Claire Harvey has six persuasive reasons why teachers should train to support learners with dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty affecting reading accuracy and fluency, writing, and spelling skills. It can also affect the acquisition of other skills such as reading comprehension, mathematics and learning an additional language. Training as a specialist teacher to support dyslexic learners brings benefits—not only for the learners but also for you and the broader education system.
Boost students’ futures
Specialist training enables you to provide effective personalised support to dyslexic learners. Traditional classroom teaching methods often do not meet all their needs, and it is not uncommon to find learners with gaps in their knowledge and skills that remain into secondary school and beyond. Specialist teachers can deliver structured multi-sensory and highly individualised support sessions. Specialist teachers are trained to assess learners and identify gaps in knowledge and skills and then deliver a personalised programme of intervention which helps the students to achieve targets and develop their skills. With the right support, learners gain confidence, improve academically and develop a more positive attitude toward learning.
Promote a culture of inclusion
Training as a dyslexia specialist will help you to create a more inclusive learning environment. Inclusion benefits all students by fostering an appreciation that we are all neurodiverse with different strengths, weaknesses and learning styles. When dyslexic learners receive the right support, they are more likely to participate actively in class, engage with the learning process and contribute more widely to the school environment.
Develop expertise in dyslexia and bespoke teaching methods
Specialist teacher training provides teachers with a deep understanding of dyslexia and how this learning difference may impact the acquisition of literacy skills. Specialist teachers learn how to assess the needs of their learners, how to plan a personalised programme of support, how to deliver engaging, memorable, multisensory teaching based on specific targets and how to evaluate progress. Specialist teachers learn that dyslexic learners often need more over-learning, more repetition, more consolidation and reinforcement before new skills are truly embedded and can be used with a level of automaticity. These principles of specialist teaching are fundamental in ensuring the progress of learners. This expertise allows specialist teachers to support learners one-to-one or in small groups. Many classroom teachers who train as specialist teachers return to the classroom with a greater understanding of dyslexia and can integrate specialist teaching principles into their classroom teaching, transforming their teaching to support the learning of all their students.
Improve career opportunities
Many schools and educational institutions actively seek specialist teachers to provide targeted support for their learners and to share their specialist knowledge and skills with other staff members. Qualification as a specialist teacher can also help progression into leadership roles in special education, curriculum development, or teacher training programs. Trained dyslexia specialists can also work in private practice, offering specialist teaching support to students outside the traditional school setting.
Empower parents and educators
A specialist teacher not only supports the learners they work with but also shares their specialist knowledge and skills with parents and fellow education professionals. Many parents are keen to understand more about their child’s challenges and are often very keen to learn how to support them at home. By working closely with families, specialist teachers can provide guidance on strategies, resources and tools to reinforce learning outside the classroom. Specialist teachers can also disseminate their knowledge and skills to peers and help to train other educators in best practices, ensuring a school-wide approach to supporting learners with dyslexia.
Make a meaningful impact
One of the most rewarding aspects of working as a specialist teacher is the great privilege of making a long-lasting difference to the lives of the learners they work with. Dyslexia can have a profound impact on a child’s self-esteem, academic progression and life opportunities. With specialist support, learners can overcome challenges and reach their full potential. Specialist teachers play a vital role in transforming struggling learners into confident people who can succeed in their education and go on to achieve their life goals.