4d guide_v2.1_web.pdf · 2016-03-16 · 2 4 d i s f o r d y slexia: a g ui d e f o r n e w z e a l...

4Dis forDySLEXIADySLEXIAis for

4Dw w w. d y s l e x i a f o u n d a t i o n . o r g . n z

A Guide For New Zealand Schools

Version 2.1

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4D is for Dyslexia: A Guide for New Zealand Schools Version 2.1

Foreword 3

Introduction 4

Section1:4DincontextActionandaccountabilityintoday’seducationsystem 5Acloserlookat4D|ForDyslexia 6Thebigpicture–improvingthelearningenvironmentforall 8Thedifferenceteacherscanmake 9

Section2:Implementingthe4DSchoolsProgrammeThe4DSchoolsProgramme–what’sinvolved? 11Creatinga4DDyslexiaPolicyforyourschool 13Astrategyforclassroomchange 17Classroomimplementation:Notice 18 -Definingdyslexiaandnoticingitintheclassroom 18 -Creatingparentpartnerships 24 -Screening 25

Classroomimplementation:Adjust 28 -Instructions 28 -Time 29 -Notetaking 29 -Creativeandmulti-sensoryapproaches 30 -Classworkandtheclassroomenvironment 30 -Reading,writingandspelling 31 -Marking 32 -Self-esteem 32 -Homework 32

Section3:Furtherresources Readingaccuracyandtheroleofphonics 33 Additionaltoolsandresources 35 Measuringprogress 36 Professionaldevelopmentforteachers 38

Contents

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Cookie Time Charitable Trust

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3w w w. d y s l e x i a f o u n d a t i o n . o r g . n z


Dearteachers,principals,specialeducators,parentsandothereducationcommunitymembers.

WelcometoVersion2.1ofour4DGuideforSchools,acomprehensiveresourcedesignedtosupportimprovededucationoutcomesfortheestimated70,000dyslexicschoolchildreninourNewZealandclassrooms.

Sincelaunchingthefirst4DGuideinSeptember2008we’vehadmorethan500NewZealandschoolsjoinourrevolutionary4DSchoolsprogramme.Anddemandcontinuestogrow.DuringJune2009andJune2010,wehadmorethan2500teachersandothereducatorsattendoursold-outseriesof4DWorkshops,hostedbyinternationaldyslexiaexpertNeilMacKay.Wehadincrediblefeedbackfromtheseinspiringworkshops,withmanyrequeststomakeNeilMacKay’sexpertisemorewidelyavailable.andwiththelaunchof4DConsultancythisProfessionalDevelopmentisnowfarmoreaccessible.

ThisupdatedGuidethusincorporatesfurtherinsightsfromNeilMacKay,basedonhisbreakthroughthinkingincharacterisingdyslexiaasalearningpreferenceandintroduces4DConsultancyasakeySolutionProvidertoschools.Brain research, includingYaleandAucklanduniversitystudies, showsthatdyslexic individualstendto think inpicturesnotwords– receivingandretrieving information inadifferentpartof thebraintoneurotypical,wordbasedthinkers.Fromalearningperspective,theynaturallyprefertoreceive,processandpresentinformationinwaysthatmakemoresensetothem.Thislearningpreferenceoftenmanifestsasmulti-sensory:oralorvisualratherthanviathewrittenword.Dyslexiainfactoffershugecreativepotentialtodeliveroutstandinginnovationandextraordinaryout-of-the-boxsolutions–realassetsinanincreasinglymulti-sensoryandICT-ledworld.

NeilMacKay’sadviceispractical,realisticandsimpletoimplement,basedonateachingparadigmof‘noticeandadjust’.Thismeansnoticingstudentswhoaregettingstuckandadjustingtheteachingtosuit.ThisGuidewillshowyouhow.YoucanreadmoreaboutNeilMacKayandthisgroundbreakingnewteachingparadigmatourdedicated4DEdgewebspace–www.4d.org.nz/edge/.Otherexcitingnewdevelopments includea4DVirtualClassroom,presentingstudentviewsonclassroomchangesthatworkforthem.Overall,our4DSchoolsprogrammeisrapidlybecomingthemostsignificantprogrammeeverdevelopedtoaddressdyslexiaintheKiwiclassroom.Wehavealsoexpanded4Dthinkingtothehomeandtheworkplace,andgreatadviceforparents,employersandemployeescanbeaccessedfromthemain4Dwebspaceatwww.4d.org.nz

ThisGuideincorporatesmanyofthewonderfulinsightsgainedfromNZeducators,aswellaskeylearningsfromleadingdyslexiaresearchersintheUKandUS. YoucanreadmoreKiwiandinternational insightsatwww.4d.org.nz/school/.WearethankfultothemanypeoplewhohavecontributedtheirtimeandexpertisetothisV2.1Guide,andwehopethatyouwillkeepthishandbooknearbytoprovideguidance,helpandideasthroughoutthisschoolyearandbeyond.Ifyouarea4DSchool,yournextstepistocontact4DConsultancytorequestdirectassistancewithschoolpolicyandimplementationandProfessionalDevelopmentforyourschoolstaff.

Kindregards

GuyPope-MayellChairofTrusteesDyslexiaFoundationofNewZealand

Foreword

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In September 2008, Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand (DFNZ) officially launched the revolutionary4D | For Dyslexia programme, empowering New Zealand schools to take constructive action and makemeaningful changes to help students with dyslexia or dyslexic type learning preferences.To date, morethan500schoolshavejoinedtheprogramme.

Therearemanydifferentviewsofwhatdyslexiais,fromdisabilityanddifficultythroughtodifferenceandlearning preference. DFNZ firmly views dyslexia as a learning preference, based on the increasing bodyof scientific research showing that dyslexics commonly process information in the creative right side ofthebrain,asopposedtotheverballeftsideutilisedbyneurotypical,word-basedthinkers.Itisnosurprise,therefore,thattheyprefertopresenttheirlearningsinmorevisualandcreativeways.

DFNZtakesabroadspectrumviewofdyslexia,acknowledgingthatwhilethemostimmediateattributeisanissuedecodingwordsandtheirmeanings,thereisabroaderrangeofskillsthatcanbeimpacted.Thesemayincludeauditoryandvisualperception,planningandorganising,motorskills,short-termmemoryandconcentration.Someofthesecanmakeitespeciallychallengingforindividualstofollowinstructions,turnthoughtsintowordsandfinishworkontime.Overall,dyslexia’sgreatestdifficultyisself-esteem–itonlybecomesadisabilityifnotappropriatelyaddressed.

NewZealandisatacrossroadsindealingwithdyslexia.Wehaveachoicebetweenadoptingadisabilitymentalityandtreatingdyslexicindividualsaspartofaproblem,orlearningfrommistakesothercountrieshavemadeandembracingasolutionsperspective.Asaproblem,incorrectlyaddresseddyslexiacanleadto disruptive classroom behaviour, alienation, anti-social behaviour, truancy, depression, suicide, druguseandcrime.Asasolution,dyslexiacanbecomeakeydriverforcreativethinkingandproducethekindof innovation and entrepreneurship sorely needed in an increasingly ICT-led world, and in challengingeconomictimes.

Importantly,dyslexiaisoneofthefewcausesofsocialdysfunctionthatcanbeeasilyaddressed. And the costs of doing so are an investment that will return hugedividends.Byprioritisingandaddressingdyslexiainschoolsweavoidflowonadultrelatedcosts–socialservices,criminalservices,mentalhealthservicesandsoforth.

The 4D Schools programme and this Guide are designed to assist NewZealandeducatorstomakethe‘wholeschool’changesnecessarytoputdyslexicchildrenonthepathtosuccess.Thisinvolvesajourneytowardsmakingdyslexia-awarebestpracticeacommonpractice,sothatnochildisleftbehind.Successatschoolshouldn’tdependondyslexicstudentsbeing lucky enough to be assigned a dyslexic-aware teacher: dyslexia-aware best practice should be a school-wide phenomenon. The 4DSchoolsprogrammeiskeytoachievingthis,and2010hasdemonstratedthat schools seek greater guidance and support which is now provided by4DConsultancy.Readmoreonpage38

Introduction


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D is for Dyslexia: A Guide for New Zealand Schools Version 2.1

Debateontheprecisedefinitionoftheterm‘dyslexia’hasoccupiedacademicsaroundtheworldforsomeyears.Thisoftenseemstoengenderanattitudethatuntilyoucandefinedyslexia,youcan’tbegintoaddressit–astalematewhichinternationaldyslexiaexpertNeilMacKayreferstoas“paralysisbyanalysis”.The4Dapproachtakesanalternativeview,identifyingconstructiveactionthatcanbetakenbasedonthesignificantbodyofresearchandexperientialevidencethatalreadyexistsondyslexia.After-all,fortheestimated70,000dyslexicschoolchildreninourKiwiclassrooms,actionsspeakmuchlouderthanwords.

4Disbuiltaroundasimplebuthighlyeffectivephilosophyof‘noticeandadjust’. Intheclassroom,thisisaboutnoticingwhichstudentsarehavingdifficulty,andmakingsimpleadjustmentstothewayinwhichtheyare taughtandassessedso that theycanflourish.Thismeans replacingold-school‘one-size-fits-all’thinking with individualised or personalised learning strategies, and accepting alternative evidence ofachievement,perhapsoralandvisualbasedratherthanwritten.

These strategies are also at the foundation of the National Curriculum, which recognises that equity ineducationcomesnotthroughtreatingallstudentsequally,butthroughrecognisingandaccommodatingdifference within the classroom environment. And they are in tune with the self-managing schoolsenvironment,whichoffersschoolstheabilitytodirectresourcestowheretheyaremostneeded.

In terms of policy direction, recent Government initiatives have made it clear the ‘gates are open’ fordyslexiaactioninNewZealandschools.TheCrusadeforLiteracyandNumeracyisalinchpininthis,backedby the National Curriculum and self-managing schools environment. The release in early 2009 of theMinistryofEducation’sTeachersResource:AboutDyslexiawasakeyaccountabilitydocumentinthisarea.AboutDyslexiaisarealblueprintforactionandreflectstheGovernment’smajorfocusontransparencyandassessment.Itencouragesschools(andparents)toproactivelyseekdyslexiasolutionsanditrequiresschoolstohaveaninclusiveschoolpolicywhichaccommodatesdyslexicstudents’uniquelearningdifferences.

Happily, our 4D strategies are perfectly designed to equip schools to deliver better learning outcomesasmandatedthroughtheCrusadeforLiteracyandNumeracyandtheAboutDyslexiaresource.Dyslexicstudentscurrentlymake up 30-50%of theestimated20%ofNew Zealandstudentswho areat the tail-endofpoorliteracyandnumeracyresults.Unlessdyslexiaisattheforefrontofthinkingandaction,itwillthereforebeverydifficultforschoolstomakerealprogress.Schoolsthatdon’tactwillbeleftbehindandfailtodeliveragainstGovernmentexpectations.DFNZestimatesthetailofpoorliteracyandnumeracyresultscouldbehalvedwithbestpracticeandappropriateclassroominterventionsasoutlinedinthis4DGuide–agoodoutcomeforeveryone.

