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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Bildung
- Sprache: Englisch
Tips for tailoring instruction and meeting the needs of dyslexic learners
Looking through both academic and social-emotional lenses, this book will deepen your understanding of dyslexia and help you feel confident in your interactions and implementation of instruction with your dyslexic learners. Written for educators and schools looking for ways to meet the social and emotional needs of dyslexic learners, scaffold instruction, and successfully implement accommodations, Teaching Beyond the Diagnosis provides a concrete framework for promoting self-confidence and student success. Author Casey Harrison, creator of The Dyslexia Classroom, shares her unique approach to creating dyslexia-friendly classrooms, providing accommodations and in the moment scaffolds as well as helping students build self-advocacy skills. This book will allow you to:
- Meet the needs of dyslexic learners both academically and emotionally
- Understand what dyslexia is, how it impacts learning, and what implications it has beyond the reading classroom
- Learn research-based techniques to enhance, differentiate and scaffold instruction, promoting learning in students with dyslexia
- Develop empathy and understanding, both in yourself and in the broader educational community, and promote inclusive classrooms
This book is for anyone who wants to help students with dyslexia find self-confidence and success: K-12 educators, as well as parents, administrators, and aspiring teachers.
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Seitenzahl: 412
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
Introduction
Chapter One Understanding Dyslexia
What Is Dyslexia?
Common Questions, Comments, and Answers About Dyslexia
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Two Characteristics and Contradictory Signs of Dyslexia
Understanding Dyslexia in the Classroom—Characteristics of Dyslexia
Contradictory Signs of Dyslexia
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Three The Dyslexia Iceberg and Cascading Effects of Dyslexia
A Deeper Look at Dyslexia
Mini-Lesson 1: The Dyslexia Iceberg
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Four Understanding Student Learning Profiles
A Deeper Look at the Student Learning Profile
A Sea of Strengths
Tips for Discussing and Identifying Strengths
Things to Be Mindful of
Two Mini-Lessons to Shift the Narrative
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Five The Reading Brain
What Do We Know About How We Learn to Read?
The Reading Brain and Dyslexia
What Do Students Need to Understand About the Brain?
Mini-Lesson: My Reading Brain
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Six Structured Literacy in Dyslexia Education
Instructional Content of Structured Literacy
Essential Principles of Structured Literacy
Creating a Path for Learning
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Seven Meaningful Multimodal Experiences to Support Learning
A Link Between Multimodal Experiences and Cognitive Engagement
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Eight Scaffolds in Structured Literacy
Scaffolds
The Keys to Scaffolding Success
Scaffolding as Response
Scaffolding with Gradual Release
Areas of Caution
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Nine A Snapshot of Support in Action
Student 1
Multimodal Mini-Lesson
Student 2
Student 3
Student 4
Student 5
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Ten Call for a Champion
The Role of Empathy in Education
Meeting the Needs of Students
Warm Demanders—Champions in the Classroom
Kleinfeld’s Quadrants
Characteristics of a Warm Demander in the Classroom
Creating High Expectations in the Classroom
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Eleven Critical Thinking and Executive Function
Why Critical Thinking in Dyslexia Education?
Building Student Self-talk with Two Mini-Lessons: Academic Focus
Executive Function and Metacognitive Processes in Reading Lessons
Working Memory and Retrieval
Student Strategy Trackers
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Twelve Accommodation Toolbox
What Are Accommodations?
The Nuts and Bolts of Accommodations
Accommodations in Action
Assistive Technology
Building the Toolbox—What Teachers, Parents, and Students Need to Know
Examples of Planning for Accommodations
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Thirteen Classroom Environment
Creating and Fostering a Dyslexia-Friendly Classroom/School
Environment and Classroom Design
Accessibility Within the Classroom
Representation
Reflecting for Personal Growth
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Chapter Fourteen Self-Advocacy, Success, and Confidence
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Conclusion
Resources
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
Introduction
Figure 1 Dyslexia Beach.
Figure 2 The integrated framework.
Figure 3 Elements of Foundational Reading Instruction.
Chapter 1
Figure 1.1 The integrated framework—understanding dyslexia.
Figure 1.2 Reversals.
Chapter 2
Figure 2.1 Linking language to literacy.
Figure 2.2 Contradictory parts of dyslexia.
Chapter 3
Figure 3.1 A deeper look at dyslexia.
Figure 3.2 The dyslexia iceberg.
Chapter 4
Figure 4.1 Sea of strengths.
