About Dyslexia - Supporting Literacy in The Classroom
About Dyslexia - Supporting Literacy in The Classroom
Dyslexia
Supporting literacy in the classroom
Published 2020 by the Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
www.education.govt.nz
Acknowledgements
What is dyslexia? 4
3
Contents
Neuroscience – Research that informs practice 5 Understanding the challenge of literacy acquisition 46
This booklet, along with a pamphlet for parents and whānau and other resources,
is available online at https://literacyonline.tki.org.nz/Literacy-Online/Dyslexia
This document includes links to helpful resources, including video clips and websites.
To access the hyperlinks, click on the underlined links in the online version.
1
Dyslexia
I am stupid.
Nobody would ever say
I have a talent for words
Now read up
By AO
2
About this resource
Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia o tātou mahi.
Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work.
Dyslexia is a dynamic condition; people with dyslexia building supports, accommodations and
change as they grow and their needs change. modifications into learning programmes to reduce
3
What is
dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a specific learning difference which is constitutional in
origin and which, for a given level of ability, may cause unexpected
difficulties in the acquisition of certain literacy and numeracy skills.
Dyslexia is not an intellectual impairment. (Dyslexia Foundation NZ)
“Constitutional in origin” refers to the fact that dyslexia has a
substantive neurobiological basis.
Structured literacy teaching is essential and can impact positively
on the progress and achievement of students with dyslexia.
Resources
For more information on what dyslexia is and advice on
supporting the learning of students with dyslexia across
the curriculum, visit:
Inclusive Education, TKI, Dyslexia and Learning guide
Dyslexia Foundation NZ
SPELD NZ
4
Neuroscience – Research that informs practice
Cognitive neuroscience provides significant insight into what happens in the brain
during learning.
WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?
supports and flexible options to engage with learning,
rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. presenting material in multiple ways
Findings from neuroscience indicate that the human enabling students to express learned content in
brain learns using three primary networks. different ways
Research from neuroscience indicates that dyslexia has a genetic origin (Milne, 2014).
It is not uncommon for a child with dyslexia to have an immediate family member who
also has dyslexia.
Notice other children in the family who may Given that dyslexia can run in families, teachers
experience difficulties with early literacy development need to be sensitive when working with parents
and put targeted intervention strategies in place and whānau who may have had negative learning
promptly if required. experiences during their time at school.
5
Early recognition
and intervention
It is critical that difficulties learning to read are identified
as early as possible and that intensive and well-targeted
interventions are provided to students. Teachers must
take action when difficulties with reading are identified,
rather than waiting for a formal diagnosis of dyslexia
(Hanks, 2011). Ongoing support is essential for preventing
low achievement and poor self-esteem.
Early intervention 7
6
Early intervention
Early intervention is much more effective than later The key elements of early literacy intervention are:
intervention or remediation. Adopt a preventive
approach to early reading difficulties: Phonemic awareness instruction
identify children who need literacy support as Teaching students to manipulate the sounds of
early as possible words (phonemes) to improve reading (blending)
and spelling (segmentation) skills.
provide them with the necessary interventions
to remove barriers to reading skills acquisition
Phonics instruction
monitor their responses to high-quality,
Teaching students how to sound out printed
evidence-based intervention.
words using knowledge of graphemes, to decode
(Elliott & Grigorenko, 2014) multisyllabic words, and to generalise learned
rules of language to new words.
Vocabulary instruction
Teaching students to recognise the meaning of
words they are reading and to build an appreciation
and understanding of new words.
Comprehension instruction
Teaching students to monitor their understanding
while reading, linking what they read to previous
learning and asking questions about what they read.
7
Indicators and characteristics
This means they have difficulties with:
All students with dyslexia have
decoding (when reading)
the same core characteristics.
EARLY RECOGNITION AND INTERVENTION
appear to be fatigued by the disengagement or challenging
8
EARLY RECOGNITION AND INTERVENTION
Persisting factors
The presence of one or
Some of the characteristics of dyslexia continue
even several of these
over time. They can be evident from an early age
characteristics does not
and still be present when a young person leaves
mean that a student has
school. Persisting factors or consequential
dyslexia. For example, a lot
behaviours can include:
of young children struggle
with letter reversals variable performance, for example, a student
and word confusions in may know the spelling of a word one day but
the first year of school. not the next
The presence of many
poor retention of previously learned reading and
characteristics indicates a
writing skills
need to carry out a close
assessment of the student. unexpectedly poor output for considerable effort,
which may result in fatigue and loss of motivation
Students with dyslexia may
develop compensatory difficulty with word storage, for example, retaining
strategies, which can word patterns for spoken language
disguise their difficulties.
difficulty with sequencing and with retaining a
sequence, such as the letters in a word, over time.
9
School-wide screening processes
Screening is not the same as diagnosing. The dyslexia screening process gives information
about the presence of traits typically associated with dyslexia. The learning support coordinator,
SENCO and/or senior leaders need to determine the school-wide process for screening and
supporting students who may have dyslexia. These questions can assist with planning next steps.