Changes in the school environment often begin with a committed school principal, supported by anemotionallyengaged‘champion’fromwithinthestaff,whotogethercantakethewholeschoolonajourneytowardsmakingdyslexia-awarebestpracticethenorm,sothatnochildisleftbehind.CreationofaDyslexiaSchool Policy comprises the first step of the 4D Schools programme, followed by strategic applicationofthe‘noticeandadjust’approachintheclassroom.Youcanreadmoreaboutthe4Dprocess inthe4Dimplementationsectiononpage11.

Section 1: 4D in context

Action and accountabilty in today’s education system

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4D|ForDyslexia–whichalsostandsfor4Differenceand4Diversity–extendsthecommonperceptionofthreedimensionstoembraceafourthdimensionbasedoncreativity.Thisfourthdimensionislikenedtoadyslexicoratypicalwayofthinkingwhichcanoffergreatcreativegiftsifaddressedcorrectly.

The revolutionary 4D Schools programme is designed to support new thinking on dyslexia in the Kiwiclassroom, and help teachers take the simple steps necessary to ensure dyslexic students harness theirpotential.Themostadvancedresource in thisareaevermadeavailable toNewZealandschools, the4DSchoolsprogrammecreatesapotentframeworkformeaningfulaction.Itprovidesaccesstonationalandinternationallearnings,insightsandadvice.

Based on principles of empowerment, collaboration and change, the programme also offers significantbenefitsforteachers.Whensmallchangestotheclassroomenvironmentcancreatemarkedimprovementsinstudentengagementandbehaviour,ateachingstress is removed.Theprogrammeinvolvesthreekeysteps – producing a policy; outlining a strategy for classroom change; and implementation (which ismonitoredandtrackedtoensureitisaddingvaluefordyslexicstudents).Crucially,itincludescloseto100simplethingsteacherscandotocreateapositive learningenvironment, fromreviewingseating layoutsthroughtouseofnewtechnology.

TheprogrammehasbeendesignedinconsultationwithinternationaldyslexiaexpertNeilMacKay,alsothearchitectoftheacclaimedBritishDyslexiaFriendlySchools initiative.Oneoftheworld’s leadingthinkerson dyslexia, Neil MacKay is the author of the renowned resource book Removing Dyslexia as a Barrier to Achievement.Anexperiencedteacherwithmorethan26yearsexperienceinmainstreamschools;hehasbeenanHMschools inspector;andconsultstoEducationAuthoritiesandDepartments intheUK,HongKongandMalta.

As noted in the foreword and variously in this Guide, theprogramme revolves around a ‘notice and adjust’ teachingparadigm, based on acknowledging dyslexia as a learningpreference. Neil MacKay is very clear on this preference. Henotesdyslexiaiswidespreadandforlife:itcannotbe‘cured’andit isaninsulttoregarditasadisabilityperse. Infact,oftenitonlybecomesadisabilitywhenpoorlyaddressed. Ifproperlyaddressed, it can become the creative driver for innovationand entrepreneurship. This teaching paradigm celebratesdifferenceanddiversityandworkstohelpdyslexicstudentsthrive. This in turn can deliver the type of 4D Edge that isincreasingly valued in a multi-sensory, visually dominantand ICT-led world. You can read more about Neil MacKayandthenewteachingparadigmonthe4DEdgewebsiteatwww.4d.org.nz/edge/

A closer look at 4D | For Dyslexia



Sohowdowehelp?Understandingtheconceptoflearningpreferenceisthecriticalplacetostart.Thisisabout recognizing that brain research now shows that dyslexic individuals think differently, so naturallyprefertoreceive,processandpresentinformationinwaysthatmakemoresensetothem.Astheytendtothinkinpicturesratherthanwords–receivingandretrievinginformationinadifferentpartofthebraintoneurotypical,word-basedthinkers–theyoftenprefertoreceiveandpresentorallyorvisuallyratherthanviathewrittenword. Ifyouare interested infindingoutmoreaboutthefunctionalmagneticresonanceimaging(fMRI)researchthatshowsdifferencesbetweenneurotypicalanddyslexicbrains,theworkofYalescientistDrSallyShaywitzisagoodplacetostart.

Dr Shaywitz’s was one of the first laboratories to image the dyslexic brain using functional magneticresonance imaging (fMRI). They have imaged several thousand children and adults as they read. Theirfindings,combinedwithfMRIdatafromaroundworld,showthatthreeneuralsystemsareusedforreading,all in the left side of the brain. Dyslexics, however, have a neural signature of disruption of two neuralsystemsinthebackofthebrain.Thustheposteriorreadingsystems,especiallytheleftoccipto-temporal(word-form)regionresponsibleforfluent,rapidreading,aredisruptedindyslexicchildrenandadults.Othercompensatorysystems,inthefrontalregionsonbothleftandrighthemispheres,andtherighthemispherehomologue of the word form area develop, and these systems support increased accuracy over time.However, theword-formregiondoesnotdevelopandcompensatorypathwaysdonotprovidefluentorautomaticreading.

Inshort, thismeansthatdyslexicstudentsmightwellknowtheanswer,buthaveaproblempullingtheinformationoutandarticulatingit.Thisiswhyaccommodationsofextratimeforexaminationsandtests,forexample,haveaneurobiologicalbasisandhelp leveltheplayingfieldfordyslexicstudents.Moreon

classroom accommodations and adjustments can be found in the implementation section of thisGuide.MoreonDrShaywitz’sworkisoutlinedonour4DEdgewebsiteatwww.4d.org.nz/edge/.

Strengthsincreativityandhigherlevelthinkingprocessesamongstdyslexicshavebecomeexcitingareasforongoinginternationalresearch.DrShaywitzinvestigatesthisaspartofherwork.AnotherleadingedgeresearcherinthisareaisTomWest,whoistheauthoroftwoacclaimedbooks–In the

Minds Eye, and Thinking Like Einstein–whichdetailhiswork.Hesaysofhisworkthatitistimetolearnfromthedistinctivestrengthsofdyslexics,ratherthanjustfocusingontheirweaknessesandfailures.Heseekstounderstandthetalentsofsuccessfuldyslexicsandstudyhowthesetalentsareimportantforeducationandwork,especiallyinourworldofradicaleconomicandtechnologicalchange.

In the Mind’s Eyeexaminestheroleofvisual-spatialstrengthsandverbalweaknessesinthelivesoftendyslexichistoricalfigures,includingAlbertEinstein,WinstonChurchill,GeneralGeorgePattonandWilliamButlerYeats.Thinking Like Einstein investigatesthenewworldsofvisualthinking, insight,andcreativitymadepossiblebycomputergraphicsandinformationvisualizationtechnologies.Inthisbook,Westprofilesseveralhighlycreativevisualthinkers,suchasJamesClerkMaxwell,NikolaTesla,andRichardFeynman,pointingoutthatthereisalonghistoryofusingvisualizationratherthanwordsornumberstosolveproblems.Westisalsoworkingonathirdbook,dealingwithvisualthinking,highcreativityanddyslexiainseveralscientistsandscientificfamilies.MoreonTomWest’sworkcanbeaccessedfromthe4DEdgewebsiteatwww.4d.org.nz/edge/.

A closer look at 4D | For Dyslexia (continued)

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Bygettingitrightfordyslexicstudents;yougetitrightforeveryone.Soundslikeaboldstatement,butitiscommonsenseifyoulookatitfromtheperspectiveofprovidingpersonalisedorindividualisedlearning.Thistypeofapproachissomethingthatallstudentscanbenefitfrom.

Whiletakingactionondyslexiaprovidesamanageable,definedgroupofstudentstodealwith,theflow-oneffectisalessdisruptiveclassroomenvironmentandmoreteacher-timeforallstudents,creatinggreaterperformance across the board. Interestingly, DFNZ’s nationwide survey of teachers in 2008 showed that99%feltdyslexic-specificinitiativesintheclassroomwouldalsohelpother,non-dyslexicstudents.

MaoriandPacificIslandstudents,whohistoricallyhaveoralcultures,canalsogainsignificantbenefitsfromthe4Dapproach.Dyslexiaawareclassroompractices,basedaroundpersonalisationandtherighttolearndifferently,havethepotentialtomakeasignificantdifferencetotheeducationandlifechancesofthesestudents.

The 4D approach is one of ‘notice and adjust’ – notice students who are having issues and adjust theteaching accordingly. This includes strategies based on developing comprehension through use ofcontext,syntaxandgrammar,andlookingatareassuchasorganisationofideas,planningskills,learningtoremember,raisingself-esteemandvaluingemotionalintelligence.Multi-sensorytechniques,effectiveuseoflanguage,chunkingoftasksandinstructions,assessmentforlearningandmarkingalternativeevidenceof achievement (work presented in forms other than writing, for example mind maps) are also valuabletools.ThenoticeandadjustapproachiscoveredindetailintheimplementationsectionofthisGuide.

You can learn from your students too – they oftenhavestrongviewsonwhatwillworkwhenalinearteaching style does not. Some things may be assimple as using dyslexia-friendly fonts – usuallyArial,SassoonorComicSansat14pointwith1.5linespacing!Othersrequirealittlemoreadjustment.Youcanfindoutmoreaboutwhatstudentshavetosayinour4DVirtualClassroomatwww.4d.org.nz/virtual/

UK experience shows dyslexia-appropriatestrategies and accommodations deliver betterexam results and improvements in attendance,punctualityandparentalconfidence.AttheNorthWales secondary school where internationaldyslexia consultant Neil MacKay worked, evenhouse prices in the area also went up, reflectingthe fact that parents wanted to move into theschoolcatchmentarea.

The big picture –

Improving the learning environment for all



Children begin school full of curiosity and eagerness to learn but quickly become disillusioned byunexpectedfailureintheclassroom.Teachers,therefore,haveavitalroletoplayinidentifyingpotentiallydyslexicstudentsintheirfirstfewmonthsatschool.

AnationwidesurveyofteachersconductedbyDFNZin2008indicatedthatnearlyalleducationprofessionalshavetaughtadyslexicstudent,withmostteachingbetweenoneandthreestudentsayear.Some89percentofrespondentsidentifieddyslexicstudentsashavinglowerself-esteemthantheirnon-dyslexicpeers,andafurther41percentsaiddyslexicstudentsoftenexhibitedlesssociallyacceptablebehaviour.Thisofcourseisnosurpriseasmanystudentswouldratherbeconsidereddifficultthandumb.

Theclassclownisanothercommonpersonafordyslexicstudents.

Byidentifyingstudentswithdyslexic-likelearningpreferencesearlyandreferringthemforscreeningwhennecessary,teacherscanmakearealdifferencebeforechildrenbegintoexperiencefailureandfrustrationandintegratethisasasenseofbeinglessthanothers,resultinginlowself-esteemandalienation.Thisiscritical,giventhepotentiallongtermconsequencesofpoorlyaddresseddyslexia.Thesecanincludetruancy,depression,suicide,druguseandcrime.Thereisalreadyasignificantbodyofinternationalresearchinthisarea,muchofwhichcanbeaccessedatwww.4d.org.nz/edge/.