Figure 4.2 There is only one you.
Chapter 5
Figure 5.1 The integrated framework—academics and support.
Figure 5.2 The reading rope.
Figure 5.3 The active view of reading.
Figure 5.4 Major regions underlying processes in the reading brain circuit.
Figure 5.5 My Reading Brain worksheet.
Figure 5.6 My Reading Brain activity.
Chapter 6
Figure 6.1 New IDA structured literacy wheel.
Figure 6.2 Structured literacy—an approach grounded in the science ...
Figure 6.3 Explicit instruction learning cycle.
Chapter 7
Figure 7.1 Short i or short e.
Figure 7.2 Integrating multimodal experiences.
Figure 7.3 Phonology.
Figure 7.4 Articulatory knowledge aiding phoneme-grapheme correspondences.
Chapter 8
Figure 8.1 Scaffold learning outcomes.
Figure 8.2 What to keep in mind.
Figure 8.3 Prompting in reading interventions.
Chapter 9
Figure 9.1 Scaffolding in dyslexia intervention.
Figure 9.2 Scaffolding in dyslexia intervention in practice.
Figure 9.3 Purposeful integration.
Figure 9.4 Phoneme confusion.
Figure 9.5a Early sound boxes phonemic awareness.
Figure 9.5b Sound boxes with letters.
Figure 9.6 Segmenting with mouth cards.
Figure 9.7 Morphology.
Figure 9.8 Diacritical marks.
Figure 9.10 Prosody.
Chapter 10
Figure 10.1 The integrated framework—metacognitive processes and executive function...
Figure 10.2 Warm demanders.
Figure 10.3 Kleinfeld’s quadrants. Based on the work from Judith Kleinfield (1975)....
Figure 10.4 Quadrant reflection.
Chapter 11
Figure 11.1 Critical thinking.
Figure 11.2 Key learning piece.
Figure 11.3 How do I know when I am thinking?
Figure 11.4 Shifting self-talk chart.
Figure 11.5 Integrating with intention.
Figure 11.6 Student strategy tracker.
Chapter 12
Figure 12.1 The integrated framework—Self advocacy skills.
Chapter 13
Figure 13.1 Application of practice. Retrieved with permission from The Dyslexia Classroom...
Chapter 14
Figure 14.1 The integrated framework—success and confidence.
Figure 14.2 Stages for developing self-advocacy.
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
Introduction
Begin Reading
Conclusion
Resources
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index
End User License Agreement
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Teaching Beyond the Diagnosis
Empowering Students with Dyslexia
FIRST EDITION
Casey Harrison
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2024950122
ISBN 9781394196319 (paperback)
ISBN 9781394196326 (ePDF)
ISBN 9781394196333 (ePub)
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Images: © Depiano/Shutterstock, © MARIIA VASILEVA/Getty Images
Author Photo: © Abbie Yeary
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” —Maya Angelou
To those students who are on this transformative journey of learning to read—your effort and determination are truly inspiring.
To those who walk the path alongside those with dyslexia—I see you, I appreciate you, and I am grateful for your support.
Preface
From a young age, I have viewed life as a journey—a series of experiences with a wide range of emotions, struggles, and successes that create opportunities to learn, grow, and shift our thinking about ourselves and the world in which we live. In part, this is due to witnessing systems at a young age in which children operating outside of the norms were left without understanding or proper support and experiencing firsthand the impact on the families fighting to be heard, leaving me with a sense of seeking to know more from different perspectives and standing up for those unable. Our experiences impact us profoundly, leaving a lasting mark on how we perceive ourselves as students, learners, and humans. I continue to carry this same sense of curiosity, wondering, and reflection on our experiences from my youth into my work as an educator and dyslexia therapist working closely with students and families.
We each have a history—a series of events that align to create our path, our journey. Speaking to children or adults with dyslexia, it is clear that the lasting threads of the impacts of dyslexia can remain, even when receiving proper academic interventions. The question then is how can we establish and promote a journey that honors the dyslexic learner and leads to the best possible outcomes?
Over the last two decades, this reality has led me to deepen my knowledge and strengthen my understanding of dyslexia, reading instruction, and the impacts that may exist outside of the narrow view of academic success. As a curious person who often asks why and seeks to understand views from different disciplines and research such as neuroscience, psychology, speech pathology, linguistics, literacy research, and more, the threads that weave together as areas of impact on learning and dyslexia became a big part of my educational journey and encompassed seeking information from these varying areas of study. I was drawn to courses and intense training, which led to specialized licenses and certifications specific to dyslexia. From my work with students, my desire to learn more about how dyslexia impacts one beyond academics and what research from other disciplines shows about learning grew, and I dug into readings, training, and research, which has allowed me to shift my approach to address the many facets experienced by those with dyslexia to address the whole child.