EARLY RECOGNITION AND INTERVENTION
Has the student had rich early literacy Does the student have good oral vocabulary?
experiences?
YES Check their listening comprehension.
Assume an adequate level of literacy
YES
knowledge and awareness for tasks. Explore further and focus
NO
instruction on building vocabulary.
Explore further and build knowledge
NO
and experiences.
Does the student have good listening
comprehension?
Has the student had their hearing checked
and a hearing condition such as glue ear Check their ability to read written texts.
YES
been diagnosed? If difficulties exist, check their phonological
awareness.
A hearing condition will affect their
YES
ability to hear sounds. It may affect their Explore further and focus instruction on
NO
listening comprehension and their oral oral language.
language development. Seek advice from
a speech-language therapist or hearing
specialist teacher. Are there any other factors or characteristics
that would likely have a negative impact on
Assume they can hear the normal range
NO all areas of learning?
of sounds. Eliminate hearing as a possible
cause of difficulties. Check for factors such as poor school attendance,
inability to focus attention on learning tasks, distractibility,
and possible signs of emotional disturbance or bullying.
Has the student had their vision checked and
Seek appropriate professional advice,
an eyesight condition that is not corrected by YES
support, and assistance.
glasses been diagnosed?
Consider these characteristics associated
A disability affecting vision may affect NO
YES with dyslexia:
their ability to distinguish letters and/or
words. Seek advice from a vision specialist. • poor phonological awareness
Assume they can see text. Eliminate • persistent spelling and decoding errors
NO
vision as a cause of difficulties. • inaccurate or slow context-free word
recognition resulting in poor reading
comprehension and written composition.
Is English the student’s first language?
If not, is the student fluent in English?
Does the student make consistent and persistent
Eliminate lack of knowledge of English
YES spelling errors despite explicit instruction?
as a possible cause of difficulties.
Use school literacy testing data to identify
Assess their English proficiency through YES
NO areas that require specific instruction or
standard assessments.
further investigation.
Screening tools
There are many different tests available to screen
for dyslexia. These tests provide information on
specific learning needs. They can be administered by
a teacher, SENCO or learning support coordinator.
Use the results to plan targeted teaching approaches.
Resource
The New Zealand Dyslexia Handbook
by Tom Nicholson and Susan Dymock,
Chapter 6, NZCER Press.
11
Classroom assessment tools
Analyse students’ responses to inform instruction, not their scores.
Allow extra time for a student to complete standardised tests, if necessary. This invalidates
the stanines (which are standardised based on time) but does not affect the diagnostic
value of the test. If the time is extended, keep a record of how long the student takes
to complete (a useful comparison for post-instruction assessment). Step in before
EARLY RECOGNITION AND INTERVENTION
School Entry General screening Identifies oral language issues for further
Assessment (SEA) for new entrants investigation.
Observation Survey Survey literacy skills Screening test to inform decisions for intervention
(Six Year Net) of 5–7 year-olds and/or further assessment.
12
Tool Purpose How to use the information
to shape instruction
Pseudo word test Check for letter/ Identifies the specific letters and groups of
(reading) sound knowledge letters the student can decode.
Pseudo word test Check for sound/letter Identifies the specific letters and groups of
(spelling) knowledge letters (including spelling patterns) the student
can encode.
Spelling tests Checks spelling Use error analysis to help make teaching
– formal and informal knowledge and decisions about phoneme/grapheme knowledge;
accuracy; processing letter order; use (or not) of spelling strategies.
strategies used
Funding Assessment Assesses eligibility Assesses English language levels for listening,
Guidelines for ESOL for ESOL funding speaking, reading, and writing.
Resources
Assessment tools and resources from Assessment online on TKI
Select an assessment tool from Assessment online on TKI
The New Zealand Dyslexia Handbook by Tom Nicholson and Susan Dymock, Chapter 6, NZCER Press.
13
Take a
learner-centred
approach
To meet the learning and wellbeing needs of learners with dyslexia:
build relationships with your learners and their whānau
commit to inclusion.
14
Know your learner
Students with dyslexia may have a range of emotional responses to the challenges
they experience when learning. These can include embarrassment, anxiety, frustration,
and anger, which cause additional barriers to learning.
Work closely with your learners to identify and notice times or curriculum areas that
cause them stress. Notice when students feel stuck in their learning or display feelings
of anxiety or disengagement from activities they find difficult.
When... Suggest…
Develop student agency through metacognitive Provide effective literacy instruction and tangible
approaches. Metacognition – “knowing how I learn” – evidence of progress – when students see their
encourages active learning and supports students progress, their self-concept will improve.
to self-advocate and feel a sense of control.
Specifically teach metacognitive strategies during
reading and spelling.
15
Work with parents, caregivers, and whānau
A long-term cooperative effort between teachers, families, and whānau plays a crucial
role in supporting students with dyslexia. Involving families and whānau requires time,
effort, and planning.
providing insights into what motivates a student, their interests outside school,
their likes and dislikes.