Closertohome,NewZealandPrincipalYouthCourtJudgeAndrewBecrofthasforseveralyearsexpressedconcernaboutlinksbetweenlearningdifficultiesandoffending.InJune2009,heagainsaidhewas“seriouslyconcernedastothenumberofyoungoffenderswhohaveslippedthroughthe‘educationalnet’becauseofundiagnosedlearningdisabilities,especiallydyslexia.Overseasapathwaytoeventualoffending,originatingfromundiagnosedandunaddresseddyslexiaiswell-known.”HecontinuestoadvocateforresearchinthisareatoascertainhowmanyyoungoffendersinthethreeyouthjusticecustodialresidencesinNewZealandsufferfromdyslexiaorotherlearningdisabilities.

Internationaldyslexiaexpertand4DconsultantNeilMacKayalsohasapowerfultakeontheconsequencesofunaddresseddyslexia,identifyingninestepsto‘creatingacriminal’thatschoolsshouldtakecaretoavoid.Thisironicnine-stepGuide,aswellastheantidote,canbeaccessedthroughwww.4d.org.nz/edge/.

Intheclassroom,problemscanariseifteachersequateweakbasicskillswithsomesortofinabilitytothink.Ifstudentsareputintogroupsthatareappropriateforbasicskillsbutnotfortheirthinkinglevels,theycanquicklybecomefrustratedandactout.Thisisbecausemanydyslexicstudentsthinkfasterthantheyread–soputtingtheminlow-abilitygroupsandmeasuringthemsolelyonreadingabilitywronglylabelsthemas‘failures’,impactingself-esteem.Stressandanxietymostoftencausedbythelearningenvironmentis80%oftheproblem,compoundinginsecuritiesandconsequentbadbehaviour.

The difference teachers can make

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Thesolutionisaboutplacingstudentsinthinkingabilityappropriategroupswhilesupportingthemwithbasic skills. This empowers them to develop high level subject knowledge and skills while their basicskillsarecatchingup.Throughunderstandingtheirdifferenceandintegratingthisthroughsuccessintheclassroom,4Dultimatelyenablesdyslexicstudents tohelp themselves.All this requiresaflexible‘noticeand adjust’ approach to teaching, but this is perfectly in tune with the new National Curriculum whichchallengesschoolstodothingsdifferently.

From data collected by Neil MacKay, dyslexia-aware schools in the UK are recording improvements in arangeofmeasurableindicators,includingattendance,attainment(measuredthroughdata),achievement(measuredthroughassessmentforlearning),andimprovementinstudentandparentalconfidence,notjustfordyslexicstudents,butalsoforawiderangeofvulnerablelearners.Intermsofassessmentforlearning,thisreferstoassessingprogressthroughoutthelesson,ratherthanwaitingtoassesstheoutputattheendandfindingthatcourseworkoranendofunittesthasnotbeencompletedsuccessfully.

TheUKdata,collectedfromschoolsengagedintheUKQualityMarkinginitiative–whichrecognisesschoolsforthequalityoftheirinclusivepractice–showsimprovedattendance and punctuality once teaching styles, methods and materialsaremodifiedwithadyslexia-awarefocus.Thisfocusenablesteacherstopull together a range of approaches into a coherent response; headteacherscommentthatoncetheygetitrightfordyslexicstudents,thisseemstoenhancethelearningofamajorityofpupilsintheschool,withorwithoutspecific learningneeds.Forthosewith dyslexia, significant gains towards closing thelearninggaphavebeenmade,withimprovementsrecordedspecificallyinwriting,reading,maths and science followingtargetedsupport.

The difference teachers can make (continued)



Awholeschoolapproachisanimportantcomponentofthe4DSchoolsprogramme.Thereasonsforthisarethree-fold.Firstly,successatschoolfordyslexicstudentsshouldnotdependontheirbeingluckyenoughtobeassignedadyslexia-awareteacher.Secondly,successatschoolforallstudentscanbegreatlyenhancedbythepersonalisedlearningrecommendedbytheprogramme–makingitineveryone’sbestintereststoembracethisapproach.Thirdly,dyslexia impacts thestudentbeyondtheirEnglish lesson. Itcanpresentchallengesinanyclassorsituation.

Importantly,thetypeofpersonalised,orindividualised,learningstrategiesrecommendedaspartofthe4D‘noticeandadjust’philosophyalsolieatthefoundationoftheNationalCurriculum–whichbothchallengesand gives permission to schools to do things differently and teach more creatively. Notice and adjust isbasedsimplyonnoticingstudentswhoarehavingissuesandadjustingtheteachingtofit.

Classroomadjustmentsmakeadifferenceby:• Demonstratingempathy,respectandunderstandingofstudents’personalisedlearningneeds• Beingproactiveandbuildingindividualrelationshipswithstudents• Identifyingthevarioussocialandlearningneedsofchildren/studentscomingintoschoolwhodon’t easilyaccesslearning• Keepingthesechildren/studentsatschool:happyandachieving• Promotingandsupportingself-efficacy• Buildinghomeandschoolpartnerships• Ensuringthetransitionfrompreschooltoschoolandfromprimaryschooltointermediateandhigh schoolisassuccessfulforthechild/studentaspossible• Changingbenchmarksandexpectationsfordyslexicchildrentotakethestressoutoflearningfor children/studentsandtheirfamilies

Overall,aschool-widephilosophyofputtinginclusionattheheartofeverythingwillenablethedevelopmentofdyslexia-awareclassroomsledbydyslexia-awareteachers. Inanutshell,beingdyslexia-awareinvolvesfindingoutwhatchildrenaregoodat;givingthemachancetodomoreofit;andcelebratingthemgettingitright.

Theobjectivesforthe4DSchoolsprogrammeareto:• EnableBoardsofTrustees,schoolsandeducatorstoembraceawhole-schoolapproachandadopta‘ noticeandadjust’teachingparadigmintheclassroom• Fosterunderstandingandacceptanceofdyslexiaasalearningpreference,wherebydyslexicindividuals prefertopresenttheirlearninginvisualormulti-sensorywaysbecausethisishowtheirbrainswork,as opposedtothewrittenwordresponsesfavouredbyneurotypicalthinkers• Createinformedandempoweredparents,teachers,anddyslexicstudentswiththeaimofattaining confidentself-advocacybyalldyslexicstudentsbeforetheyleavesecondaryschool• Createastructurethatallowsschoolstobenchmarktheirlevelofengagementovertimeandagainst otherschoolsinNewZealand• Provideameansofengagementforparentsofdyslexicstudents,olderdyslexicstudents,andeducators withapassionforembracingdifference• Giveparentsinformationonwhichtobaseschooldecisions

Section 2: Implementing the 4D Schools Programme

The 4D Schools Programme – what’s involved?

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The 4D Schools programme is based around three key steps:These steps are increasingly being carriedoutinconjunctionwith4DConsultancy,whoseteambringsProfessionalDevelopment,actualpolicyandassessmentprotocoltoyourschooltomaketheprocessstreamlined,efficientandconsistent.

1. Creatingawritten4DDyslexiaPolicywithlinkstootherpolicies

2. Producing a strategy for classroom and school-wide change which will involve professionaldevelopment,andbeledbyakeystaffmember

3. Implementingthestrategy,asan individualschoolorasaschoolcluster, includingmonitoringandtrackingtoensureitisaddingvaluefordyslexicstudentsandallstudents

Intermsoftimeframe,therearethreelevelstofulladoptionoftheprogramme.Thelevelthataschoolhasacheivedisrecognisedonthe4DSchoolwebsite:

Level1:Uponregisteringasa4DSchool,schoolsarerecognisedasLevel1.TomaintainthisstatusschoolsmusthavebyMarch312011orwithin12monthsofregisteringhaveapolicyandstrategypublishedandscreenedby4D.

Level2:Recognisesthataschoolhasbothapolicyandstrategyinplaceandisintheprocessofimplementingthese,atthislevel,theschoolmustbeabletodemonstratePDhastakenplaceatwhole-schoollevel.

Level3:Recognisesthat“WholeSchoolDyslexiaBestPractice”hasbeenachievedbyevaluatingpracticewithanonsitevisitfroma4Dconsultant.

Thisaccreditationsystemisbroughttoyouby4DConsultancyandallowsschoolstomeasuretheirownprogress,whilstdirectassistanceisprovidedtoaclusterofschoolstomakePDandpolicyimplementationaswellasassessmentprotocolaffordableandaccessible.TheultimateaimistoprovidePDtoschoolssoastoavoidthe“lottoeffect”ofdyslexiaawareteachersandtocreateaclearroadmapforyourschooltobethebestitcanbeforallitsstudents-findoutmoreatwww.4d.org.nz/school/.

The 4D Schools Programme (Continued)



Asnotedinthepreviouspages,effectivesupportfordyslexicstudentsinvolvesawholeschoolapproach.Thisinvolvesajourneytowardsmakingdyslexia-awarebestpracticeacommonpractice,sothatnochildisleftbehind.

This approach is about replacing ‘one-size-fits-all’ thinking with individualised learning based onrecognising and understanding dyslexia as a learning preference. And it involves the new ‘notice andadjust’ teaching paradigm, employing simple classroom changes to allow dyslexic students to flourishandreachtheircreativepotential.AsenvisagedunderthenewNationalCurriculum,equityineducationisnotabout treatingall studentsequally.Rather, it isabout recognisingandaccommodatingdifferencewithintheclassroomenvironment.Morethan500NewZealandschoolsalreadyhavejoinedthe4DSchoolsprogrammeandstartedthejourneytocreatingabestpracticedyslexiapolicy.Youcanseealistofwhoisonboardatwww.4d.org.nz/school/

Producingawrittenpolicystatementondyslexiaisthefirststeptopositivechangethroughtherevolutionary4D Schools programme.This section provides useful guidance on creating a policy, and provides someadditionalresourceswhichwillhelpinformulatingpolicy.Contactinfo@4d.org.nzforsupport.

School policies and good practice

Therearemanypoliciesthatarerequiredtohelpa self-managing school meet its statutory andnon-statutoryobligationstoparents,pupils,andthe wider community. Policies help to ensurethattheschoolprovideseffectiveteachingandlearning, management, and care of its pupils.Although there are no hard and fast rules inproducing policies it is important that thePrincipal,theteachingstaffandtheBoardworktogether and that expertise within the schoolandwidercommunityissoughttomakethetasklessonerous.

