Laura and Joep's presentation (Mextesol Puebla, 2014) about what dyslexia is (and what it isn't), how to recognize the symptoms in your classroom, and how to help learners.

1. Diagnosing Dyslexia
in Your Classroom
CC-BY-SA 3.0
MEXTESOL, Puebla 2014
Image credit: Cuidado infantil (2011). Dislexia nens. CC_BY_SA 3.0

2. Our Stories
Saskia Mel

3. Is this behaviour a sign of dyslexia or
of something else? (1)
There’s a student in your class who…
1. confuses letters such as b-d or words like nap-pan.
2. has limited control of his/her first language and does not
respond to conversation.
3. frowns or squints when trying to see the board.
4. has a physical tic such as a repetitive twitch in the eye.
5. has difficulty saying long words or reading aloud.

4. Is this behaviour a sign of dyslexia or
of something else? (2)
There’s a student in your class who…
6. mixes up directional words (left-right, up-down).
7. puts letters or figures in the wrong order or leaves them
out.
8. repeats parts of words (e.g. It’s m-m-m-mine).
9. stands up without permission, disrupts other students,
fidgets.
10. surprises you with work or behavior that is below with
his/her level.

5. Is this behaviour a sign of dyslexia or
of something else? (3)
There’s a student in your class who…
11. acts without thinking first.
12. avoids eye contact.
13. forgets steps when following a sequence of
instructions.
14. has difficulty organizing tasks.
15. speaks in a monotone.
16. takes longer than normal to complete written work.

6. True or False? (1)
1. Dyslexia is outgrown before adulthood.
2. Dyslexia is always identified in the first few years of
elementary school.
3. Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed until a child is at least
eight years old.
4. Repeating a grade will help students develop reading
and spelling skills
5. Dyslexia primarily affects very intelligent children.
6. Dyslexia affects more boys than girls.

7. True or False? (2)
7. Dyslexics always reverse letters (e.g., b-d, or p-q).
Anyone who reverses these letters is likely to be
dyslexic.
8. Vision therapy cannot resolve dyslexia.
9. Making children read out loud reduces dyslexia.
10. People who are good at sports are too coordinated to
be dyslexic.
11. There are higher levels of dyslexia among English-speaking
people than among speakers of other
languages.
12. Dyslexia is a continuum of strengths and weaknesses.

8. Check Your Answers
1. False 7. False
2. False 8. True
3. False 9. False
4. True 10. False
5. False 11. False
6. True 12. True
• Did any of these answers surpise you? Tell us why.

9. School Age Dyslexia Screener (IDA, 2013)
Scoring Instructions: <16 = Minimal Risk 16-21 = Moderate Risk >21 = Significant Risk
Never/
not at all
Rarely/
a little
Some-times
Frequently/
quite a bit
Always/
a great deal
1. Has difficulty with spelling 1 2 3 4 5
2. Has/had difficulty learning
letter names
1 2 3 4 5
3. Has/had difficulty learning
phonics (sounding out
words)
1 2 3 4 5
4. Reads slowly 1 2 3 4 5
5. Reads below grade level 1 2 3 4 5
6. Requires extra help in
school because of
problems in reading and
spelling
1 2 3 4 5

10. Teachers at Work: Shared Ideas
1. Get into groups according to age levels you teach:
pre-school, kindergarten, primary, secondary, university,
adults
2. Read the handout together. Your handout identifies
common problems or warning signs at different age and
educational levels.
3. Discuss what you could do to help dyslexic students in
YOUR classrooms.

11. Dyslexia in English and in Spanish
1. What’s the difference?
2. Does dyslexia manifest itself differently
in English and Spanish? If so, how?
3. In which language is dyslexia easier to identify?
Why?

12. Spanish vs. English: Examples
• Una tarde Ricitos de Oro se
fue al bosque a buscar
flores…
• Once upon a time, there was
a little girl named Goldilocks...
• Mi mamá me ama.
• Look. Oh, oh. Look. See
Jane.
Hint: transparent vs. opaque orthography;
sound-symbol relationships
• Image credit: Arthur Rackham (1918). From The Project
Gutenberg eBook, English Fairy Tales, by Flora Annie Steel,
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Image in the public domain.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17034

13. Dyslexia: a Definition
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a
cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with
specific language skills, particularly reading. Students with dyslexia
usually experience difficulties with other language skills such as
spelling, writing, and pronouncing words. Dyslexia affects individuals
throughout their lives; however, its impact can change at different
stages in a person’s life. It is referred to as a learning disability because
dyslexia can make it very difficult for a student to succeed academically
in the typical instructional environment, and in its more severe forms,
will qualify a student for special education, special accommodations, or
extra support services.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
http://interdys.org/dyslexiadefinition.htm

14. Talking to Students, Parents,
and Teachers
• Even for language professionals, spotting dyslexia can be
tricky (We struggled!).
• Obtaining an accurate formal diagnosis is difficult but
necessary.
• Misconceptions about what dyslexia is (and isn’t) can
make people resistant to the diagnosis.
• Individuals vary.
• Instructional techniques designed to help dyslexic children
often benefit the whole class.

15. Your Space
• Questions?
• Comments?
• Stories to share?

16. Additional Resources
• The British Dyslexia Association. (2014) Indications of Dyslexia
(List of persisting and age-specific indicators of possible dyslexia in children.
Targeted at parents.)
• Davies, Robert, Fernando Cuetos and Rosa Mary Glez-Seijas. (2007).
Reading development and dyslexia in a transparent orthography: a survey of
Spanish children. Annals of Dyslexia, 57: 197-198. DOI: 10.1007/s11881-
007-0010-1.
(Academic article on the topic of dyslexia in Spanish-speaking children.)
• The International Dyslexia Organization (IDA). (2013) Dyslexia in the
Classroom: What Every Teacher Needs to Know.
http://www.interdys.org/ewebeditpro5/upload/DyslexiaInTheClassroom.pdf
(Resource kit for educators. Targeted at teachers introducing
accommodations in the classroom.)
• Moore, Caroline and Joep van der Werff. (2014) Teaching Learners with
Special Needs. In: The Primary Methodology Handbook: Practical Ideas for
ELT. 2014. Mexico City: Richmond.
(Overview of diverse learning disabilities and physical conditions. Targeted at
elementary school teachers.)

17. Our Contact Information
Laura Sagert
laura.sagert@gmail.com
Joep van der Werff
joepvdw@yahoo.com