When approached about writing a book about dyslexia, the amount of topics to cover within dyslexia education seemed overwhelming—and I wanted to share it all with you, the reader. Yet, as this book came to be, I realized that to share with educators and interventionists a focus on how to deepen their skill set of teaching those with dyslexia while also addressing the impacts of the cascading effects of dyslexia, those areas outside of academics, through the integrated framework that I use within my work with children was needed. Therefore, this book acts as a guide and source of encouragement. It offers strategies, insights, and lessons for educators and families supporting students with dyslexia. It is not a reading program, nor does it dig into the deeper levels of academics, but instead offers a different perspective that pulls together the multiple factors (dyslexia awareness, academics and scaffolding, metacognitive awareness and strategies, self-advocacy, and success) that impact academic success for those with dyslexia and seeks to empower and encourage both student and educator.
While dyslexia awareness and the science of reading movement have created considerable momentum regarding instructional implementation in reading, much more work and awareness are needed to keep the focus on emotionally sound instruction, the whole child and for whom the instruction is addressing. The vast amount of research and information regarding evidence-based practices means that the next steps of implementation, embedding, and reflecting upon those practices that look beyond the diagnosis of dyslexia and how to bridge the research-to-implementation gap are upon us. Addressing academics in connection to preserving and developing a strong sense of self-worth and independence beyond a diagnosis of dyslexia cannot be overshadowed.
Without conversations about dyslexia, a reflection of our thinking, and shifting the narrative, a lingering sense of failure or imposter syndrome remains. Instead, we want our students to have a deeper understanding of themselves as learners and the courage to step into the arena, face struggles, and recognize their work and success—as Theodore Roosevelt said, to dare greatly.
So here I share with you the path or journey I use with my students, coming from the viewpoint of someone in the arena with the students, their families, and other educators. My integrated framework is comprehensive, incorporating the many aspects required to help those with dyslexia reach their personal potential and empower students, families, and educators. As you read this book, understand that there is no “one-size-fits-all” when working on closing the academic gaps and that, as such, educators must fully utilize and seek ways to effectively maximize their knowledge of dyslexia and evidence-based practices with multiple resources to reach as many children as possible. Regardless of the evidence-based program in use, the integrated framework can be embedded by specialists, educators, therapists, and caregivers with actionable steps and lessons from the field to empower you to teach beyond the diagnosis and, in turn, empower the students you serve.
With gratitude that you join me on this learning journey,
Casey Harrison
Introduction
Take a moment and look at this artwork titled Dyslexia Beach by Paddy Donnelly (see Figure 1). You see a young child sitting on the beach surrounded by letters. Notice his isolation as his peers sail away after figuring out how to put those lines and squiggles together to represent the sounds in the words that set them on their reading journey. This artwork highlights how many children with dyslexia feel. Alone and anxious about being left behind. Looking closer, you will see the little boy holding the letter Y. Why?
Figure 1 Dyslexia Beach.
Source: https://lefft.com/dyslexia-beach/. Reprinted with permission.
As each school year starts, parents and students head off to school excited to learn to read and write. However, year after year, the stories parents share with me contain a common thread. Parents come with heavy hearts, sharing stories of their child’s struggle to read. More often than not, their child began school happy and excited about learning, and as the struggles with reading and writing became more apparent, the child’s emotions were also impacted. Much like the little boy sitting on the beach, they saw their peers taking off in reading and writing, leaving them to withdraw, act out, or silently struggle—all impacting their self-esteem and confidence, leaving parents wondering what to do.
Our dyslexic students are often left behind. They are also the leading indicators of what is and isn’t working. We can determine how effective our teaching approach is by observing how our struggling readers progress. They are often the ones who first signal what is wrong. Yet, we may not recognize the impact of their early struggles nor reflect on why we are leaving some kids behind.
