Key takeaways from the article:
- The importance of an inclusive environment for progress
- Steps to a dyslexia friendly classroom
- Language scaffolding techniques
- Strategies that make a difference
- Pivoting to a multisensory approach
- Fair tracking, progress and assessment
Creating an Inclusive EAL Environment
An inclusive classroom is a place where all students feel valued and supported. For EAL students with dyslexia, this means creating a space where they can thrive without fear of stigma. It's about celebrating diversity in learning and providing the tools for every student to access the curriculum effectively.
Classroom Setup: A Dyslexia-Friendly Approach
To support students with dyslexia, consider the physical layout and sensory experience of your classroom. Use clear, easy-to-read fonts on handouts and displays. Keep the classroom organized to reduce clutter and distractions. And provide areas where students can work quietly, away from the hustle and bustle of the main classroom activities.
Language Scaffolding Techniques for Differentiation
Language scaffolding is about providing the right level of support at the right time. Use visual aids, like pictures and charts, to support understanding. Break tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Provide sentence starters to help with writing, and use graphic organizers to help students plan their thoughts. These techniques can help EAL learners with dyslexia feel more confident and independent.
Instructional Strategies That Make a Difference
Effective instructional strategies are the key to unlocking learning for EAL students with dyslexia. It's about being flexible and creative in your teaching methods. Use games and activities that involve movement to reinforce learning. Incorporate technology that can support reading and writing, like text-to-speech and word prediction software. And always, always celebrate small successes – they build confidence and motivation.
Multi-Sensory Teaching: Engaging All Senses
Multi-sensory teaching isn't just a buzzword; it's a lifeline for EAL students with dyslexia. Engage all their senses to help them connect language with concepts. This means using sight, sound, touch, and movement in your lessons. Think of it like this: when you're baking a cake, you don't just read the recipe—you mix the ingredients, you feel the batter, and you smell the cake as it bakes. Apply that same principle in your teaching. Use letter tiles for spelling, have students trace words in sand for tactile feedback, and incorporate songs and rhymes to make phonics stick. It's about making learning tangible and memorable.
Assistive Technology: Tools and Resources
In today's digital world, there's a wealth of technology that can support EAL learners with dyslexia. Consider text-to-speech software that can read aloud digital text, helping students to follow along. Or speech-to-text tools that let students dictate their thoughts without the barrier of typing or handwriting. Microsoft Word has built in dictation now, did you know that? Get them to use it. There are also apps designed specifically for dyslexia that offer tailored font settings and background colours to reduce visual stress. These tools aren't just crutches; they're bridges to learning independence. We'll go deeper into this in an upcoming blog post.
Assessment and Progress Monitoring in the Dyslexia-EAL Nexus
Assessment and progress monitoring are critical in understanding how our EAL students with dyslexia are doing. But it's not just about grades or scores. It's about looking at the whole child, their growth, and their journey. We're not just teachers; we're detectives, piecing together the clues of their progress to support their learning journey.
Adapting Evaluation Methods for Fair Assessment
Traditional tests and quizzes can be a minefield for students with dyslexia. To give a fair assessment, we need to think outside the box. Offer oral presentations instead of written reports. Use portfolios to showcase a range of work over time. And consider untimed assessments to relieve the pressure. By adapting our methods, we can truly gauge what our students know and can do, not just how well they take a test.
Tracking Progress: Setting Realistic Goals and Milestones
Setting goals is like plotting a course on a map. It gives direction and purpose. For EAL learners with dyslexia, goals need to be specific, achievable, and tied to their personal learning journey. Track their progress with regular check-ins and celebrate the milestones, no matter how small. Maybe it's mastering a new set of vocabulary or improving their reading fluency. By acknowledging their steps forward, we fuel their drive to keep going.
Sometimes this can sound great in theory but impossible in practice. Try it out. See what works for you with your teaching style and let us know how you get on.
If you want to go deeper and get even more strategies watch our Free 75 minute Masterclass on the Home page or just click here.