TAKE A LEARNER-CENTRED APPROACH
Build and maintain relationships with parents, Keep in mind families and whānau:
caregivers, and whānau by:
may find it difficult to understand what dyslexia
communicating in ways that demonstrate means for their child
understanding and support of their concerns
may need reassurance and evidence that their
discussing a comprehensive assessment of their child’s needs are being met
child’s strengths and needs
may be anxious about their child’s emotional
ensuring that the terms and concepts used are response to their difficulties, as well as about
understood – jargon is disempowering what the school has done or will do to help
listening carefully and responding positively to may have dyslexia themselves and had negative
information from parents and caregivers and to learning experiences during their time at school.
assessments they have had done outside school
16
Plan an inclusive
approach
for learning
Plan to use inclusive supports that remove barriers to accessing, participating, and
demonstrating learning. Some students may need these and all students will benefit.
Action and
Engagement Representation
expression
Stimulate motivation Present information Offer options
and sustained and content in different and support so
enthusiasm for ways to support everyone can create,
learning. understanding. learn and share.
Use the three UDL principles to recognise and remove barriers to learning.
17
PLAN AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH FOR LEARNING
18
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
One-to-one discussions
Feedback surveys
Discuss
Sticky notes Students may not
Learner profiles know what helps them.
How do you model
options and introduce
19
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
Learning guide
strategies,
IDENTIFY AND BUILD ON STRENGTHS
Provide options to
create, learn and
share (years 1–8)
Provide options to
Create flexibility within the classroom.
create, learn, and
Provide quiet spaces to work. share (years 9–13)
Writing samples
recognise their Provide a range literacy learning activities including: How might you use
strengths and how this checklist to
access to digital tools for all learners to support
support your students
these can be used reading, listening, and presentation
to identify their
to support their strengths?
role-play and drama as part of learning and
learning as options for students to present or share their
learning
21
Use a multisensory
approach
A multisensory approach takes into account
that all students learn in different ways, across
contexts. Multisensory activities increase
opportunities for students to use sight, hearing,
movement, and touch to support their learning.
PLAN AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH FOR LEARNING
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
22
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
23
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
For example:
24
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
Provide:
oral and 2 Cover or remove the word from the student’s view. introduce subject-
written work specific word lists
3 Have the student immediately write the word.
learn high
4 Repeat the process frequently until the student
frequency words
can accurately write the word from their visual
memory with minimal to no assistance. learn tricky words.
Students have:
26
Provide useful supports during
learning activities
Embed a range of useful supports across all learning areas.
Work with students to offer resources that are varied and
appropriate for their learning needs. Make these tools available
to everyone and offer them consistently across the school
so they are accepted as common practice. Allow students to
control when they need them.
Consider
Why it is necessary
to provide multiple
representations, such
as models, drawings,
and mind maps?
27
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
dates.
Read
Working memory.
Identify helpful
learning approaches
and resources.
28
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
Bookmarking tools
Annotating tools
29
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
Provide online Ensure all students can access the topic information
and tasks prior to classroom instruction.
access to shared
resources Include:
key vocabulary
task pathways
30
PLAN AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH FOR LEARNING
Provide opportunities
for practice
Learners with dyslexia need lots of practice and revision,
because they often find it difficult to make skills automatic.
Plan varied opportunities to reinforce learning and practise
skills in a range of contexts that suit students’ needs and
learning preferences.
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
31
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
comprehension.
32
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
33
PLAN AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH FOR LEARNING
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
peer coaching
Consider
screen readers to have feedback read to them
Why it is necessary
pictures and symbols, for example, “SP” for
to provide multiple
check spelling
feedback options,
sticky notes. such as video and
audio recordings?
When providing written feedback, ensure students
can read it easily and make sense of the text.
34
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
Provide specific Break tasks into smaller bite-sized chunks and build
feedback at each in time to review and revise before learners move on. Discuss
stage of learning Give specific feedback at each stage so the students How you provide
know what to repeat or improve. feedback that
supports learners
Include specific, positive feedback to highlight
in monitoring
even small successes.
their progress, for
Use simple, concise sentences with examples to example, questions,
support your feedback. progress reporting
and documenting,
Work with students to analyse miscues or errors.
and rubrics.
Identify the learning required and together decide
what they will change to make improvements.
(nasen, 2015)
35
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
(Reid, 2000)
36
Dyslexia robs a
student of time;
accommodations
return it.
(Shaywitz, 2015 p. 314)
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
by focusing Consider reducing the quantity rather than the Extra Time is FAIR
on quality complexity of the learning for students with dyslexia.
37
Professional
learning
Support Approaches discussion
Support students Work with your students and ask if they need:
Discuss
to direct the pace more time to do this task in more depth
of learning How you negotiate
more practice problems in the same or in a
timeframes.
different context
Who sets the pace
more teaching – in the same or in a different way
of learning and if
more feedback this is flexible.
38
PLAN AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH FOR LEARNING
Secondary school
– Modifications and accommodations
Accommodation
Change how a student learns the curriculum content.
Modification
Change what a student is taught or expected to learn.
39
Support Approaches
Shared notes
Don’t ask students to copy, take notes or handwrite unless you have
SECONDARY SCHOOL – MODIFICATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS
teacher notes
whiteboard photos
student notes
recordings.