Teachers desire all children in their classrooms to achieve proficient reading and writing and also feel this lingering question of why. Why isn’t this child responding to my instruction? Why wasn’t I given the tools to help those with dyslexia in my teacher preparation courses? As a reading teacher and educator, I, too, held these questions of why, which led me to seek out specific knowledge and training to understand dyslexia and profoundly shifted my teaching. Two decades later, I remain steadfast in my resolve to bring awareness of dyslexia, literacy, and change to our classrooms. This is my why, because in today’s society, the written word is everywhere. While reading well is something many of us take for granted, overlooking the significance of the difficulty of achieving literacy cannot occur. I hear the same questions from educators time and time again. Why?
Why
is it so hard for this child, and why can’t he do what others do?
Why
are they struggling when they are clearly bright?
Why
are reading and writing so challenging for this student?
Why
isn’t this child able to keep up with the lessons?
Why
isn’t he progressing?
Why
can’t I teach him?
All the while, the child also asks why. Why can’t I do what others are doing? Why is this so hard? Why isn’t this making sense? Why can’t the teacher help me? Why am I so bad at reading? Why? Although they may not realize those exact questions, their self-esteem and confidence are shaken. Through my years of working as a dyslexia therapist and educator, I have seen the impacts that dyslexia can have on students when we fail to address academics properly, as well as the impacts students encounter in their daily lives. Students with dyslexia are often confused as to why they aren’t able to do what seems to come so easily for their peers. They are confused about why the teacher or parents tell them they are bright, yet reading and writing are so hard. They may begin not to trust themselves or the adults in their lives as things feel contradictory.
When working with students, I can see that this question of why surrounds our children and impacts their academics and self-esteem. I have also seen the tremendous impact that a teacher who understands dyslexia can have on their student’s learning when we reshape the teaching framework we use to one that answers the call to provide the proper support to address academic needs and a more comprehensive look at dyslexia. Through my work, an integrated framework has become the backbone of my lesson. One that intentionally weaves in proper instruction with executive function skills and metacognition, self-esteem, and agency, all to empower the student within and beyond the educational setting. This integrated framework is carefully laid out in the pages of this book to guide and empower our practice and, in turn, the students whom we serve.
Reflection:
As we move through the book and the integrated framework, remember this young boy or think of a child in your classroom or home who is left behind in the sand. Throughout the framework, return to this child and reflect on ways in which intentionally implementing the integrated framework can support academics and well-being.
What Is the Integrated Framework for Teaching and Empowering Students with Dyslexia?
The integrated framework for teaching and empowering students with dyslexia aims to connect the vital importance of the academic pursuit of teaching students with dyslexia to the whole child—the development of self-advocacy skills, accommodations, metacognitive processes, and meaningful scaffolds to help all children with dyslexia reach their potential (see Figure 2). All of these set the student up for success and self-confidence.
Figure 2 The integrated framework.
The integrated framework for teaching and empowering students with dyslexia encompasses the following elements, laying the foundation for our work. We begin with the big picture, a more extensive viewpoint, and an idea of where we are going along this journey and the path to success, then break down these elements throughout the book’s chapters.
The integrated framework for teaching and empowering students with dyslexia includes:
A deep understanding of dyslexia
—In this part of the journey, it is imperative that all learning team members (educators, students, parents, schools) understand what dyslexia is/isn’t and its impacts on academics and beyond. We need to be empowered to say the word “dyslexia” to deepen our understanding and look at impacts within and beyond academics.
Appropriate academic instruction and support
—This part of the journey focuses on research and what this means for our instructional practices. Proper instruction, scaffolds, and support must be grounded in a deep understanding of research and evidence-based instructional practices encompassing multisensory, explicit instruction in all components of literacy development tailored to address the intensity, duration, and needs of the student based on their learning profile.
Executive function skills and metacognitive processes
—Dyslexia instruction should not be isolated from metacognitive processes but instead woven into lessons in meaningful ways. Fostering executive function skills, metacognition, and critical thinking skills for both teachers and students is a key part of the integrated framework that supports student learning performance and considers the academic outcomes as well as the emotional well-being of the student.
Accommodations and self-advocacy skills
—The knowledge and use of accommodations and the role of self-advocacy to support learner outcomes empower teachers and students on this journey. By empowering students with the tools, language, and skills that set them up for success within the classroom and beyond, they can embrace agency in their journey.
Success and confidence
—Our goal as we walk along this path with students is to leave them empowered with the knowledge and confidence in themselves as learners with dyslexia.