Thefollowingbroadareasshouldbediscussed:• Keyissues• Underlyingprinciples• Whowillbeconsulted• Processforconsultation• Leadperson• Timescales

Creating a 4D Dyslexia Policy for your school

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Formatting a policy

Followingthesediscussions,thefollowingformatoffersaclearandconcisewayofcapturingthescopeandprocessofyourschool’s4DDyslexiaPolicy:

1. Purpose–Astatementreferringtothereasonthepolicyisbeingproduced

2. Consultation–Thisshouldincludeallthepeoplewhowereconsultedinthedrawingupofthispolicy(thiscanalsobeusefulwhenlookingatreviewingapolicy)

3. Linkswithotherpolicies–Includeanypoliciesthatmaycontaincross-referencing.Thishelpstoensurethatpoliciesdonotcontradicteachother

4. MonitoringandEvaluation–thisshouldindicatehowfrequentlythepoliciesaremonitored,themethodofevaluationandtheleadcommittee/person.MoreinformationisavailableintheCreatingSchoolPoliciessectionofour4DEdgewebspace,atwww.4d.org.nz/edge/

5. DatesofEstablishment,ImplementationandReview

Working with the National Curriculum

Yourschool’s4DDyslexiaPolicyprovidesanopportunity foryourschool tomakeastatementoutlininghowyouwillmakeprovisionfordyslexic learnersaccordingtothethreekeyvaluesof theNewZealandCurriculum:• Excellence• Innovation,enquiryandcuriosity• Respect

Specifically,yourpolicyshouldprovideanswerstothefollowingquestions:

1. How does the school ensure that provision for dyslexic students reflects the seven statements of theNewZealandCurriculum?• Highexpectation• TreatyofWaitangi• Culturaldiversity• Inclusion• Learningtolearn• Communitycohesion• Coherence



YoucandownloadsamplepoliciesfromNZschoolsfromtheCreatingSchoolPoliciessectionofour4Dedgewebspace,atwww.4d.org.nz/edge/

2. Inwhatwaysaredyslexic learnersempoweredandsupportedtoperformatabilityappropriate levelswithinthefivekeycompetenciesoftheNewZealandCurriculum,despiteweaknesseswithcertainbasicskills:

• Thinking–becomingcompetentthinkersandproblemsolvers,reflectingontheirownlearning,drawingon personal experience and intuitions, ask questions and challenge the basis of assumptions and perceptions• Usinglanguage,symbolsandtexts–developingtheabilitytointerpretandusewords,numbers,images, movements,metaphorandtechnologiesinarangeofcontexts• Managingself–becomingenterprising,resourceful,reliableandresilient,withselfmotivationandpositive attitudes• Relatingtoothers–developingtheability to listenactively,beingopentonew learningandworking effectivelytogether• Participatingandcontributing–participatinginandcontributingtotheschoolandlocalcommunityand demonstratingtheconfidencetoparticipatewithinnewcontexts

Tohelpyourschoolcreatea4DDyslexiaPolicyagainsteachofthefivecompetencies,we’vedevelopedatableworksheetforyoutorecordyourschool’spositionandsupportingevidence,whichyoucandownloadfromtheCreatingSchoolPoliciessectionofour4Dedgewebspace,atwww.4d.org.nz/edge/

Thisexercisemayshowcertaingapsorsituationswhichareatoddswiththephilosophyandmissionoftheschool.Inthiscase,itisappropriatetoidentifysuchissuesas“workingtowardsand/oraspirations”,ideallywithatimebondedcommitment.

The 4D Policy Challenge

InadditiontoformulatingapolicywhichreflectsthekeycompetenciesoftheNationalCurriculum,many4Dschoolshavealsofounditusefultochallengethestatusquobyaskingthemselvescertainkeyquestionsarounddyslexia.We’veputthesequestionsinaworksheetformat,includingroomforyourresponses,onthe4Dwebsiteatwww.4D.org.nz/school/anddownloadfromtheSchoolResourcessection.

1. Whatisdistinctiveaboutthewayyourschoolmeetstheneedsofdyslexiclearners/thoseatriskfromdyslexia?

2. Howwelldodyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneedsachieve?

3. Howgoodaredyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneeds’attitudes,valuesandpersonaldevelopment?

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4. Howeffectiveareteachingandlearningfordyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneeds?

5. Whatisthequalityofthecurriculumfordyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneeds?

6. Howwelldoestheschoolensureequalityofaccessandopportunityfordyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneeds?

7. Howwellaredyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneedscaredfor,guidedandsupported?

8. Howwelldoestheschoolworkinpartnershipwithparents,otherschools(transition!)andthecommunitytomeettheneedsofdyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneeds?

9. Howeffectiveistheleadershipoftheschoolincreatinga“DyslexiaAware”culture?

10. Howeffectivelydoesthemanagementoftheschoolempowercontactstafftomeettheneedsofdyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneeds?

11. Howwellistheschoolregardedbyitsdyslexiclearners/thosewithdyslexictypelearningneedsandtheirparents/carers

12. InwhatwaysdoesyourDyslexiaAwaregoodpracticeimpactonthelearningofotherstudentsintheschool?

The Force Field Analysis

AfurthertoolyoucanusetohelpraisetheachievementofdyslexiclearnersistheForceFieldanalysis–amodeofanalysiswhichallowsyoutolayoutthechangesrequired,whileanticipatingforcessupporting/preventingthosechangesandtheresultingstrategiesyou’llbeusingtoimplementthem.AworksheettohelpyouconductaForceFieldanalysisatyourschoolisagainavailablefromtheCreatingSchoolPoliciessectionofour4Dedgewebspace,atwww.4d.org.nz/edge/



Thesecondstepfora4Dschoolistocreateastrategyforimplementingthe4DDyslexiaPolicythroughouttheschoolandintheclassroomenvironment.A“pointperson”orpersons,shouldbenominatedtocoordinatethe4DSchoolsprogramme.Thiskeystaffmember(s)shouldbepartoftheseniormanagementteamwiththeauthoritytoimplementdyslexia-awareenhancementsofpolicyandpractice.

Thestrategyshouldputthedetailtothepolicystatementandmayincludethefollowingareas:

• Identificationofwaystoensurethatcurrentweaknesseswithbasicskillsdonotpreventdyslexicstudentsfromworkingatabilityappropriatelevels

• Guidanceonhowtospot“unexpecteddifficulties”acquiringsomeskillsincomparisontoabilityappropriateskill/conceptacquisitioninotherareas

• Effectivedifferentiationstrategies–providingguidancefordifferentiationbyoutcomeaswellastask.“Byoutcome”meanssettingdifferentactivitiesforpupilsbasedontheirlevelsofachievement.“Bytask”meanssettingthesameactivityforallpupilsbutgivingthemthechoiceastohowtheydemonstratetheirlearning,forexamplebyoralsubmissions,storyboards,mindmaps,flowchartsetc.Thisdifferentiationwilldovetailintoacceptingalternativeevidenceofachievement.Moredetailonrelevanttypesofstrategiesandaccommodationsisoutlinedinthefollowingclassroomimplementationsection

•Guidanceforacceptanceandmarkingofalternativeevidenceofachievement.PrimaryschoolteacherswillhavemorecreativelicenceinthisareaastheyarenotlockedintotheNZQAmarkingschedule

•Considerationastohowteacherscanbesupportedtoidentifyandrespondtothelearningneedsofdyslexicstudentswithoutunderestimatingintellect

•Anappropriatedyslexiascreeningprocess,whererequired,andapathwaycreatedwithintheschoolstructureforitseffectiveimplementation

•Opportunitiesforongoingprofessionaldevelopmentforteachers–seethe‘Measuringandcontinuingprogress’sectionlaterinthisguide

A strategy for classroom change

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Thethirdstepforschools isto implementthestrategicplanbymovingtoa‘noticeandadjust’teachingparadigmwithintheclassroom.Therearemanysimplewaysateachercanbegintonoticewhichstudentsneedachangeofapproach,andmanyadjustmentstheycanmaketoimmediatelyimprovethelearningenvironment,includingapplyingpersonalisedlearningandacceptingalternativeevidenceofachievement.Inessence,wearelookingtofindoutwhatchildrenaregoodat;givethemachancetodomoreofit;andfindwaystocelebratethat.

Personalised learning includes strategies based on developing comprehension through use of context,syntax and grammar, and looking at areas such as organisation of ideas, planning skills, learning toremember,raisingself-esteemandvaluingemotionalintelligence.Fordyslexicstudents,whothinkinmorevisualandcreativewaysthanneurotypicalword-basedthinkers,theidealapproachismulti-sensory–withworkpresentedandacceptedinvisualformssuchasvideo,internet,mind-mapsandgraphics.AfullrangeofadjustmentsisavailableintheadjustmentsectionofthisGuide.

In the‘notice and adjust teaching paradigm, ’notice’ refers to the early identification of students in theclassroomwhoarehavingdifficultylearningviatraditionalmethods.Thisisaprocesswhichmayinvolvebothcarefulobservationofstudentstodistinguishdyslexiaintheclassroom;creationofparentpartnerships;and,ifnecessary,formalscreening.

Defining dyslexia

Brainresearch,includingstudiesfromYaleandAucklanduniversities,hasshownthatwhileitiscommontousethe‘verbal’ leftsideofourbraintounderstandwords,dyslexicpeopleusethe‘pictorial’rightside–making themslower toprocessandunderstand language,butstronger increativeareas likeproblemsolving,empathyandlateralthinking.

WorlddyslexiaauthoritySallyShaywitz,founderoftheYaleCenterforDyslexiaandCreativity(www.dyslexia.yale.edu)isapioneerinthisarea.AsnotedearlierinthisGuide,herlaboratorywasoneofthefirstintheworldtoimagethedyslexicbrainusingfunctionalmagneticresonanceimaging(fMRI).Thedataobtainedfromseveral thousandchildrenandadults,combinedwith fMRIdata fromaroundtheworld, revealedadistinctiveneuralsignaturefordyslexia,withdisruptionintheneuralsystemsusedforreading.Moreonherresearchcanbefoundonthe4DEdgesiteatwww.4d.org.nz/edge/.

Bottom-line,herresearchshowsafundamentaldifferenceinthewaythebrainisorganised.Dyslexicstendtobetop-downratherthanbottom-upthinkers,meaningtheylearnfromgettingthebigpictureortheoverallideaormeaningfirst,andthenfillinthespecificdetails.Peoplewithdyslexialearnbestthroughmeaning,by understanding the overall concept rather than through rote memorisation of isolated facts. Strongvisualisationskillsarealsoanassettothosewithdyslexia.Theseobservationshavecriticalimportanceintermsofhowinformationispresentedtodyslexicstudents,andhowlongtheyaregiventounderstandit.

Classroom implementation: Notice



In defining dyslexia, we can note that difficulties with literacy and numeracy are a common feature ofdyslexia.Themostimmediateattributeisaproblemindecodingwordsandtheirmeanings,whencomparedtotheirabilityappropriateskillsinotherareas.However,thisisstillonlyoneaspectofabroaderspectrumofdifficulties.Andwhileitisimportantthatliteracy,andnumeracy,areaddressed,ifthatisallthatisaddressedthen interventions will fail more often than succeed – because not only do dyslexics have the need forliteracyintervention,theyalsolearndifferently,andthismustbeunderstood.

DFNZ supports a broad spectrum view which acknowledges that dyslexia has a proven neurobiologicalbasis;isheredity;impactsawiderangeofskills;andoccursacrossarangeofintellectualabilities.Skillsthatmaybeaffectedcanincludeauditoryandinformationprocessing,planningandorganising,motorskills,short-termmemoryandconcentration.Someof thesecanmake itespeciallychallengingfor individualstofollowinstructions,turnthoughtsintowordsandfinishcertaintasksontime.Dyslexiaisperhapsbestthoughtofasacontinuumofabilitiesanddifficulties,ratherthanadistinctcategory,astherearenoclearcut-offpoints.