Sticky notes
Bookmarking tools
Annotating tools
Unpack instructions
Give students templates, rubrics, checklists, and exemplars to provide structure.
40
Support Approaches
Is there a learning support teacher or parent who knows you well that
we can ask for help?
Provide support:
ensure the student knows they can ask questions as often as needed
– in class or in emails (without worrying about spelling)
check in regularly.
Identify supports:
calculators
Quizlets
visual images
workspaces that support how they prefer to learn, for example, with
learning buddies, in a quiet space
ways of working that help them, for example, quiet, moving, music,
drawing, fresh air, brain breaks, fidget equipment.
learning buddies
time to practise
SACs – talk through the specifics of support for assessments and contact
learning support if changes are needed.
41
Support Approaches
key vocabulary
task pathways
(The approaches on pages 40–42 are adapted from the Dyslexia (or similar) strategy map
by Kay Messerli, Onslow College.)
Resources
Helpful classroom strategies years 9–13, Dyslexia and Learning guide,
on the Inclusive Education website
Effective literacy strategies in years 9–13: A guide for teachers,
on the Literacy Online website
42
SECONDARY SCHOOL – MODIFICATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS
The dramatic increase in the number of words to be Flip learning, provide text or content information
read at secondary level creates a barrier for students before the lesson so students can prepare and
with dyslexia who have difficulties in word recognition. re-visit as needed.
Slow or inaccurate reading inhibits the comprehension
Encourage students to summarise and make
needed to hold a meaningful chunk of text in their
sense of what they read by making mind maps
working memory in order to understand it.
and drawing diagrams and flow charts.
Additional support for students starting secondary
Encourage students to take a metacognitive
school without secure reading skills is essential.
approach:
Vocabulary and comprehension instruction are essential
• Question the writer’s intentions.
within content area lessons to facilitate learning for
students with dyslexia (Reed & Vaughan, 2010). • Reflect on the writer’s approach and ask if it
could be improved.
Pre-teach key vocabulary. Build up a sight
vocabulary database to support the pronunciation • Consider their own views in relation to the text
of unfamiliar words they will encounter. and whether their opinions have changed as a
result of the reading.
Ensure that books are at the right reading levels
for students. • Ascertain what they have learned and how they
will transfer this new learning.
Provide text-to-speech software, such as Texthelp
and ClaroRead. Provide reading materials that interest them.
Use audio books when appropriate. Lead students into the text, using questioning
techniques.
Teach reading skills, such as skimming, scanning,
and close reading, and when to use them. Only ask a student to read aloud if you know they
want to.
Limit the quantity of reading students have to do
by providing videos, diagrams, and other visuals, Scaffold tasks, then slowly remove scaffolds as
and encourage the use of screen-readers. their confidence increases.
43
Writing supports across all subject areas
Provide accommodations and modifications to Spelling is often a persistent difficulty for students
remove barriers caused by difficulties with spelling, with dyslexia. It is important that spelling difficulties
sequencing ideas, grammar, and remembering their do not impede students’ creativity and ability to
ideas long enough to record them. demonstrate their knowledge. Encourage the use
of ambitious words and teach students to spell key
Check students’ understanding of the task.
curricular words.
Help them to interpret questions, understand how
much to write, and what to include. Provide subject-specific key words in classroom
handouts.
Use technology to improve written outcomes,
for example, voice recognition software or mind Encourage the use of personalised dictionaries.
SECONDARY SCHOOL – MODIFICATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS
mapping software.
Encourage students to take risks with their spelling,
Teach “questioning the question” approaches, for suggesting that they underline these words.
PLAN AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH FOR LEARNING
• rewarding improvements.
44
Assessment and Special Assessment Conditions (SAC)
When barriers are removed, students with Conduct a class review session before a test
dyslexia are capable of achieving at the same
Provide students with a study guide that includes
levels as other students.
key terms and concepts.
45
Understanding
the challenge of
literacy acquisition
Literacy acquisition and development is made up
of three aspects:
1 learning the code
2 making meaning
3 thinking critically.
(Ministry of Education, 2003)
46
Phonological awareness The alphabetic principle
Students develop phonological awareness by The alphabetic principle includes learning the names
listening, identifying and manipulating larger sounds of the letters of the alphabet and understanding:
– whole words, syllables within words, onsets and
we use letters to record sounds
rimes within syllables, and individual phonemes.
there are different ways to write sounds
It is essential for making the connections between
sounds and letters, and for literacy development. we can use more than one letter to write a sound,
for example, the letters “ch” make different sounds
Phonemic awareness in “chicken”, “chemist” and “chef”.
Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and Students with little phonological awareness need
manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) within considerable support to use the alphabetic principle.
Fluency
Students with dyslexia may find fluency difficult
Phonemic to achieve because they often read or write slowly
as they work out every word with great effort.
awareness By the time each word has been read or written,
(hearing individual fluency is lost and, along with it, meaning. The
sounds) student’s working (short-term) memory is taken
up with the letter-by-letter effort, leaving little
space for holding on to the words and putting them
together into meaningful sentences.
