- Home
- Parents Home
- Allergy Center
- Asthma Center
- Cancer Center
- Diabetes Center
- A to Z Dictionary
- Emotions & Behavior
- First Aid & Safety
- Food Allergy Center
- General Health
- Growth & Development
- Flu Center
- Heart Health
- Homework Help Center
- Infections
- Diseases & Conditions
- Nutrition & Fitness Center
- Play & Learn Center
- School & Family Life
- Pregnancy Center
- Newborn Center
- Q&A
- Recipes
- Sports Medicine Center
- Doctors & Hospitals
- Videos
- Para Padres
- Home
- Kids Home
- Asthma Center
- Cancer Center
- Movies & More
- Diabetes Center
- Getting Help
- Feelings
- Puberty & Growing Up
- Health Problems of Grown-Ups
- Health Problems
- Homework Center
- How the Body Works
- Illnesses & Injuries
- Nutrition & Fitness Center
- Recipes & Cooking
- Staying Healthy
- Stay Safe Center
- Relax & Unwind Center
- Q&A
- Heart Center
- Videos
- Staying Safe
- Kids' Medical Dictionary
- Para Niños
- Home
- Teens Home
- Asthma Center
- Be Your Best Self Center
- Cancer Center
- Diabetes Center
- Diseases & Conditions
- Drugs & Alcohol
- Expert Answers (Q&A)
- Flu Center
- Homework Help Center
- Infections
- Managing Your Medical Care
- Managing Your Weight
- Nutrition & Fitness Center
- Recipes
- Safety & First Aid
- School & Work
- Sexual Health
- Sports Center
- Stress & Coping Center
- Videos
- Your Body
- Your Mind
- Para Adolescentes
Dyslexia Factsheet (for Schools)
What Teachers Should Know
Dyslexia is a learning disability that makes it hard to learn to read and understand written language. Even students with average or above-average intelligence can have dyslexia.
A common assumption about dyslexia is that letters or words seem reversed, like the word "was" appearing like "saw." This can be a part of dyslexia, but reversals are very common among kids up until first or second grade. The major problems for students with dyslexia are phonemic awareness, phonics, and rapid word recognition.
Dyslexia is not a visual problem. Dyslexia happens because of subtle problems in information processing, especially in the language regions of the brain.
Dyslexia often runs in families. A reading specialist or psychologist can diagnose dyslexia through a comprehensive evaluation.
A child with dyslexia may have trouble:
- learning to talk
- pronouncing longer words
- rhyming
- learning the alphabet, days of the week, colors, shapes, and numbers
- learning to identify syllables (cow/boy in cowboy) and phonemes (b, a, t in bat)
- sounding out simple words
- reading and spelling words with the correct letter sequence ("top" vs. "pot")
- learning to read and write his or her name
- with handwriting and other fine-motor coordination
Students with dyslexia may need:
- specialized instruction and special arrangements for tests
- extra time for tests, homework, and taking notes in class
What Teachers Can Do
Students with dyslexia may avoid reading because it can be stressful and tiring. As a result, they can end up missing valuable reading practice and fall behind their classmates. This can hurt their self-esteem. Recognizing and appreciating their strengths — in math, sports, drama, art, creative problem solving, etc. — can provide critical emotional support.
Other helpful strategies for students with dyslexia are:
- providing extra time to practice reading
- connecting them with trained tutors
- giving reading assignments in audio formats
- offering customized learning aids and computer software
With the proper assistance, most students with dyslexia can learn to read and develop strategies that allow them to stay in regular classrooms.