Intermsofthe‘noticeandadjust’teachingparadigm,dyslexiaisdefinedas“Aspecificlearningdifferencewhichisconstitutionalinoriginandwhich,foragivenlevelofability,maycauseunexpecteddifficultiesintheacquisitionofcertainliteracyandnumeracyskills.”

It is important, however, not to get overly caught up or sidetracked by debate on dyslexia definitions.TheDFNZand4Dfocusisverymuchonconstructiveaction.ThisisinlinewiththeviewsofrenownedUKGovernmenteducationconsultantSirJimRose,whoalsoadvocatesanactionapproach. Inhis landmarkreportfortheUKGovernmentonIdentifyingandTeachingChildrenandYoungPeoplewithDyslexiaandLiteracyDifficulties(June2009),henotesthat:“Despitedifferentdefinitionsofdyslexia,expertviewsverylargelyagreeontwobasicpoints.First,dyslexiaisidentifiableasadevelopmentaldifficultyoflanguagelearningandcognition.Inotherwords, it isnowwidelyacceptedthatdyslexiaexists.Secondly,thelongrunningdebateaboutitsexistenceshouldgivewayto building professional expertise in identifying dyslexia and developing effective ways to help learnersovercomeitseffects.”

Noticing dyslexia in the classroom

Carefulobservationofstudentsinordertonoticethosewithdyslexiclearningtendenciesisthefirststepinimplementingthe‘noticeandadjust’teachingapproach.Teachershaveaveryimportantroletoplayinidentifyingstudentsinthisway,andinfactitistypicallytheschoolenvironmentinwhichdyslexiaisfirstpickedup.

Signstolookoutfor,usuallyapparentafterayearatschool,include:

• Challengeswithvisualand/orauditorysequentialworkingmemory• Strugglingtomakelinkswithphonologicalawareness

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• Difficultieswithmakingletter/soundlinks,spellingcommonwordsandsegmentingandblendingsounds

• Issueswithlearningsequenceseg.daysofweek• Finemotorcoordinationmaybeproblematic,eg.tyinglaces,doingupbuttons

• Goodoralcapabilitybutdifficulties,includingbehaviouralones,whenrequestedtocompletewrittenexercises

• Lettersornumbersreversedorconfusedb/d/p/q,n/u,13/31• Problemswithlabels,rhymes,sequences• Spells/readsononelinebutnotonthenext• Quickthinker/doer,butnotwhengiveninstructions• Enhancedcreativity• Aptitudeforconstructional/technicaltoys• Beingslowertoprocessandneedingrepeatedexposurestoretainlearning• Retrievalissues–learnssomethingonemoment,gonethenext• Largegapbetweenoralandwrittenwork• Failuretocompleteschoolwork• Tiredness• Poorsenseofdirection–difficultytellingleftfromright• Poorexecutionofworkandavoidanceoftasks–maybetheclassclown!• Negativeattitudeandlackofmotivation• Lackofconcentration• Difficultieswithpeersandgroupwork• Lowself-esteemandunrealisticgoals• Poorattitudetoschool• ‘Homeworkhavoc’• Mayshowsatisfactoryworkinsomeareas• Canappearontheball,butisabitofanenigmaintermsofhowtheirthoughtprocesseswork

Itisimportanttonotethatalllistsmustbeviewedagainstabenchmarkofabilityappropriateachievementinotherareas.Thisembodiestheprincipleof“unexpecteddifficulties”duetodyslexiclearningdifferences,ratherthanacross-the-boardlearningdifficultiesdueto“globaldelay”.Studentswithglobaldelaytendtolearnmostthingsataslowerrateandrequiremorerepetitionwhereasstudentswithdyslexiausuallyhavedifficulties inspecificareas.Alsobewareofanyattemptstoturnlists likethis–andtheonesthatfollowbelow–intosomeformof“identificationchecklist”.Thesearefraughtwithdangerbecausetheyinvariablyfailtoacknowledgethatsomebehavioursaremoresignificantindicatorsthanothers.Sosomenon-dyslexicstudent could score highly on a range of trivial items while severe dyslexics may have fewer but moresignificantbehaviours.



Amorecomprehensiveguidetoidentifyingpotentialdyslexiasignsisprovidedbelow.ThisisfromtheUK’s“InclusionDevelopmentProgramme”fromtheDepartmentforChildrenandSchools:

Reading Writing Numeracy/Time Skills Behaviour/

Concentration General

Makespoorprogresswith

reading

Poorstandardofworkcomparedwithoralability

Confusionwithnumberorder,e.g.units,tens,

hundreds

Poormotorskills–weaknessesinspeed,control,

accuracy

Usesworkavoidancetactics

suchassharpening

pencils,lookingforbooks

Speedofprocessing

Hasdifficultyblendingandsegmenting.(Blending=

combiningin-dividualsounds

togethertomakeonewordfor

reading.Segmenting=

breakingawordintosyllablesfor

spelling)

Producesmessyworkwithlots

ofcrossingsout,wordsmaybe

triedoutseveraltimes

Findssymbolsconfusing

+/x=/-/÷

Limitedun-derstandingof

non-verbalcom-munication

Iseasilydistracted

Poorconcentration

Hasdifficultywiththe

structureofwords–knowingwheretodivide

intosyllables,recognisingprefixesand

suffixes

Oftenconfusedbysimilarlettershapese.g.b/d,

p/g,p/q,n/u,m/w

Difficultylearning

sequencese.g.timestables,daysofweek,

monthsofyear

Confusionofleft/right,up/down,

etc.

Mayappeartobe‘dreaming’insteadoflistening

Difficultyfollowing

instructions

Difficultywithpronunciationof

longerwords

Poorhandwritingwith

reversalsandbadly-formed

letters

Difficultyinlearningto

tellthetime,especiallywith

analogueclocks

Maybeunsureofhandpreference

Mayactastheclassclownor

bedisruptiveorwithdrawn

Wordfindingdifficulties

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Reading Writing Numeracy/Time Skills Behaviour/

Concentration General

Doesnotrecognise

familiarwords

Spellsawordseveralways

inonepieceofwriting

Poortimekeepingandawarenessoftimepassing

Hasgooddaysandbaddays

Becomesverytiredduetotheamountofeffortandconcentra-

tionrequired(researchhas

shownthatthedyslexicbrain

worksfourtimesharderthanthe

non-dyslexicbrainwhenprocessing

language-basedinformation)

Forgetfulofwords

Poorexpression,hesitant,slowwhenreadingaloudwhich

canleadtopoorcomprehension

oftextandlosingthepointofthe

story

Hastherightlettersinawordbutinthewrong

order

Poorpersonalorganisationandlimitedabilitiestosetworkout

clearlyonapage

Doesnotlikechangee.g.a

supplyteachercoveringforthe

classteacher

Cannotpickoutthemost

importantpointsfromapassage.

Writtenworkbadlyset

out–wandersawayfromthe

margin

Difficultyremembering

whatdayoftheweekitis,birthdates,seasons,

months

Missesoutwordsoraddswordswhenreading

text

Usesphoneticandbizarre

spelling

Difficultywithconceptse.g.

yesterday,today,tomorrow,

above,below,etc.



LeadingUSdyslexiaresearcherDrSallyShaywitzalsoprovidesguidanceonnoticingdyslexiaandnotescluestodyslexiclearningpreferencescanbefoundinbothspokenlanguageandreading:

Spoken language clues:

• Latespeaking• Mispronunciations• Confusingwordsthatsoundalike,forsaying“recession”whentheindividualmeanttosay,“reception• Pausingorhesitatingoftenwhenspeaking• Usingimpreciselanguage,forexample,“stuff,”“things,”insteadofthepropernameofanobject• Underestimationofknowledge,ifbasedsolelyon(glibness)oforalresponse

Reading clues:• Inabilitytoreadsmall,so-calledfunctionwordssuchas“that,”“an,”“in”• Terrificfearofreadingaloud;avoidanceoforalreading• Oralreadingfilledwithmispronunciations,omissions,substitutions• Oralreadingthatischoppyandsoundslikereadingaforeignlanguage• Disproportionatepoorperformanceonmultiplechoicetests

• Inabilitytofinishtestsontime–doesn’tfinishorrushesandmakescarelesserrors;finaltestgradedoesnotreflectperson’sknowledgeofthetopic

• Messyhandwritingdespitewhatmaybeanexcellentfacilityatwordprocessing• Extremedifficultylearningaforeignlanguage• Avoidanceofreadingforpleasurewhichseemstooexhausting• Requiresquietenvironmenttoconcentrateonreading• Developmentofanxiety,especiallyintest-takingsituations

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Creating Parent Partnerships Parentsshouldbeinformedassoonasyoususpectastudenthasdyslexic-typetendencies.Thisisthemosteffectivewaytobuildtrustandrespect,andtocreateeffectiveparentpartnershipswhichsupportthechildinthehomeandsooptimisethegoodworkyoudointheclassroom.Anacidtestofaschoolthatisworkingisparentalconfidence,andthiscomesasaconsequenceofschoolactionandqualitycommunication.

Youdon’tneedaformalassessmentordiagnosisofdyslexiatoinitiatethisdialoguewithparents–rather,itisaboutnoticingsignsthatmayindicatealearningpreferencebasedonatypicalthinking,andsharingyourobservationswithparents/carerssoonerratherthanlater.Oneofthethingsthatdefinesadyslexia-awareself-managingschoolisthewillingnesstoproactivelyidentifystudentswithissues.

DFNZalsoofferssupportforparentsthroughadedicated4DHomespace–www.4d.org.nz/home/.Thissiteisdesignedtoinformandassistparentswhosechilddoesn’tseemtobemakingthesameprogressasothersatschool.Italsoincludespersonalstoriesfromparentsandinformationonsolutionsproviders.



Visual sequential & spatial memory test Phonological awareness test

Screening for Dyslexia Forthemajorityofstudentswithadyslexiclearningpreference,simpleadjustmentsintheclassroom(asdetailedinthefollowingsection)willbeimmenselyvaluableininspiringthemtodrawontheirstrengthsintheclassroom.Howeversomestudents-estimatedataround4%(comparedwiththeconservativelyestimated10%ofthepopulationwhoaredyslexic)-mayneedadditionalspecialisthelp,screeningtestsandsmallgroup,orone-on-oneinterventions,tohelpthemmakesignificantprogress.