Resources
Sounds and words | Phonological awareness, Literacy Online
Effective literacy practice in years 1 to 4, (Ministry of Education, 2003 pp. 24 and 32)
Effective literacy practice in years 5 to 8, (Ministry of Education, 2006 pp. 25–28)
The literacy learning progressions, (Ministry of Education, 2010)
47
Literacy
teaching activities
for primary and
secondary teachers
Plan to provide high-quality, evidence-based teaching in the classroom.
Take an inclusive approach, combining the supports and accommodations
that remove barriers to learning with specific literacy instruction.
The teaching activities that follow are useful for all students, but essential
for supporting those with dyslexia. Many of the suggestions can be used
across different ages. Select activities according to identified needs.
Syllable activities 50
48
Take a phonics-based approach
Plan systematic and cumulative analogies. Students break words into sound
syllables, and use similar sounding words
instruction to generalise and expand their vocabulary.
Build on previously learned strategies and This relies on the student’s ability to
49
Syllable activities
Use these activities:
with older students, to provide specific support with hearing and identifying syllables.
Students who have difficulty identifying syllables in words need lots of opportunities for hearing and
marking them. When students understand how to do this, prompt them to notice the syllable chunks
within printed words to discover how words are made of parts.
Build awareness Syllable Students clap and/or count the syllables in a variety of words.
of syllable breaks clapping Use:
within words students’ names
Identify syllables Feeling Begin by focusing on compound words, where each syllable
Syllables has a meaning on its own, for example, “star/fish”, “pea/nut”,
“rain/bow”.
27 Have each child hold their fingers firmly under their own chin
so they can feel their chin move when uttering each syllable.
Distinguish same/ Same or Identify syllables that are the same or different in words.
different sounds different? For example,
within words “Which sounds in “promote” and “provide” are the same?”
50
Purpose Activity Application and transfer
Practise Adding Students add missing syllables to familiar words, using a picture
manipulating syllables or object as a prompt if necessary.
syllables
27 Say the word with part left out: “Say ‘toothpaste’ without the
‘tooth’”.
Develop awareness Word 17 Write the word at the top of the triangle.
of syllables and triangle
27 Break the word into syllables.
sounds
37 Identify the phonemes using Elkonin boxes.
delicious
de /li /cious
Extend awareness Rhythm Older students can explore syllables and their relationship to
of syllables and rhyme rhythm and rhyme in songs, poems, and raps.
51
Rhyme and rime activities
Rhymes and rimes refer to sounds, not print. As students develop their awareness of rhyme and rimes,
prompt them to notice how they are represented in print.
Examples
Rhyme – words with the same end sound.
These groups of words have the same
rime (the sound made by the letters Onset – the initial part of a word that precedes the vowel
after the first consonant/s) and they of the next syllable. For example, “c” in “cat”; “spl” in “split”.
rhyme (sound the same), but they are Not all words have onsets. For example, “it” has no onset.
not necessarily spelt the same way:
Rime – the part of the syllable that follows the onset.
fluff, gruff, enough
Digraph – two successive letters whose phonetic value
snake, break, flake is a single sound, for example, “ea” in “bread”, “ng”’ in
“ring”, “wh” in “whale”.
pie, sky, cry, high.
Older students Listen to Sung or spoken rhyming text provides a strong rhythmic
and read structure. These prosodic regularities, provide phonological
Develop and
poems, raps, priming and facilitate word recognition.
extend awareness
and songs
of rhyme in oral and Activities:
written language identify rhymes in regular reading materials
Extend phonemic Notice Notice the “odd words out” in a rhyming poem or story
awareness with differences where the rhyme scheme is broken for effect.
closer attention
to detail
52
Purpose Activity Application and transfer
Identify rhyme Read rhyming Read picture books in narrative verse by authors such as
in texts text Lynley Dodd and Julia Donaldson to juniors and encourage
them to join in the reading.
Manipulate sounds Manipulate Play with onset and rime activities that encourage manipulation
within words and onsets and of the beginnings and ends of words.
syllables rimes
“What other words can you make by changing the first sound
of your name?”
Manipulate blends Blends and Using chunks of text ask students to make the sounds and
and digraphs within digraphs connect them together to form words
words and syllables “What do you get if you join ‘sh’ and ‘ip’”? (“ship”).
3
Play in pairs with one student reading the separate dice
and the other student putting the sounds together.
Students can make nonsense but pronounceable words.
Display written lists List rimes As students develop onset and rime awareness orally,
of familiar words and onsets introduce them to the ways rimes are written. Select rimes
that share the same that are nearly always spelled the same way first. Students
onset or that rhyme can build lists of words they know that use these rimes.
53
Phonemic awareness activities
When teaching phonemic awareness: provide lots of practice opportunities that
incorporate specific instructional feedback
teach only sound/letter relationships that aren’t
known – assessing what students can already support students to make connections so they
do is essential can apply what they know in different situations.
gradually shift across to noticing the graphemes As students become aware of how letters represent
(letters) that represent the phonemes sounds, include short texts in these activities.
