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by Elizabeth Henderson is a primary school headteacher, and
has lectured widely
Below are a series of tips for primary school
teachers on classroom management, and how to provide a better
learning environment for the dyslexic pupil.
1. Dyslexic pupils should always be sat facing
the front, in a place you pass, or can see easily, so you
may watch their progress and difficulties, including stress.
Dyslexic children find any working from the board is very
difficult, so minimise that activity, or make appropriate
provision.
2. Over-teach things they are learning this
week or last week, by writing a clue onto the back of their
hand or on a crib card taped to their table (every time you
pass remind and revise that point).
3. Use a portable tape recorder (“Walkman”)
to tape short messages and instructions which they will be
able to replay when needed.
4. Gather as many interested adult helpers
as you can; teach them together in a small group how to teach
your dyslexic children, (using blind-folds, sand trays, cursive
handwriting, practice crib-cards etc).
5. Make a short ‘special’ time as
often as possible to see the dyslexic child alone (five minutes
before school, after school, before or after lunch can usually
be arranged; mums will usually cooperate with this sort of
strategy and can often find that daily moment reassuring too,
if they feel free to join in sometimes).
6. Ensure you have regular (at least every
term) meeting with the parents. Involve them as much as possible
as they can be a useful ally. Do not forget that the parents
may also be dyslexic.
7. Keeping a record book that goes home each
night and signed by the parents.
8. Provide charts, crib-cards and flash cards
for items they are likely to forget, from homework to sports
kit to vocabulary. Using colour to help the children’s
memories.
9. Encourage the child by setting an appropriate
level of difficulty so that they can finish in the allotted
time.
10. However slow the child’s progress,
every day they must be able to see that they know something
or can do something they could not do last week.
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