The integrated framework is the path that came from this desire to create a better system for students and to assist children in attaining the goal of preserving their self-confidence while understanding themselves as learners and their journey with dyslexia. It is not done in lock-step or isolation but becomes a tapestry of parts that enhance learning and empower students, families, and educators. I have found that the integrated framework assists children in achieving academic success while preserving or building up their self-esteem, metacognitive strategies, and self-advocacy skills. The lasting impact of this framework of instruction is apparent in the words shared by students. Through their words, they show the confidence and pride they now hold for themselves as they walk into classrooms and the world and speak to the power of the integrated framework.
“I want teachers to know that they should not put a ceiling on what I can do. Just because I’m dyslexic doesn’t mean that I can only read aloud one sentence while my classmates read whole paragraphs. I can do the very same things that they do!”
—S. (student)
“My brain just processes information in a different way. It has nothing to do with how smart I am. If how you are teaching isn’t working for me, just explain it to me in a different way. Break it down and give me time.”
—G. (student)
Too often in education, we solely focus on the academic deficits and needs—however, without the other components, we often leave students with incomplete knowledge and awareness of their journey with dyslexia and the tools and confidence to reach their full potential.
A Call for an Integrated Framework
Teaching reading is a complex task. Teaching reading to students with dyslexia requires even more knowledge and understanding from the educator. We are encountering significant shifts in instructional approaches to teaching reading, and much information about this topic focuses on the academic components. It can be found in numerous books, courses, articles, and blogs, including mine. Many of these evidence-based practices have been in place for some time within dyslexia interventions, and we see more and more teachers and schools implementing lessons grounded in collective research called the science of reading. The science of reading is not a program or pedagogy but a vast body of research done across multiple disciplines over the last century about how we learn to read and write, much derived from the research findings in the field of dyslexia. As educators, we must understand that research is ever-evolving and uncovering new findings about how we learn to read, and therefore, the science of reading is active.
Even so, we have agreed upon research, empirical findings, and explanatory theories, or the science in the term “science of reading,” to guide us in instructional practices. The research provides us with the information, while the application is the science of teaching. Current research suggests that we know a great deal about how reading works, how students learn, what to teach when, to whom, and in what dosage. How we put this into work is the art of teaching. Connecting the research to educational practices is crucial for our students, especially those at risk of reading failure or dyslexia. Failure to provide high-quality instruction and intervention at the early grades, when the brain is more malleable, can manifest as serious reading disabilities later (Stanovich 1986, 2009), and while it is never too late to intervene, with the knowledge of dyslexia and the research, we need not wait for students to experience repeated failure before addressing dyslexia. The growing knowledge and continued research is a beacon of hope for our students, especially those who are struggling with reading. This book focuses on bridging the findings of this body of work to evidence-based instructional approaches and practices grounded in research through a structured literacy approach to help serve those students with dyslexia.
The science of reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing. This research has been conducted over the last five decades across the world, and it is derived from thousands of studies conducted in multiple languages. The science of reading has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties. (The Reading League, Science of Reading: Definition Guide)
The good news is that we know so much about how to help our students with foundational reading skills to become proficient readers and writers. Decades of evidence and research support the use of explicit, systematic instruction of the five pillars of literacy (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) identified by the National Reading Panel, which should be at the core of every effective reading instruction program (2000). These large pillars of reading include a vast amount of instructional components under each pillar or band, all of which are necessary for ensuring student success in reading acquisition. While this report was written over 20 years ago, the research remains the foundation for building reading instruction today. Using decades of research, the National Reading Panel Report (2000) identified five critical areas at the core of every effective reading instruction program. The report also determined that systematic and explicit instruction was the most reliable approach to teaching these elements. While the five pillars are necessary for all educators to understand, I have added the domains of language under the pillars, as language provides the foundation for literacy instruction and should be included in our instructional practices as everything we do in education is rooted in language (see Figure 3). Language is the vehicle for learning, and in turn, literacy is the language of opportunity.
Figure 3 Elements of Foundational Reading Instruction.
The five pillars for foundational reading instruction (NRP):
Phonemic awareness (phoneme awareness)—Awareness of the smallest units of sound in speech, and the ability to isolate, segment, blend, or manipulate the individual phonemes (sounds) in words.
Phonics—Phonics is the paired association between sounds and letter representations (phoneme-grapheme correspondences); explicit instruction to teaching reading and spelling that emphasizes sound-symbol relationships.
Fluency—The ability to read words at an adequate rate, with a high level of accuracy, appropriate expression (prosody), and understanding.
Vocabulary—The large storage of words recognized and/or used by a person in their oral and written language for comprehension and communication.