Therearemanydifferenttestsavailableforscreening;detailedbelowarethosewhichhavebeenrecommendedbyinternationaldyslexiaexpertNeilMacKay.One-to-oneinterventionsmayincludephoneticprogrammes,readingrecoveryandSpeldprogrammes.TheseshouldbedeliveredbyspecialistteacherssuchasRTLBs/RTLitsandSENCOswithinschools.Youcanreadmoreaboutphonicsinthefurtherresourcessectionofthisguide.ForcontactdetailsforsolutionproviderssuchasSpeldNZorKipMcGrath,gotowww.dfnz.org.nz/members.html

Lucid CoPs,releasedin1996,istheleadingcomputerisedassessmentsystemforchildrenaged4-8years.Ascientificallyprovensystemforearlyscreeningofdyslexia,itiscurrentlyusedbymorethan6,000schoolsintheUKandworldwide–includingmorethan300NewZealandschools.CoPScomprisesninetestsoffundamentalcognitiveskillsthatunderpinlearning.Theyenableteacherstoproduceacognitiveprofileofastudentwhichcangreatlyilluminatetheindividualpathwaystolearningsuccess.Eachtestispresentedasanenjoyablegame.LucidCoPsassessesthestudent’sstrengthsandweaknessesindealingwithinformationpresentedinavarietyofvisualandauditorymodalities.Suggestionsforawidevarietyofteachingstrategiesarealsoincluded.

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LASS Junior is a multifunctional assessment system designed forchildren aged 8-11 years. LASS is straightforward to administer, withstudents completing up to eight “games”. A report is immediatelyavailablewhichiseasytounderstandandexplaintoparentsandotherstaff.Thereportshowsstudentattainmentlevelsinaspectsofliteracyaswellascognitivereadingsonvisual,auditorymemory,phonologicalskills and non-verbal IQ.TheTeacher Manual suggests strategies andresourcesinresponsetothereports.Preandposttestingallowsteacherstomeasureovertimehoweffectiveinterventionshavebeen.

LASS Secondaryissimilartothejuniorsystemandassessesthesameparametersbutthetestmodulesarecarefullydesignedandscientificallyvalidatedforchildrenaged11-15years.

MoredetailonCoPSandLASSisavailableatwww.lucid-research.com.Pleasenote,theseprogramsdonotrunonMAC’s.

In New Zealand, these tests can be ordered from a small number ofsuppliersincludingLexiaLearningSystems:www.lexialearning.co.nz orwww.itecnz.co.nz , the Learning Staircase: www.learningstaircase.co.nz,andRealSpecial:www.realspecial.co.nz.

Lexia run nationwide training courses in both the use and interpretation of the tests, and provide freeassistancetotheirclientsintheanalysisofindividualstudentprofiles.

The Dyslexia Screening Test (DST),developedin2004byDrAngelaFawcett and Professor Rod Nicolson, is a comprehensive screeningof testsofattainmentandability.Thesedeterminewhetherachild isexperiencingdifficultyinareasknowntobeaffectedbydyslexia.Testresults are entered into a computer, which calculates the degree of‘risk’intermsofdyslexic-likelearningtendencies.Theresultingprofileofskills isbothvaluable inguidingsupportatschooland–bybeingprovidedinalanguagethatparentscanunderstand–supportathome.Theresultsarealsosupportedbyathoroughaction-orientedmanual.These tests work best as a one-on-one tool for identifying stickingpointsanddevelopinghighlypersonalizedresponsestobedeliveredbyaspecialistteacher.AlsousefulindeterminingwhichstudentswouldmostbenefitfromRTLBs/RTLitsupport.



Dr Fawcett and Professor Nicolson are internationally recognized for their research into dyslexia anddevelopment of the DST. Dr Fawcett is currentlyVice President of the British Dyslexia Association whileProfessorNicholsonisheadofpsychologyatSheffieldUniversity,UK.

DSTcomesinthreelevelsforschoolchildren:Early(DEST2:4.6-6.5years);Junior(DST-J:6.6-11.5years)andSecondary(DST-S:11.6-16.5years).There isalsoanadultscreeningtest (DAST).Thesecanbepurchasedthrough www.pearsonpschcopr.com.au, email [email protected]. They also have a NewZealandcontactnumber–0800942722.YoumustbearegisteredtestusertouseDST,buthelpfulsupportinthisprocessisavailableonthe0800number.

Official assessment

Intermsofanofficialassessmentofdyslexia,thiscan currently only be provided by a registeredpsychologist. For senior students this officialassessment is required to be able to accessassistancewithexamsintheformofadditionaltime, reader-writer support, and use of awordprocessor.Thisneedstobedonewell inadvance of sitting formal examinations (e.g.NZCEA)astheremustbeatrackrecordprovingthe student has been using the Reader/Writersupportsuccessfullyforsometime.AnapplicationhastobemadetoNZQAfortherighttouseReader/Writer.Anappropriatescreeningprocessshouldbeset by your school and a pathway createdwithintheschoolstructurefor itseffectiveimplementation.This should form part offormulatingstrategy–persteptwoofthe4DSchoolsprogramme.

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Thissectionoutlinesarangeofsimpleclassroomadjustmentsthatcanimprovethelearningenvironmentfordyslexicstudents.What’smore,becausetheyarebasedonpersonalisedorindividualisedlearning,otherstudentswillalsobenefit.Forexample,MaoriandPacificIslandstudents,whohistoricallyhaveoralcultures,maybesupportedtolearnmoreeffectivelyiftheteachingisdeliveredinwaysthatarelessdominatedbythewrittenword.Moreover,becausetheadjustmentsareaboutpersonalisedlearning,whichhasbenefitsacrosstheboard,theseadjustmentscanbedonewithouthavingtowaitforanassessmentordiagnosis.

Overall,thisapproachisaboutrecognisingthatequityineducationcomesthroughdeliveringtoastudent’sindividualneeds,ratherthantreatingthemallthesame.AsUSpresidentThomasJeffersononcecommented:“Thereisnothingsounfairastheequaltreatmentofunequalchildren.”ApersonalisedapproachalsoliesatthefoundationoftheNationalCurriculum.

Theadjustmentswhicharerecommendedbelowcanbemadeatanyscale,atanytimeandinanypriorityorder–accordingtotheparticularcircumstancesandresourcesoftheschoolinquestion.Agreatresource,that expands on many of these suggestions, is Neil MacKay’s book“Removing Dyslexia as a Barrier toAchievement”[email protected].

Studentsofcoursehavetheirownvaluableperspectivesonwhatworksforthem.Our4DVirtualClassroom,www.4d.org.nz/virtual/,isgreatplacetovisittohearmorefromstudentsonthis.

Instructions

Studentswithdyslexiacanbecomeoverloadedwhenreceivinginstructions,findinglongorcomplicatedlists difficult to process and recall.The following adjustments can make instructions easier for them tounderstandandretain:• Setclearlessonobjectives.Writethemontheboardandrefertothemfrequentlyduringthelesson,

andespeciallyattheend.Studentsneedtohaveapurposefortheirlearningandwillrespondbetterwhentheyknowwhytheyaredoingsomething

• Breakinstructionsintosmall,logical‘chunks’andsaythingsintheordertheyshouldbedone,ie“Foldthepaperthenputitinthebox”,not“Putthepaperintheboxafteryouhavefoldedit”

• Slowdowntalkingpaceandreducetheamountofwordsused.Repeat,slowlyandclearly,ifnecessary• Smilebeforeyougiveinstructionsorrepeatthem• Classroomstudiesshowsometeacherstalkfor90%ofthetime–talkless!• Simplifysentences,don’tuse30wordswhentenwilldo• Avoidpassivephrases,sarcasmordoublemeanings,ie“Youneedtoliftyourgame”• Differentiatetoprovideopportunitiesforsuccess,anddifferentiatebyoutcomeaswellastask.By

outcomemeanssettingdifferentactivitiesbasedonlevelsofachievement.Bytaskmeanssettingthesameactivityforallstudentsbutlettingthemchoosehowtodemonstratetheirlearning

• Praisedyslexicstudentswhentheyaskquestions• Usesimpleworksheets,withlargeprintandclearspacing• Checkinwithstudentssoonaftertheycommenceworktoensurethey’ve‘gotitright’–iftheyhaven’t,

thiswillensureyouputthemontherighttracksooner

Classroom implementation: Adjust



Time

Theadditionaltimeittakesforadyslexicstudenttoaccessbasicskillslikereadingandwritingcanleaveinsufficienttimetodemonstrateabilityinotherareas(egstorytelling,problemsolving,comprehension).Thisisbecausethedyslexicbrainiswireddifferently,meaningthereisaneurobiologicalreasonwhyextratimeisanimportantaccommodation.Thefollowingadjustmentscanthereforehelpdyslexicstudentstosucceed:• Provideanoverviewofthetopicatthestartanddefinewhatneedstobeachievedbywhen• Allowextrathinkingtimeandmoretimetofinishtasks• Findwaystoprovideincreasedprocessingtimeforstudents,egdeliberatelypausingafteryouaska

question• Allowmoretimefordyslexicstudentsintests• Visualtimetablescanbebeneficialfordyslexicthinkers• Usedigitalclocksaswellasanalogue• Duringtests,ashortbreakinthemiddle,orbreakingthetestintotwopartstobesatondifferentdays,

canbehighlybeneficial• Rememberthatadyslexicchildoftenhastoworkexceptionallyhardtotryandcatchuporstaywith

therestoftheclass.Givethemsomedowntimetorechargeorstructureactivitiessotheyarenotrequiredtoworkattheirmaximumcapacityallthetime.Structurethedaywitheasytasksinterspersedwithmoredifficultones

Notetaking

Dyslexic students can find blackboard and whiteboards difficult to read from, and can easily becomeexhaustedorfallbehindifaskedtocopyalotoftextaspartofalesson.Thefollowingadjustmentscaneaseorremovedifficultiesaroundnotetaking:• Minimiseboardcopyinganddictation• Ifboardworkisneeded,useblackordarkmarkers.Avoidredorgreenasmanystudentsfindthese

difficulttoread• Providephotocopiedhandouts/transcripts,butavoidA5sizeasthetextcanbehardtoread–slowing

downinformationprocessingandcomprehension• Usehandoutswithgapsforstudentstofillinkeyideasanddrawtheirexplanationsandutilise‘Thin

Notes’–handoutscontainingtextdownthecentreofthepagewithlargemargins:plentyofroomfor‘picturethinkers’todrawdiagramsandfor‘wordthinkers’tonoteorsummarisemainpoints

• Wherepossible,includepicturesinhandouts• Avoidblacktextonwhitebackground–bufforcolouredpaperiseasiertoread• Useatleast14ptfontArial,SassonorComicSans,1.5linespacingforhandouts• Encouragetheuseofcolourtohelporganisenotes

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Creative and multi-sensory approaches

Dyslexic students are often ‘picture thinkers’, so may find information more interesting and easier tounderstandwhenitissupportedbyvisualandcreativematerial:• Multi-sensoryapproachesworkbest–includingvisualsandcolours• Usevideo,internet,mind-mapsandgraphics• Doquickdrawingstoillustrateconcepts• Usepictures,diagramsandchartsandusecolouredhighlightersforemphasis• Userealobjectsasprops• Showdon’ttell,forexamplebyusingrole-plays• Usewalldisplaysandimagestoreinforcelearnings–e.g.monthsofyear,mathematicalsigns,

geographiclocations• Havekeywordsaroundtheclassroomthatrelatetothetopicsbeingtaught–thismakesiteasierfor

studentstoaccesscommonwordsandmaintaintheirtrainofthought• Technologycanbeadyslexicstudent’sbestfriend,enablingthemtousevisualstrategiesorovercome

handwritingorspellingdifficulties.Alaptoptowordprocessworkandreinforcenumeracyskills,adictaphonetorecordwork,andphoneticspellcheckerscanenablelearning

