel confident and valued, rather than focusing on the frustration of what is not working well.

Give students time

Give students time

Additional time reduces stress and enables the student to be successful.

  • Provide students with extra time to complete tasks.
  • Provide increased processing time, for example, deliberately pause after you ask a question and provide think-time.
  • During tests, provide a short break in the middle, or break the test into two parts to be sat on different days.

Listen and observe

Listen and observe

Loveday Lewthwaite explains the classroom accommodations she has made to support Josh, a Year 7 student with dyslexia. Recognising and utilising his strengths is part of this.

Build a growth mindset

Build a growth mindset

As students work on their learning objectives, use Growth Mindset language when giving feedback and feed-forward. This supports them to remain persistent, resilient, and focused.

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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

Website

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

Visit website

File

Questionnaire for students

Questions to ask your students to find out how they are feeling and what they need to access the curriculum.

Download PDF (72 KB)

Website

See dyslexia differently

This animation illustrates the challenges children with dyslexia face while also acknowledging their strengths and potential. A companion teacher resource is linked in the video description.

Publisher: The British Dyslexia Association

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Helpful classroom strategies in years 1-8”:

Return to the guide “Dyslexia and learning”

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