Understanding Dyslexia
Dyslexia doesn’t define a student—it describes how their brain learns best. With evidence-based instruction, compassionate teaching, and the right tools, dyslexic learners thrive.
Structure Literacy in Action
Structured Literacy instruction is explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multisensory. It follows a logical sequence of skills while engaging multiple pathways—seeing, saying, hearing, and writing.Classroom practices that support dyslexic learners include:
- Phoneme-grapheme mapping with colored tiles or sound boxes
- Morphology study (prefixes, roots, suffixes) to strengthen spelling and vocabulary
- Decodable passages that reinforce taught patterns before moving to complex text
- Sentence-combining and dictation to connect decoding with written expression
- Graphic organizers for comprehension and writing structure
These strategies benefit all students, not only those with dyslexia.
Building Confidence and Self-Esteem
Academic struggle can take an emotional toll. Celebrate growth, not perfection: track personal bests, highlight effort, and provide daily opportunities for success. When students experience small wins—reading a full paragraph independently, mastering a spelling pattern—their confidence builds momentum for continued learning.
Communication is key
Teachers can:
- Share progress and home-practice ideas (e.g., audiobooks paired with print, multisensory spelling).
- Collaborate with reading specialists or interventionists for consistent routines.
- Encourage families to advocate early—screenings, IEP/504 supports, and ongoing assessment make a difference.
Parents can reinforce reading through structured review, patience, and positivity.
Moving Forward — Empowering Every Reader
At Literacy with Lori, I create dyslexia-friendly resources that:
- Use Orton-Gillingham–informed routines
- Include decodable and morphology practice
- Support comprehension through visuals + organizers
- Help teachers differentiate in mixed-ability classrooms
Explore my TpT store → Lori’s Lit Lab for printables, organizers, and intervention tools that make reading accessible for every learner.
Understanding Dyslexia
What It Is — and What It Is Not
What It Is — and What It Is Not
What It Is — and What It Is Not
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning differences, affecting roughly 1 in 5 students. It’s a neurological difference in how the brain processes language, not a problem with intelligence or motivation. Students with dyslexia typically have difficulty recognizing and manipulating the sounds in words (phonological awareness) and connecting those sounds to written letters (phonics).
Because reading, spelling, and writing rely on these sound-symbol connections, dyslexic learners often need explicit, systematic instruction to develop them. With the right support, they can become confident, capable readers and writers.
The Science Behind Dyslexia
What It Is — and What It Is Not
What It Is — and What It Is Not
Brain-imaging studies show that people with dyslexia activate different neural pathways when reading. Instead of the left-hemisphere regions that process language automatically, their brains rely on slower, compensatory areas. Structured, multisensory instruction—like the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach—can help rewire these networks, promoting more efficient reading and spelling.
Key takeaways from current research:
- Early identification and intervention produce the strongest outcomes.
- Explicit phonemic-awareness and phonics instruction improves decoding accuracy.
- Repeated practice with connected text (not isolated word lists) builds fluency.
- Vocabulary and background-knowledge work support comprehension growth.
Signs of Dyslexia
What It Is — and What It Is Not
Signs of Dyslexia
Dyslexia doesn’t disappear after elementary school—it simply changes form. In grades 4–8, teachers might notice:
- Slow, effortful reading despite good comprehension when text is read aloud
- Poor spelling and written-expression skills
- Avoidance of independent reading
- Difficulty remembering sequences or following multi-step directions
- Strong verbal reasoning but weak decoding accuracy
Recognizing these patterns helps teachers respond with empathy rather than frustration.