Comprehension—Making sense of and interpreting what is read, heard, or discussed. It is a complex neurological process that rests on the solid foundations of instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary).
A structured approach to literacy brings these pillars to life within lessons through explicit and systematic instruction, which is essential for students with learning differences, such as dyslexia, or who struggle to read and write. There is a general scientific consensus about the components of effective instruction and intervention, including highly explicit, systematic instruction of foundational skills and literacy, as only a small percentage of children learn to read with little support.
This understanding of research and evidence-based practices is becoming part of the culture of teaching reading, which means the next steps of implementation, embedding, and reflecting upon practices that look beyond the diagnosis are upon us. While the academic focus is of the utmost concern, teacher knowledge of how to implement these components with appropriate differentiation and scaffolds to move students’ learning, in addition to the significant secondary and emotional impacts of dyslexia, continue to be a topic of conversation with the teachers, specialists, and parents that I work with. Addressing academics in connection to preserving and developing a strong sense of self-worth and independence from dyslexia cannot be overshadowed. In other words, we need to possess the knowledge and know-how to teach beyond the diagnosis of dyslexia.
The Path Forward
Dyslexia is a journey for every student. The paths we forge as educators of dyslexic learners have similarities and differences, but the core components and guiding principles remain the same.
My children love to go for walks, and along the way, they pick up little stones—reminders of our places and points in our journey in this life and place them in their pockets. Each of these memories, experiences, and understanding of their world lays the foundation of their journey—their path—forever changed and moving forward. Our students’ and their families’ journey with dyslexia operates similarly. Along a student’s academic experiences, they pick up little knowledge nuggets and experiences, both positive and negative, that lay the foundation and set the trajectory for academic success and lasting impacts on the student’s emotional well-being and future outcomes. These experiences, or stepping stones, shift their path and send them further along their journey either in a negative or positive way. Parents and educators also walk alongside the students, collecting stones and guiding them on this path. A journey will have highs and lows, curves, and unforeseen obstacles, but when guided and supported correctly, it can lead to discoveries, learning, and self-achievement. As educators, it is our immense responsibility to provide access to the proper stepping stones for our students to build a path that serves them on their academic journey and develops their self-advocacy skills.
This book is designed as a path and journey, and I share with you those pivotal stepping stones to aid in determining the path for your students. What you take and pick up to place in your pocket is based on your journey into shifting practices to best meet the needs of dyslexic learners. And just as my children fill their pockets with rocks along the way, at some point, they need to release some of those stones to make room for new ones—much like we do with instructional beliefs that no longer serve our work and scaffolds that need to be released as students become independent in their learning. Those stones we use to create our path are reminders of continually releasing and gathering instructional tools, strategies, understanding, and connections laid down to make this path for learning. As we progress in our journey, we keep those stones in our hearts and minds, knowing they have forever altered our path. This occurs as we make meaningful shifts in our work with students and realize the crucial role that these foundational stepping stones to learning play in our instructional delivery, knowledge, and, ultimately, the progress of our students. Simultaneously, our students are collecting their stones and creating their path to understanding their dyslexia, knowledge about themselves, and potential as learners.
I will share these stepping stones that guide our work in creating these necessary guideposts with practical strategies to serve students through the integrated framework of teaching and empowering students with dyslexia. This book will focus on key aspects linked to how we implement, embed, and reflect on instruction within dyslexia education, including the latest academic research and reflections from my experiences. It is my hope to bring something new to the table surrounding how we teach and guide students with dyslexia to find autonomy and agency in their learning journey. I am well aware that readers will come with varying degrees of knowledge surrounding dyslexia, and I hope to address this within the pages of this book. I wrote as if I were the reader seeking ways to improve my practice and grow my confidence in teaching students with dyslexia.
As educators walking this path with students, we ask ourselves many questions, and we must have the foundational pieces, or these stepping stones, in place to ensure we understand our student’s needs and provide them with the tools and guidance to move forward and find their path to reaching their potential. Throughout the book, there will be reflection questions for you to pause and think about and where you and your students are on their journey.
Some big questions we may ask ourselves include:
What evidence-based instructional practices need to be in place?
How do we ensure we are meeting the needs of students?
What do we know about dyslexia?
What role do empathy and understanding play in supporting success and self-confidence for our students?
How does the environment support success?
What role do metacognitive practices play?
How can we build self-advocacy skills, and what is the role of the educator within this framework?