Classwork and the classroom environment

Thereareanumberofadjustmentsthatwillimprovethelearningenvironment,suchas:• Relocatedyslexicstudentstowelllitareasnearvisualaids,butnotdirectlyunderfluorolightsasthese

causevisualdisturbance• Ensurenoiseisnotadistraction• Awellorganisedstructuredlearningenvironmentwillalso,amongotherbenefits,helpreduce

distractions• Acceptworkindifferentformats,forexamplemindmaps,videos,photos,diagrams,powerpoint.Use

oralassessmentsandphoneticspelling• Asarule,‘don’tgivethemmoreofwhattheycan’tdo’• Allowstudentstochoosewhichpieceofwritingtheywantassessed• Linklearningtaskstopreviousknowledge.Thisisaboutcreating‘building’blockswhichshowhow

newthingsrelatetopreviouslessons.Dyslexicprocessorsoftenrequireadditionalexposuretonewlearningtomaketheselinksandretainunderstandingsothattheycanretrieveinformationandapplytoothersettingsandtasks

• Reinforceandcheckunderstanding.Thisalsorelatesto‘buildingblocks’andshowingtherelationshipbetweenlearning.Studentsneedtobeclearthatitisoktoaskiftheyhaven’tunderstoodsomething–itislikelyotherswillbeinthesameposition

• Establishthepurposeandbuildavisionofthebigpictureforthelesson• Summarisekeypointsattheendofthelesson.Revisitpreviouslearningatthestartofthelesson• Teacharangeofplanningtechniquestosupportstudentspersonalisingtheirlearningstyle• Usepostitnotestoturnnonsequentialthinkingintokinaestheticflowcharts/mindmaps.



• UsePMIplanningtablesandwordwheels.PMItablestakethecommonformatofplus/minusorfor/againsttablesandaddathirdcolumnmarked‘interesting’.Thisopensupthethinkingandallowsformoreflexibility.Wordwheelsareasimpleplanningtechniquefororganisingideas,withthemainideagoinginthemiddleandotherideasgoonthespokesastheycomeupinconversation,planningorbrainstorming

• UseWALTandWILFtechniquestosupporttargetsetting. WALT(Whatarewelearningtoday)allowsteacherstomakeexplicitthelearningofthelessonwhile

WILF(WhatamIlookingfor)tellsstudentswhattofocuson• Trymanyideas:notallwillwork.Clevertoolsincludehighlightedlinestoaidnavigation,bluetack

spotsforpunctuation,Mnemonics,andencouraginguseofthe‘finger’forspacing• Allowgreateraccesstointernet• Encouragestudentstoreadtheirwritingbackwardstospotspellingerrors• Usepeertutoring,scribedworkandpairedreadingtohelpdyslexicstudentskeepup• Groupchildrenbasedonlearningability,notbasedonreading/spellingability• Catchthemdoingitright-praiseandencouragestrengths,beingspecificaboutwhatastudenthas

doneright• Displaystudents’work(sensitively)andupdateregularly• Nurtureacomfortzonethroughpreferentiallearningwhichenablesadyslexicstudenttobuildup

tohandlingdiscomfort,liketraditionalassessments,withadjustments,timeaccommodationsandareader/writerforexams(ideallyareader/writerthestudenthasmetbeforeandfeelscomfortablewith)

Reading, writing and spelling

Difficultiesandfrustrationsaroundreading,writingandspellingareoftenthebiggestchallengefordyslexicpupils,andcanunnecessarilyaffecttheirworkinotherareaswheretheyshouldbeexcelling.Thefollowingsuggestionscanrelievetheintensepressurearoundreadingandwritingskills,freeingdyslexiclearnersuptoshowwhattheycanachieve:• Alwaysexplainthe‘threepartsofaword’–whatitlookslike,whatissoundslikeandwhatitmeans• Relax–interestingwordsspeltwronglyareofmorevaluethanboringwordsspeltright• Don’toverlyfocusonhandwriting–neathandwritingcanbedifficultfordyslexicstudentsandan

obsessionwithneatnesscandetractfromstrengthsinequallyormoreimportantareas.Thepriorityiseffectivecommunicationinwhatevermediumisbeingused

• Whenmarking,adoptthe“lessismore”approachandfeed-forward–tellthemhowtodoitnexttimeratherthanwhatthey’vedonewrong

• Don’tequateassessmentwithwriting–therearealternativewaysforastudentto“showwhattheyknow”

• Whenitcomestogatheringevidence,rememberthattherearealternativewaystogetitdownonpaper

• Promotereadingforarangeofpurposes–andletthestudentchoosetheirownreadingmaterialwhentheactivityisaboutreadingforpleasure

• Providealternativestrategiesandmedia.• Accessaudiobookresources• UsePairedReadingtohelpstudentsexperiencingdifficultiestokeepupwiththeclassSeealsothereadingaccuracyandphonicsinformationinthefurtherresourcessectionofthisGuide.

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Marking

Markingisanotherareawheresimpleadjustmentscansignificantlyassistdyslexicstudents.Considerthefollowing:• Mark‘target’spellingsonly–avoiddeathbydeepmarking!Applyan80%accuracystandard,allowing

studentsto‘pass’wheretheyhavemadeagoodattempt• Focusonbigpicturesuccess,ratherthanwordorspellingaccuracyieencourage‘thinking’,notjust

‘reading’accuracy–intherightcontext‘butifull’ismuchbetterthan‘nice’• Identifytwosuccesses–the“wow”factors:“Weneedmoreofthisplease!”• Giveamaximumoftwotips–inpositive,affirmative,doablelanguageinorderto:“definethose

functionswhicharealmostwithinreach”• Finally,askthestudentto“tellmesomethingyoudidwell/wouldchangenexttimetomakeiteven

better”

Self-esteem

Evenmoredebilitatingthanhavingdifficultywithbasicskillscanbeanaccompanyingfeelingoffailureorlow-selfworth.Thefollowingcanhelp:• Rememberdyslexia’sgreatestdifficultyisself-esteem–beawareofpotentialissuesaroundemotional

andbehaviouralneedsaswellasself-esteem• Emphasisestrengthsofstudent’swork,withspecificpraise• Developpupils’knowledgeoftheirownlanguageabilitiesandneeds,andofwhattodowhenthings

gowrong• Supporttargetsettingandcelebratesuccess• Encouragestudentstotakearoleofresponsibilitythatshowcasesastrengththattheyhave.Ifthe

expectationisforthechildtoreadorgivefeedbacktothewholeclass,givethemwarningafewdayspriorsotheyhaveachanceforadequatepractice.Don’tputthemonthespot.Iftheyareresistantdonotinsist

• Trytoprovidefeedback,notfailure–“criticismkills”• Empathyisthekey.Whenastudentfeelsunderstoodandsupportedtheycanbeencouragedtotake

learningrisks.Fromcomforttodiscomfort.Fromnon-traditional/alternativeeducationaloutputstotheabilitytosittraditionalexams!

Homework

Dyslexicpupilsoftenfindhomeworkintimidating–forgettingornotcomprehendingwhatisexpectedofthem.Makethefollowingadjustmentsaroundhomeworktoimproveoutcomesfordyslexicstudents:• Issueclearinstructionsforhomeworkandgivearealistictimeallocation• Sethomeworkthatreinforcesbasicskillsandprovidesupportingmaterial–ideally,givehomeworkas

ahandout• Includethefamilyinthecommunicationloop.Ifthestudentandtheirparentsarecomfortable,

discussopenlywiththestudentthatyouareawaretheyaredyslexicorthinkdifferently–andaskhowbestyoucansupportthem

• Sethomeworkatstartoflessonandremindagainattheend• Provideanextratextbook–oneforhomeandoneforschool



Too much focus on reading accuracy can be detrimental for dyslexic students, particularly those whoseskillsmaybeweakinthisareabutstronginothers.Thisisbecauseitrisksdamagingself-esteembygivingthemmoreandmoreofwhattheyfindextremelydifficulttoachieve.Likewise,arelianceononeformofphonicsoveranothermaybeproblematicifthechosenmethodsimplydoesnotsuitthestudent.Themostimportantthingisthatstudentslearn,soagainpersonalisedorindividualisedapproachesworkbest.Someintroductoryinformationonreadingaccuracyandtheroleofphonicsisprovidedbelow.

Firstly,weshouldnotethatdyslexicstudentsthinkfasterthantheyread–soputtingtheminlow-abilitygroupsandmeasuringthemsolelyonreadingabilitywronglylabelsthemas‘failures’or‘slow’,impactingself-esteem.Experienceshowsusthatwecanpushandpushachildtoimprovereadingaccuracyuptoapoint,buttherecomesatimewhenthelawofdiminishingreturnskicksin.Teachingharderdoesnotwork,weneedtoteachdifferently.

Atthispoint,thebestapproach–basedonthe‘noticeandadjust’philosophy–isaboutteachingstudentstousetheirliteracyskillsinthebestwaytheycan.Theproofthatthinkingismoreimportantthanreading?Weakreaderswhocanthinkandwhoarevaluedfortheirintellectgoontoachievetheirpotential.Strongreaderswhocan’tthinkgonowhere.

Synthetic and analytical phonics and the ‘whole word’ approach

Syntheticphonicsteacheschildrentoidentifythelettersmakingupaword,andthe sounds those letters make, and then put those sounds together

sequentially to form a word. There is typically a strong auralcontent based around the ability to hear and reproduce

the 44 phonemes that make up the English language.Mostpopularphonicprogrammesarebasedaround

the principles of synthetic phonics though it isbecoming increasingly apparent that, while

synthetic phonic programmes improvereadingaccuracy,itmaybeattheexpenseofcomprehension. There is also a danger thatsome students try to decode everythingrather than develop the ability to readwholewordsassightwords.

Section 3: Further resourcesReading accuracy and the role of phonics

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Analytic phonics is a more visual approach which looks to break words into sound syllables, and usessimilar sounding words to help a child learn to generalise and thereby expand his/her vocabulary. It ispotentiallyaquickerlearningprocessbutitdoesrelyonthestudent’sabilitytorecognisesimilaritiesandmakeappropriategeneralizations(masteryofc+atgivesf+at,m+atetc).Whilearguablymoreeffectivefordevelopingcomprehensionskillsthiscancomeattheexpenseofwordattackskills.Typicallystudentswithanoverrelianceonanalyticphonicsstruggletocopewithwordstheyhavenotseenbefore.

Overall,syntheticphonicsprovidesafoundationofletternamesandsoundsandblending,whileanalytictechniques seed the ability to generalise words from those previously learnt. Another technique is the‘wholeword’approach,whichisbasedontheassumptionthatreadingdevelopsnaturallyinthesamewayasspeaking.Manyveryeffectivereaderslearntthisway,throughveryearlyexposuretobooksinthehome–effectivelythey‘caught’readingthroughthisprocessandbecameveryeffectivedecoders.However,theyriskfailingtodevelopcomprehensionskills.Studentswithnobackgroundofsyntheticandanalyticphonicsareparticularlyvulnerablewhenconfrontedwithunfamiliarwords.Thereisno‘oneway’thatworksforthedecodingorspellingofallwordsinourlanguagejustasthereisno‘oneway’thatworksbestforalllearners.Studentswithstrongauditorylinguisticskillslearnwellsynthetically–studentswithstrongvisualskillsoftenpreferamoreanalyticapproach.