Develop awareness Initial When discussing a new sound, have the students:
of initial sounds sounds box
bring objects from home that begin with that sound,
in words for example, when introducing the /h/ sound, students
may bring a hat, a toy horse or a hula hoop
Identify initial Picture sort Students sort six cards with pictures of a bear, a pig, a pin,
sounds, including a bat, a pen and a bike, into two groups according to the
blends initial sounds associated with the pictures.
Extend to include Once students achieve mastery with the initial sounds,
middle and end they can complete the same task for the ending and
sounds middle sounds.
Connect sound Introduce written words for the pictures. Recognise that
to print where the initial sounds are the same, the initial letters are
the same too.
54
Purpose Activity Application and transfer
Identify initial I spy Use the initial sounds of words as the clues for identifying
sounds, including objects or people, for example, “I spy something that begins
blends with /m/”.
“I spy:
Discriminate Odd one out Students listen to three or four words, then say which words
between initial start with the same sound and which word does not belong,
sounds for example, “dog”, “desk”, “fun”.
Transfer to print Introduce the written words for each set and prompt students
to notice that when the initial (or other focus) sounds are the
same, the written words start with the same letter.
Develop awareness Alphabet Work through the alphabet orally, finding objects to correlate to
of initial sounds sound game each sound. Be sure to specify the sound clearly (for example,
the long or short vowel sound, the hard or soft /k/ sound).
55
Purpose Activity Application and transfer
Identify initial Alliteration Read stories and poems that use alliteration, stressing the
sounds in sounds as you read. Encourage students to notice and identify
different contexts repeated sounds.
Listen for, Phoneme Students omit or break off the first phoneme in a syllable
and manipulate deletion or word. For example:
phonemes “I’ll say a word, then you repeat it without the last sound.
So if I say ‘bear’, you say /b/”.
“If the word is ‘cat’ and you change the first sound to /b/
what is the new word?”
“What would you hear if you took the /tr/ off ‘tree’ and
replaced it with /fl/?” (‘flee’)
“What would you hear if you took the /j/ off jump and
replaced it with the sound /gr/?” (‘grump’)
56
Purpose Activity Application and transfer
1
Pronounce a target word slowly, stretching it out by sound.
2
Ask the child to repeat the word.
4 Have the child put counters, one for each phoneme in each
box as they repeat the word. For example, sheep has three
phonemes and will use three boxes. /sh/, /ee/, /p/.
Tap out Students tap out each sound heard in a word with their hand
sounds by starting at the opposite arm’s shoulder for the first sound
and moving down the arm for each additional sound.
Finger Students touch an individual finger with their thumb for each
spelling sound heard, not for each letter.
Practise Sounds-based Use formal and informal experiences to build routines that rely on
distinguishing class routines phonemic awareness. For example, call students to group or line
phonemes in up according to the first (middle or last) sounds in their names.
routine contexts
Resources
Sounds and Words | Phonological awareness, Literacy Online
Sound Sense: Supporting reading and writing in years 1–3 | Hearing sounds in spoken words,
(Ministry of Education, 2018)
Exploring Language: A handbook for teachers | Letters and sounds, (Ministry of Education, 1996)
57
Reading strategies and activities
Students with dyslexia often use the context to “guess” words as a compensatory strategy
when reading (as all children do while they are acquiring literacy skills). This works well for
them as long as the surrounding context is supportive. When students are unable to recognise
words in print easily, fluency is diminished and this impacts on comprehension.
The development of reading skills depends on oral language skills. Interventions to boost
children’s oral language comprehension skills will also improve reading comprehension skills.
Teaching strategies
• using analogy (comparing the unknown word For secondary school students who have
with all or part of a known word) dyslexia
• using the context to confirm partial decoding • In-class interventions to build vocabulary, text
attempts. comprehension, and fluency across all areas of
the curriculum.
instruction in making meaning from text
• More intensive interventions for the word-level
many opportunities to read and write connected
components (phonemic awareness/phonics), which
text within a literature-rich environment, both with
constrain students’ ability to attend to meaning in
teacher support and feedback and independently.
processing text (Reed & Vaughan, 2010).
instruction (including grouping practices and the
level of explicitness) to meet the needs of each For learners with English as a second language
student. who have dyslexia
Select materials that acknowledge diversity.
58
Reading activities
Select activities to reinforce the teaching strategies.
Learn high Build Base early literacy on word families and phonic patterns,
frequency word lists and avoid random lists of high-frequency words which
words overload struggling learners.
Teach a few words at a time. Write them on index cards for the
student to keep and read. As a word is learned, add a new word.
Strengthen Specific Select a word feature that the student knows well and use
letter/sound features this to explore other less well-known aspects of that feature.
connections of words Features could include:
59
Purpose Activity Application and transfer
Develop Practise Model, then guide students to use the meaning and context
decoding checking along with any visual information to check that partial
skills decoding decoding attempts are correct.
attempts
Support students Prompt Use prompting rather than correcting to help students to
to decode students as decode words themselves. Prompts can be general (“Try that
they read again.”) or specific (“Can you find a pattern you know?”).