Conclusion
This book is primarily written for reading teachers, educators, dyslexia specialists, and therapists who have the immense responsibility of walking alongside students with dyslexia in providing academic services and a path to empower them.
This book is also for educators, administrators, and professionals who support our students in many different ways. Its goal is for all parties to better understand the impacts of dyslexia within and beyond the classroom, enabling collaboration and a team approach on a larger scale to support students with dyslexia.
Finally, this book is for parents, caregivers, community members, and students who seek to expand their understanding of dyslexia and the impacts that can exist beyond the diagnosis.
This book provides a perspective for understanding dyslexia within and beyond the academic diagnosis through the larger picture. As integration is the framework’s name, when writing, it became highlighted even more just how interconnected each piece is. As you read, you will see mention of the different areas of the framework, and while I did my best to pull the elements out into chapters, the way in which they are woven together made it impossible to isolate them completely. As you move through the book, look at how the connections between the components are woven together and integrated. You may wish to pause and turn to that chapter when noted or revisit parts as you read and begin to see the clearer picture of this integrated framework. The integrated framework can be embedded regardless of your evidence-based Structured Literacy/Orton-Gillingham program. I firmly believe this is the support that our teachers need and our students with dyslexia deserve.
Welcome to the journey!
Throughout the book, you will find mini-lessons and resources you can use with students.
These downloadable resources can be located at www.thedyslexiaclassroom.com/teachingbeyondthediagnosis
Key Takeaways
Every teacher has had or will have students with dyslexia in their classrooms.
Students and educators create a more comprehensive understanding and approach to dyslexia when we embed and integrate all of the parts and pieces from the integrated framework.
The integrated model honors students on their journey with dyslexia.
There is no age limit for teaching someone to read or improve reading.
Both teacher knowledge and research-based instructional approaches are needed for effective literacy instruction
Dyslexia impacts beyond the academic diagnosis.
Simplify your path to practice. What did you put in your pocket?
What stepping stones, or nuggets of knowledge, are you taking from this chapter?
CHAPTER ONEUnderstanding Dyslexia
“In dyslexia, there is an abundance of high-quality scientific knowledge, so we have not a knowledge gap but an action gap.”
—Dr. Sally Shaywitz, speaking at a Congressional Hearing
Integrated Framework Component: Understanding Dyslexia
In this part of the journey, it is imperative that all learning team members (educators, students, parents, and school) understand and differentiate between dyslexia facts and myths, and be able to speak to and spread awareness of dyslexia (see Figure 1.1).
FIGURE 1.1 The integrated framework—understanding dyslexia.
For many students, upon receiving a diagnosis of dyslexia comes a moment of relief that the struggles they have endured have a name, a reason. A student stated, “With my diagnosis, I felt lighter, as though I was no longer confined in my own mind or belief that I was dumb, but instead free to view my dyslexia as one part of myself and not all-encompassing ….” Statements like these are all too familiar to the students and families I work with. The overwhelming sense of self-doubt, negative self-talk, and impact on self-worth that comes with repeated failure in a system that doesn’t understand or, at times, recognize dyslexia have lasting impacts on our students and their families. The lasting impacts of dyslexia on our children are real, and yet a teacher or school with an understanding of dyslexia can provide a lifeline to our students and ensure that they are seen and provided with the instruction and tools to take flight. In education, we can be slow to recognize the depth or seriousness of this often-lasting connection between the academic impacts of dyslexia, such as reading acquisition and comprehension and writing skills, and emotional well-being. Yet, research indicates that early identification and remediation have been found to increase both academic success and emotional well-being of those with dyslexia and perhaps even prevent reading difficulties (Al Otaiba et al. 2009; Mathes et al. 2005)
While the research surrounding dyslexia is extensive and noted as a specific learning disability commonly characterized by to have, difficulty in accurate or fluent word recognition and spelling (Fletcher et al. 2019; International Dyslexia Association 2002), the understanding of dyslexia continues to be wrapped in misunderstandings and limited knowledge of the impacts on students sitting in our classrooms. Teachers provide the first line of defense and play a vital role in identifying early indicators of dyslexia, supporting and teaching students with, or suspected to have, dyslexia within general classroom instruction anchored in evidence-based practices. Every educator will have or has encountered students with dyslexia in their classrooms, whether identified or not, and therefore, this warrants the need for deeper understanding.
What Is Dyslexia?
