When students do not see the value in the work they are being asked to do—or when the task feels overwhelming from the start—they may shut down before learning even begins.
This can be especially true for students with dyslexia and other learning differences.
The question then becomes: How do we help students engage with learning when the work feels difficult or the material is not being presented in a way they can easily access?
Thoughtful planning, responsive instruction, and appropriate accommodations can make a significant difference.
Before introducing new instruction, take time to assess what the student already understands.
This gives you a clearer picture of where to begin and helps prevent students from being asked to work with material that is either too easy or too difficult.
When introducing a new concept, connect it to something the student already knows.
Building from familiar knowledge can make new learning feel more manageable and give students a stronger foundation for understanding what comes next.
When introducing a new idea, provide explicit instruction while guiding students toward understanding.
Rather than simply giving students information, help them notice patterns, make connections, and arrive at conclusions with support.
This type of guided discovery gives students an active role in the learning process while still providing the structure they need.
New skills need repeated practice.
Use materials that reinforce previously learned concepts while also giving students opportunities to work with new skills.
Students may need to encounter a concept many times before it becomes secure, so practice should be built into instruction regularly.
Whenever possible, give students opportunities to apply what they are learning in different ways.
Learning should not always be a one-way process.
Give students opportunities to talk about what they are learning with a teacher, parent, tutor, or peer.
Discussion can help students organize their thinking, explain their understanding, and identify areas that are still confusing.
You can also ask students to reflect on questions such as:
What makes sense to you?
What still feels difficult?
What strategy helped you?
What do you think you need more practice with?
Student feedback can provide valuable information about how instruction is working.
Progress monitoring is an important part of effective teaching.
If a student is not making progress, continuing with the same approach is unlikely to solve the problem.
Regularly check whether instruction is effective and adjust your teaching practices when needed.
This may mean slowing down, providing more practice, presenting the information differently, or adding additional supports.
Instruction should respond to the needs of the individual learner.
There are many cognitive, emotional, and processing differences that can affect how a student receives, understands, and communicates information.
Understanding a student’s individual learning profile is important.
Reports and IEPs can provide useful information, but they are only one part of the picture.
Observing students and asking for their feedback can often tell you just as much.
Even spending a few minutes each week intentionally watching how a student approaches a task can help you notice:
Where they hesitate
What seems to overwhelm them
Which supports they naturally use
How long they need to process information
What helps them feel successful
These observations can guide the accommodations and instructional strategies you choose.
Different students need different supports, but there are several accommodations that may be helpful.
Large amounts of information can feel overwhelming.
Break directions, assignments, or new concepts into smaller and more manageable steps.
Present one piece at a time when needed.
Do not wait until the end of a lesson or activity to discover that a student misunderstood something at the beginning.
Build in frequent opportunities to check for understanding.
Have students restate information in their own words.
This can help you determine whether they truly understand a concept rather than simply repeating what they have heard.
You can also restate information in different ways and ask the student to identify which version best matches their understanding.
Not every student communicates what they know best through written work.
Whenever appropriate, provide different ways for students to demonstrate their understanding.
This might include:
Speaking
Writing
Drawing or creating a visual
Organizing information into a chart or framework
The goal is to determine what the student knows, not to let the method of response become an unnecessary barrier.
Frameworks and organizational tools can help students manage information more effectively.
These may include graphic organizers, checklists, visual reminders, or step-by-step directions.
Too much information on a page can make it difficult for some students to know where to begin.
Limit unnecessary visual information and remove distracting or extraneous details when possible.
A cleaner layout can help students focus on what is most important.
Help students identify key information by drawing attention to the most important directions, words, or concepts.
This can reduce the amount of information they need to sort through independently.
Some students need more time to process a question, organize their thoughts, or complete a task.
Allowing extra time can give students the opportunity to demonstrate what they actually know.
These strategies are not an exhaustive list.
They are simply a place to begin when thinking about how to plan instruction for students with dyslexia and other learning differences.
The most important thing is to pay attention to the individual learner.
As an educator, tutor, or parent, you have a powerful influence on how a child experiences learning.
Small changes in how information is presented, how much time is provided, or how students are allowed to respond can make a significant difference in both their success and their confidence.