Effective literacy practice in years 1 to 4 | Prompting
(Ministry of Education, 2003 p. 81)
Effective literacy practice in years 5 to 8 | Prompting
(Ministry of Education, 2006 p. 83)
Encourage Model fluent At all year levels, teacher modelling is an important way
fluency reading to encourage fluency. When you read short extracts aloud,
students are better able to continue reading the text with
fluency and accuracy; cue students into meaning and structure.
Increase word and Word Teach students to use phonological and spelling knowledge
text knowledge recognition to recognise words.
by building on strategies
Start with known sounds or spelling patterns and develop
the known lists of words that fit these patterns.
60
Purpose Activity Application and transfer
Scaffold reading Use electronic Have students read digital stories. Ministry of Education online
practice storybooks readers are available on:
iTunes
Google Play
Resources
Effective literacy practice in years 1 to 4 | Building comprehension (Ministry of Education, 2003
pp. 131–135)
Effective literacy practice in years 5 to 8 | Teaching comprehension (Ministry of Education, 2006
pp. 141–152)
Sound sense: Supporting reading and writing in years 1–3 | Reading and writing (Ministry of Education,
2018 pp. 18–22)
Effective literacy strategies in years 9 to 13: A guide for teachers (Ministry of Education, 2004 pp. 51–98)
61
LITERACY TEACHING ACTIVITIES FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS
Identify the specific nature of the difficulties a Reading instruction should include:
student is experiencing, such as:
the prosodic features of language (intonation,
word decoding and reading accuracy stress, and rhythm)
reading comprehension (Turner & Bodien, 2007). opportunities for students to apply skills to
authentic texts through assisted and repeated
The majority of older students with reading difficulties
readings
can decode single-syllable words, but they often
have difficulty reading multisyllabic words quickly immediate instructional feedback related to
and accurately. These students need a process for students’ individual goals for rate, accuracy,
breaking a longer word into its constituent parts so and expression (Reed & Vaughan, 2010).
it can be pronounced and understood.
Using the Response to Intervention model,
This process can take two forms: described on page 69, provide Tier 2 or Tier 3
support as needed for each child and assess
1 identifying the syllable types (that is, closed;
the effectiveness of the intervention frequently.
open; silent e; r-controlled; vowel pair; and final
stable syllables)
62
Writing and spelling strategies and activities
The teacher’s role is to understand how writing vocabulary develops and to teach the strategies
that proficient spellers use, providing support until students are able to operate independently.
63
Writing and spelling activities
Automatic retrieval of words from long-term memory is the most efficient spelling strategy, but these teaching
activities used together or separately can help students to spell unfamiliar words. Build metacognitive
awareness by explicitly identifying skills used in the activities so students can select approaches for themselves.
Build on known Spelling Explicitly teach spelling patterns and the relationship between
spelling patterns patterns the sounds and letters (using rime, chunking, and phoneme
recognition) so students can build on what they already know.
LITERACY TEACHING ACTIVITIES FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS
Practise making Make links A student who can spell “night” can use this knowledge to
connections – using help spell “right”. If the student knows how to write “looked”
what they know they can write the inflection ending for “jumped”, but will
need to know a different word to link to the inflection in
“wanted” or “played”. With examples for all the sounds that
this inflection makes, the student has a point of reference
they can use to learn how to spell new words.
Word analysis – Word banks Analyse the words students are able to spell, then show them
build on the known how to use what they know to spell other words. Students
can build a personal bank or chart of words they can spell,
based on knowing how to spell one word.
64
Purpose Activity Application and transfer
Regularly access Write Through regular writing and focused instruction, support
known words every day students to:
Support and Interactive, The pen may be held by the teacher or the student, and the
reinforce new paired and text is discussed orally before being written. As the writing
learning shared writing progresses, discuss spelling, word order, and the sequencing
of ideas. Support and reinforce new learning.
Resources
Effective literacy practice in years 5 to 8 | Spelling (Ministry of Education, 2006 pp. 161–166)
Monitoring progress in developmental spelling: Splrs at wrk (Croft, 2019)
Exploring language: A handbook for teachers (Ministry of Education, 1996 pp. 92–93, 105–115)
Effective literacy practice in years 1 to 4 | Creating texts (Ministry of Education, 2003 pp. 136–141)
Effective literacy practice in years 5 to 8 | Supporting the writing process (Ministry of Education, 2006
pp. 153–160)
Effective literacy strategies in years 9 to 13: A guide for teachers (Ministry of Education, 2004 pp. 84–171)
65
School
leadership
Setting up
for success
The key principle for providing a dyslexia-friendly
learning environment is consistency throughout
the school and across the whole staff, teaching
and non-teaching (nasen, 2015).
