About Dyslexia

Dyslexic students may struggle across many subjects in school, and earlier diagnosis is therefore beneficial. Screening for dyslexia can be performed online reasonably cheaply, and the British Dyslexic Association offers diagnostic assessments.

Dyslexia has been described as:

A learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.
Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness (identifying and manipulating units of oral language), verbal memory and verbal processing speed.
Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points.
Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor coordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not by themselves markers of dyslexia.

Some signs or indications of dyslexia:

The SEND Code of Practice (2014) requires all schools to offer support to dyslexic students and we have found one-to-one tuition to be beneficial for these students.

Our tutors are provided with guidance and training to help them when providing tuition to students with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia, and in accordance with the person-centred Bright Heart Approach, are required to adjust their tutoring to the specific learning needs of each student.

While each individual’s needs are different, we list some general tips below for help with reading, writing and organisational difficulties respectively.

How our private SEN tutors approach students with Dyslexia

Our tutors will reduce the amount of reading required by summarising or using diagrams, any necessary reading will be simplified using bullet points instead of long paragraphs.

Reading material will also be made easier to read by using different colour font or colour to highlight and using bold instead of italics. The amount of writing required will be reduced and oral presentations will be used instead. Written work will be reviewed for content rather than accuracy.

Tutors will offer support for spell-checking, for example using a software program they will also provide written notes. The tutor will give instructions verbally and provide clear structure for the student’s tasks and offer regular support.