At its most straightforward meaning, dyslexia is difficulty reading and spelling words, yet it is much more. When discussing dyslexia with parents, educators, or the community, it’s crucial to remember that it’s the most common learning difference. Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) refers to the term used within the educational setting for neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by a persistent impairment in at least one of three major areas: reading, written expression, and/or math (American Psychiatric Association, APA). Dyslexia falls under the broader term of Specific Learning Disability (SLD) as individuals with dyslexia often struggle with acquiring and processing language, leading to reading, spelling, and writing difficulties. Dyslexia significantly impacts reading, particularly in decoding and accurate and/or fluent word recognition and spelling. These challenges at the word reading level can impact the acquisition and/or development of reading, fluency and reading, comprehension capabilities, and/or skills. For those with dyslexia, the hurdles can be more than just one SLD, affecting various aspects of functioning, including language, communication, social-emotional development, and behavior. Moreover, some students may also have co-existing disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Developmental Language Disability (DLD), or anxiety. These difficulties can manifest at any stage of a child’s development, underscoring the need for understanding and support.
You will see me using the term “learning difference” throughout this book in place of “disability,” especially when speaking with my students about their difficulties. The term “learning difference” is used to emphasize that individuals with dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions have unique ways of learning, rather than using the word “disability” when discussing dyslexia with students. This term has gained traction as we see shifts in the narrative and awareness surrounding neurodivergent learners and dyslexia.
Neurodiversity is a concept that encourages us to view the natural variation in the ways that humans perceive, interact, and experience the world as a positive aspect of our society. Dyslexia, and other learning differences are part of this neurodiversity umbrella due to the neurobiological variations.
Despite the extensive research on dyslexia, the understanding of dyslexia can be clouded by misunderstandings and limited knowledge of its impacts on students. Every educator will have or has encountered students with dyslexia in their classrooms, whether identified or not. This commonality should provide a sense of preparedness by the teacher and a reminder that students are not alone in this journey. It also underscores the need for a deeper, more comprehensive understanding, which we will explore in this book. In addition, there are cascading secondary impacts that are often long-lasting. Regarding educational research on dyslexia, decades of research, data, and instructional implications, indicate that “research conducted across many disciplines and many decades has now provided a clearer understanding of the complexities that are inherent to dyslexia” (Hasbrouck 2020, 2024) highlighting the need for educators, parents, and students to deepen their understanding of all that dyslexia entails. While there are ongoing conversations surrounding the definition of dyslexia, The International Dyslexia Association’s current definition of dyslexia is as follows:
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. (International Dyslexia Association 2002)
For parents and teachers in classrooms or intervention settings, several questions might be asked, such as “What is dyslexia?”, “What should I look for in my students?”, and “Where do I access the research?” In addition, “There is so much research and information available; what should I trust or refer to?” Rest assured, a wealth of trusted research and resources is available to guide you as we deepen our understanding of dyslexia through the integrated framework.
As we move through this chapter, I encourage you to reflect on how you describe dyslexia and develop some speaking points to bring up when talking about dyslexia to others.
Common Questions, Comments, and Answers About Dyslexia
Is Dyslexia Real? Yes, Dyslexia is Very Real
The first line of the IDA definition is of importance, as “neurobiological in origin” means dyslexia is a variation of the brain system from birth. It is generally agreed upon that there are variations in the brain processing systems that involve difficulty connecting the sounds that make up words with the letters that represent those sounds. Studies have discovered that these brain differences exist before formal instruction and likely reflect the cause of dyslexia. Researchers have also identified distinct neural networks associated with the specific factors of dyslexia (Norton 2015) and may also underlie the differences in activation and connectivity noted in functional imaging studies (Norton and Wolf 2012; Pugh et al. 2000; Shaywitz 2003, 2020). These differences make learning to read more challenging for students with dyslexia than that of their neurotypical peers, and therefore, we should not think of dyslexia as a developmental reading delay, or what may be called “late bloomers.” For this reason, it is imperative that students with dyslexia not be delayed in receiving appropriate interventions. Without intervention, children who are poor readers at the end of first grade seldom acquire average-level reading skills by the end of elementary school (Francis et al. 1996; Juel 1988; Shaywitz et al. 1998; Torgesen & Burgess 1998) highlighting the need for early intervention as the brain’s plasticity decreases through childhood. It should also be noted that appropriate interventions at any age are beneficial, though the duration and intensity for older students may require a longer stint to close the reading gap. This understanding of neurobiological origin helps anchor our understanding that dyslexia is not anyone’s fault or that parents or students must try harder.
