5 Tips for Students with Dyslexia
Dyslexic students possess a variety of strengths. They think creatively, can understand difficult concepts, and display a curiosity for how things work. Unfortunately, many become frustrated and focus on their weaknesses instead. While there is no magical list that takes away the amount of work and time a dyslexic student must put forth to be successful, the following 5 tips can make learning with dyslexia easier.
1) Know your individual learning style.
As you become a more independent learner, learn to recognize how you best process information. Do you learn best by hearing information, by seeing information, or by hands-on learning? Once you recognize what works for you the best, you know how to best study for a test. If you are an auditory learner (hearing), listen to an audio recording of your notes. If you are a visual learner, read your notes again and again and maybe rewrite your notes. If you are a tactile/kinesthetic learner, for example, listen to your notes while jogging. Learning is faster when you consider your individual learning style.
2) Use assistive technology.
Assistive technology should become your best friend. Dyslexic students benefit from listening and seeing words at the same time. Read and Write offers a variety of tools to help you navigate assignments. Text to speech allows you to hear notes, slides, and articles read aloud. Speech to text provides support for writing and proofreading. The audio maker converts your notes into an audio that you can listen to repeatedly. Audio books are another valuable resource. Looking at the passages as you listen will increase vocabulary knowledge and word recall.
3) Organize your time.
Plan ahead! Dyslexic students need more time to finish assignments than others. Look at your teacher’s weekly calendars on Monday and make an individualized plan for the week, and record your plan in a weekly agenda. Designate specific times each night to review daily assignments or work on projects. If a teacher assigns a major project/assignment, make a list of steps needed to finish the project/assignment. This will keep you from getting overwhelmed and encourage you to work on the project in manageable parts.
4) Practice and review daily.
While it may be tempting to wait until the night before a test to study, you should review notes daily. Repeated, accurate practice will reinforce concepts and allow you to remember the material---not just memorize for the test. Designate a time each day to read over notes/handouts from each class. This could occur during study hall or resource lab.
5) Become a self-advocate.
You know yourself better than anyone else. You know what is working for you and what is not. Ask your teacher for advice on how to study for tests. Ask your teacher to repeat information in class. Ask questions if you do not understand a concept.