Therearepowerfulargumentsfortheinclusionandpromotionofbothapproachesatyourschool–theyeach involve and develop different skills, and each of these skills is important to effective and efficientdevelopmentofreadingandspelling.

Effective reading for dyslexic students

Astheirabilitygrows, themosteffectivereadersno longerneedtousesyntheticoranalytic techniquesunlessstrictlynecessary.Insteadtheyrelyoncuesfromthefirstandlastletterofeachword,theshapeofthewordandfromthe“comprehensionbigpicture”affordedbycontext,syntaxandgrammar.

Thisiswhy,whenastudentcannotreadawordinapassage,itisoftenhelpfultosay“Missoutthewordandreadtothenextfullstop.”Usuallyknowledgeofcontext,grammarandsyntaxwillenableaninformedguess.Ifthatdoesnotworkthestudentcangobacktoanalytictechniquesandrefertopreviouslylearntwordswithasimilarpatterortrytosoundoutthelettersusingsyntheticapproaches.Fordyslexicstudentsstrugglingtoreadanunfamiliarwordinapassagethereisastrongpragmaticcaseforsuggestingtheyuse“missoutandreadon”astheinitialstrategy,followedbyanalyticandsynthetictechniqueswhencontexthasnothelped.



As noted in the screening section of this Guide, while the majority of students with a dyslexic learningpreference will respond positively to simple adjustments to teaching, some will require extra assistanceandsupport.Thisgroupofstudents-around4%(comparedwiththeconservativelyestimated10%ofthepopulationwhoaredyslexic)-canbenefitfromspecialisthelp,screeningtestsandsmallgroup,orone-on-oneinterventions.

Many schools will already have in place specific interventions for students who have clearly identifiedlearningneedsthatcannotbemetwithinthetraditionalclassroomasregardsreading,handwriting,spelling,maths,memory,coordinationetc.Bringingadyslexia-awareperspectivetothesecanenhancethemandcreategreaterprogress.

In additional to physical and environmental changes in the classroom, there are some dyslexia-specificlearninginterventionsthatcanbeuseful.Theseneedtobematchedappropriatelytothestudent’sneedsandschoolsneedtoensurethattheyareeffective.

There are many programmes (computer and non-computer) which will help in supporting areas ofdifficulty.Talktootherschoolsaboutwhichonesworkforthem.Someareexpensivebutcanbeviewedasaninvestment.

EnsureTeacher-aides have adequate training and understanding of the issues and how best to tailor aprogrammeifachildistoberemovedforone-on-onesupport.Ifaprogrammeisnotworking,moreofthesamedoesnotwork!Intermsofpersonnel,RTLBs(ResourceTeachersLearningandBehaviour)andRTLits(ResourceTeachersLiteracy)andSENCOs(specialeducationalneedscoordinators)areavaluableresourceforschoolsthatareengagedwiththedyslexiaagenda.Itcanalsobeusefultoaskaknowndyslexic,maybeaparent,tocomeandtalktostaffasawholetosharetheirperspectiveonhowitisforthem,theirexperiencesandthingsthathelp.

Someparentsoptforsupportfromtuitionofferedfromoutsidetheschool.Encouragethistutoringtobedoneatschoolifpossibleandinschooltime.Thusitisn’tseenasapunishmentbythechildinhavingtodoitin“theirowntime”.Also,thechildisfreshandnottiredafteradayatschool.Manyoftheseinterventionsprovidesignificantbenefittothestudentandthestudent’sfamilyandthedyslexia-awareclassroomteacherwillacknowledgethisandhelpintegrateanynewlearningsbackintotheclassroomenvironment.

TheDFNZwebsitehasinformationandcontactdetailsfororganisationswhichprovideunderstanding,toolsandskillstoenabledyslexicindividualstoaddresslearningandotherdifferences.YoucanfindtheseontheSolutions&Assessmentspageatwww.dfnz.org.nz

Additional tools and further resources

36

You’llnoticethedifferencethata‘noticeandadjust’approachmakesstraightaway,butitisalsoimportantthat progress is celebrated and shared. Making the changes and improvements transparent will fosterprideamongststaffandstudents;helpparentsengagepositivelywithyourschool;andeveninspireotherschools.KeepingstakeholdersinformedisalsoimportantintermsoftheaccountabilityandtransparencymandatedundertheGovernment’sCrusadeforLiteracyandNumeracy.

Oncedyslexia-awareclassroompracticebecomespartofeverydaylearningandteachingitisimportanttobeabletomeasureprogress.Thequickestimpactislikelytobeseeninthequality/quantityofworkproduced–theevidenceofachievement.Sogathering“beforeandafter”worksamples,ortakingdigitalphoto’softhem,isanexcellentpieceofinformalassessmentforlearning.Thiscouldalsoincludetakingsomeharddata,forexampleonreadingandspellinglevels-andredoingthetestsafteranallottedtimeframe.

Requiring alternative evidenceofachievement – for example testing understanding/recallviaamindmap,storyboardorflowchartinsteadofaformalparagraphisoftenapowerful

way of measuring the impact of changes in approach. Dyslexic pupils who maystruggletoshowwhattheyknowthroughtraditionalsentencesandparagraphs

oftendemonstrateabilityappropriateunderstandingandrecallofconceptsandcontentwhenallowedtopresentinpreferredways.Whenthisoccursitisclear

evidencethatanyapparentproblemsarenotwithlearningandteachingbutthetraditionalassessmentprocess.

Ingeneral,effectivemonitoringandtrackingofdyslexiclearnersshouldbe based on an awareness of what is “expected progress” for eachindividual student set against a profile of strengths, weaknesses andlearningpreferences.

Theconceptofexpectedprogress isbaseduponarangeofmeasures,includingcomparingperformanceacrossarangeofsubjectsandskillsto identify‘unexpected difficulties in relation to ability’ in some areascompared with ability appropriate performance in other subject. If astudent is 12 months behind with reading/spelling, making a ’month’s

gaininamonth’doesnotimpactonthelearninggapsothechallengeis to intervene to better close the gap and demonstrate real

progress. It is also important to identify ability appropriateachievement in other subjects which may not be so

heavily dependent upon literacy skills. Overall, it isessential that conceptually able dyslexic students

aresupportedtointeractwithideasandissuesattheabilityappropriatelevels,whileatthesame

timereceivingassistancetoaddressanybasicskillweaknesses.

Measuring progress



Otherwaystomeasureprogressmayinclude:• Askingthestudenttorankthemselvesineachsubjectareasandalsogetinformationfromthemon

theirperformance,howtheyfeelaboutschool,aretheyprogressingetc• Talkingtoparents/caregiversandgettingtheirperspectiveonprogress• Appointingateacheraidetopreparetemplatesforgatheringanecdotaldataonprogress,andto

gatherthedata• Monitoringattitudinalchanges,includingbetterpunctualityandlessabsenteeism

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ProfessionalDevelopment(PD)forNZteachersisthekeytounlockingthelearningpotentialofourdyslexicstudents.Itisthroughknowledgethatwegainthepowertomakeinformeddecisionsandadjustmentsintheclassroom.4DConsultancyhasdevelopedaseriesofPDpackagesforschoolstoallowfortheupskillingofteachersinbothPrimaryandSecondaryschools.

4D Consultancy was set up following a track record of sell-out nationwide workshops and considerabledemand for professional development covering dyslexia & other learning preferences from NZ schools.Schoolswantleadershipandguidanceandnowisthetimetotakeaction.

Contactismadewithyourschooltodiscuss‘whereyourschoolisat’andthenProfessionalDevelopmentPackagesaredesignedinconsultationwiththePrincipaland4DContactpersonfromtheschool.

PDpackagesfocusonproceedingtoLevel2Accreditationofa“DyslexiaFriendlySchool”through:

• Consultationtosetouttheroadmapforyourschool’sActionPlan• DevelopingaschoolwidepolicysothatBestPracticebecomesCommonPractice‘GetitRightfor Dyslexics-GetitRightforAll’.Linkswithotherpoliciesincluding,ReadingRecovery,SpecialEducation andORRSPolicy,etc• On-siteProfessionalDevelopmentforallschoolstaffthroughinteractiveworkshops• On-SiteParentEveningtoinformparentsofhowtosupporttheirchildinandoutofschool• ‘Unsticking’the4%-AssessmentProtocolinyourschoolforthosestudentswhoneedmorethanjusta

‘dyslexicfriendly’teacherandhelpinchoosingappropriateinterventions

PDpackagesarebespoketoyourschool’sneedsandareacost-effectiveapproachtogettingitright.Tofindoutmoreortobookinforon-sitePDemai:[email protected]@4d.org.nz

Throughaconsultativeprocess,discoverhowyourschoolcandeliverBestPracticeandbecomeadyslexicfriendly,level3school.4DConsultancy–Givingyoudirectsupportatthechalkface.PD,PolicyandPracticefromnationwideconsultants.

Moredetailscanbefoundatwww.4d.org.nz/consultancy/

Professional development for teachers




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Our team brings Professional Development (PD) direct to your school, and gives you a road map for school wide changes in Policy and Practice.

Best Practice becomes Common Practice as all teachers are upskilled andempoweredwithouruniqueresourcesandcosteffectiveapproach.

The PD package is designed to make life at thechalkface simpler and more effective whilstcreating successful outcomes for all students:GetitRightforDyslexics;GetitRightforAll.

Onsite workshops for all school staff, with acorresponding evening workshop for parentstobuildthiscriticalpartnership.

Provision of Whole School Policy, SpecialEducation Policy and Assessment Protocol, withfollow-upsupportandguidance.

Guidance through the accreditation process tobecomea‘DyslexiaFriendlySchool’-a4DSchoolwhere greater success is experienced by bothstudentsandteachersandparentsaresupportingtheschool.

If your school is already listed as a 4D school,PolicyCreation,ImplementationandPDareyournextstepssocontactesther.whitehead@4d.org.nztodevelopyourschool’sactionplanandfindoutmoreaboutcostsandcontent.

4D consultancy is seeking expressions of interestfrom organisations and/or individuals who sharethe same passionate motivations and desire foroutcomes as 4D, to enhance school services andprovidegreaterconsistencythroughoutNZschools.

PleasecontactEstherWhiteheadof4DConsultancyontheemailabove.

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How you can help the 70,000 New Zealand children affected by dyslexia: • Make sure your school is signed up for 4D

• Let the Ministry of Education know you’re behind DFNZ – and that dyslexia-specific funding is critical for our children’s future

Find out more atwww.4d.org.nz www.dfnz.org.nz

Principal sponsor

Cookie Time Charitable Trust

www.ctct.org.nz

w w w. 4 d . o r g . n z / s c h o o l /

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