Successful transitions 70
Professional learning 71
66
Developing an inclusive school
The Inclusive Education website provides practical guidance for schools to recognise,
plan for, and meet the learning and wellbeing needs of diverse learners.
staff who recognise the particular strengths and needs associated with literacy
learning difficulties, such as dyslexia
a strong emphasis on good first teaching, with early intervention where needed,
and provision of accommodations – a “don’t wait to fail” approach
working with specialists such as RTLB to support classroom teachers assess and
plan specific instruction for students with literacy needs
the use of effective, evidence-based strategies and selected programmes that meet
students’ needs
ways of identifying, valuing, and nurturing areas of interest and strength to maintain
students’ engagement and self-esteem
efficient systems for recording, and rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and sharing of
information
strong partnerships with parents, caregivers, and whänau, including effective two-way
communication
effective processes for transitions into, out of, and between schools and between classes –
good communication is essential
a culture of high expectations for all, with the understanding that accommodations
enable successful learning outcomes.
67
Culturally responsive, evidence-based practice
In your school take into account our unique Aotearoa New Zealand context and the
influence that ethnicity and culture may have on:
3 ways of working in partnership with a student and their whānau. (Berryman, 2015)
Treaty of Waitangi principles and what they could look like in action
(Macfarlane, 2015)
2 Protection The mana and wellbeing of tamaiti and the whānau remain intact
Māori retain the right and/or is actively promoted/enhanced.
to self-determination
regarding all issues of
Whānau, hapū, iwi, and Māori community perspectives and
importance to them.
preferences add strategic value.
68
Response to Intervention model
The Response to Intervention (RTI) model is a The RTI model is tailored to individual needs, allowing
whole-school, tiered approach, designed to improve children and young people to move flexibly between the
student learning outcomes. Using the model helps tiers of support according to their rates of progress.
educators to make suitable adjustments to teaching
RTI allows early identification of learners who are
and learning. This ensures that the right levels of
not progressing as they should despite accessing
support are in place for individuals and groups within
evidence-based learning experiences within a strong
effective universal teaching and learning practices
general education programme.
that benefit all learners.
Tier 1 – Universal: Evidence-based Tier 2 – Targeted: More deliberate Tier 3 – Individualised: More
literacy teaching and learning. and direct approaches to support tailored supports for the specific
learners, whānau, and educators. needs of learners, within their
For learners experiencing
contexts.
difficulties, plan to provide: Typically taking place alongside
peers, these more targeted This teaching approach is
specific, targeted teaching as
small-group supplementary personalised, multisensory,
part of the learning programme
supports include: structured, and sequential.
frequent progress monitoring Individualised support may
intensive instruction in identified
flexible groups for differentiated include programmes supported
area(s) of need, sometimes from
learning. by specialist teachers such as
a support teacher
Resource Teachers of Literacy
frequent individual progress and Resource Teachers of
monitoring Learning and Behaviour.
69
Build a school support team
Despite good-quality teaching in the classroom Internal supports:
some students might still experience difficulties.
senior teacher or syndicate leader (primary),
At this point more explicit Tier 2 or Tier 3
dean or department head (secondary)
interventions may be planned.
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP – SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS
SENCO
A support team may be required for the student.
This can be informal or formalised through an IEP. learning support coordinator
It will include school staff, the family/whānau and school literacy leader.
other resource people as needed. Clarify roles and
responsibilities. External supports:
Successful transitions
As students move from one setting or teacher to From class to class, school to school
another, there will be changes and differences that
To build on learning as students move up year by
can be stressful. All staff involved in a transition
year, schools need to develop school-wide processes
need to be aware of the student’s needs to ensure
for documenting progress and the next teaching
a collective responsibility for success.
and learning steps, for example, the sounds, letters,
and spelling patterns taught and mastered. By doing
From an early childhood education service
this, teachers can reinforce and build on the previous
to school
year’s work, then move on to the next steps, rather
If early childhood education service staff or parents than having to rediscover what students have already
and caregivers have concerns about a child’s progress, been taught and learned. Effective teaching strategies
open communication and careful observations will be and areas of strength and interest should be noted
needed. Supports such as pre-entry visits and careful and accessible for all teachers involved. An individual
pairing with a more confident peer may be useful. profile is a useful tool. This information is important
for transitions between schools.
70
Professional learning
Plan cohesive, school-wide professional learning Teacher inquiry
for teachers, teacher aides, and support staff.
In your professional learning conversations with
Provide them with time, information, and practical
teachers, support them to inquire into their practice
support to develop their understanding and plan
and identify how they can recognise and support
approaches that enable them to constructively
learners with dyslexia. With reference to Our Code,
engage with learners who have dyslexia.
Our Standards, consider how they can gather
To support learners with dyslexia, teachers need: evidence of their practice to demonstrate how they
are supporting learners with dyslexia and engaging
to understand what dyslexia is and how it
with their whānau.
affects learning
Resource
4D Schools – A programme for NZ classrooms designed by the Dyslexia Foundation NZ
71
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Best evidence synthesis, Wellington, Ministry of Education. difficulties (dyslexia) in secondary schools: A quick guide to
supporting the needs of pupils with dyslexia. nasen House,
Beers, K. (2003). When kids can’t read, what teachers can do: Tamworth, Staffordshire.
A guide for teachers 6–12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Nicholson, T. & Dymock, S. (2015). The New Zealand dyslexia
Berryman, M. (2015). Akoranga whakerei: Learning about handbook. Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER.
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www.education.govt.nz