🧠 1. CORE UNDERSTANDING

Dyslexia is a learning difference that mainly affects:

Reading
Spelling
Writing
Language processing

👉 It is not linked to intelligence
👉 People with dyslexia can be very intelligent and talented

🧠 2. WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?

Dyslexia is:

A learning difference
Present from birth (brain development difference)
Lifelong

It is NOT caused by:

Poor teaching
Parenting
Low intelligence
Laziness
Environment

🧬 3. CORE LEARNING PROCESSES IN DYSLEXIA

🔤 Phonological Processing

This is the ability to:

Hear sounds in words
Break words into sounds (phonemes)
Blend sounds together

👉 This is often the main difficulty in dyslexia

✍️ Encoding (Spelling)

Spelling is difficult because it needs:

Memory of letter patterns
Sound-to-letter mapping
Correct spelling rules

👉 This is called orthographic mapping

🧠 Orthographic Mapping

This is the brain process of linking:

Sounds (phonemes)
Letters (graphemes)
Meaning of words

👉 Dyslexia affects this process

🔠 4. PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS SKILLS

Skills develop step by step:

Syllables (cat-er-pill-ar)
Onset and rime (c-at)
Phonemes (c-a-t)

🧩 Phoneme Manipulation

Example:
“Say flake without /l/” → fake

👉 This is an advanced reading skill
👉 Important for literacy development

🧱 5. MORPHOLOGY (WORD PARTS)

Morphology = understanding word parts:

Types:

Prefixes: un-, re-, dis-
Suffixes: -ing, -ed, -s
Root words: act, struct, port

👉 Helps:

Read long words
Understand meaning
Improve spelling

🧠 6. TYPES OF DYSLEXIA

📚 Phonological Dyslexia

Difficulty sounding out words
Most common type

👁 Surface Dyslexia

Difficulty recognising whole words
Struggles with irregular words

⚖ Double Deficit Dyslexia

Phonological + slow naming speed
More severe reading difficulty

👁‍🗨 Visual Dyslexia

Trouble tracking text
Losing place when reading

⚡ Rapid Naming Dyslexia

Slow naming of letters/objects
Affects fluency

🧬 Developmental Dyslexia

Present from birth
Genetic influence

🧠 Acquired Dyslexia

Caused by brain injury or trauma

⚖️ 7. COMPARISON TABLE

Type	Main Difficulty	Impact
Phonological	Sounding out words	Decoding
Surface	Whole word recognition	Irregular words
Visual	Tracking text	Reading flow
Rapid Naming	Speed	Fluency
Double Deficit	Multiple areas	Severe reading difficulty
Developmental	From birth	Lifelong
Acquired	Injury-related	Sudden onset

🛠️ 8. BEST TEACHING APPROACHES

✅ Structured Literacy

Step-by-step teaching
Clear progression
Explicit instruction

🧠 Multisensory Learning

Use:

See
Hear
Say
Write

🔤 Phonics Instruction

Sound–letter mapping
Phoneme awareness
Word decoding

📖 Morphology Teaching

Prefixes
Suffixes
Root words

❌ 9. INEFFECTIVE METHODS

Guessing words from pictures
Relying only on context clues
Memorising word lists only

👉 These do NOT support dyslexia learning

📊 10. ASSESSMENT & PROGRESS

Regular short checks
Tracking progress
Adjusting teaching strategies

👉 Helps identify what works best

💡 11. STRENGTHS OF PEOPLE WITH DYSLEXIA

People with dyslexia may have:

Creativity
Problem-solving skills
Big-picture thinking
Visual strengths
Entrepreneurial thinking

❤️ 12. SUPPORT STRATEGIES

🗣 Communication

Clear instructions
Step-by-step breakdown

📚 Learning Support

Visual aids
Repetition
Structured teaching

🧠 Memory Support

Chunk information
Use patterns

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Emotional Support

Be patient
Build confidence
Encourage independence

🧾 13. TEACHING ACTIVITY

🧩 Sound Builder Game

Say word: cat
Break into sounds: c – a – t
Build with letters
Blend together

👉 Builds phonological awareness

📊 14. QUIZ

1. What is dyslexia?

👉 A learning difference affecting reading and spelling

2. What is phonological awareness?

👉 Ability to hear and manipulate sounds

3. What is orthographic mapping?

👉 Linking sounds, letters, and meaning

4. Name a type of dyslexia

👉 Phonological / Surface / Visual

5. True or False:

Dyslexia is caused by low intelligence
❌ False

🧠 15. QUICK REVISION

Dyslexia:

Affects reading, spelling, writing
Linked to phonological processing
Is lifelong
Is not linked to intelligence

Key supports:

Structured literacy
Phonics
Morphology
Multisensory learning

🧾 16. ASSESSMENT SHEET

Learner Name: ____________
Tutor: ____________
Date: ____________

🧠 Knowledge

☐ Understands dyslexia
☐ Knows key concepts
☐ Understands learning differences

🤝 Skills

☐ Uses support strategies
☐ Communicates clearly
☐ Encourages learners

❤️ Attitude

☐ Patient
☐ Respectful
☐ Supportive

💬 Tutor Feedback

🧾 17. REFLECTION + ACTIVITY SECTION

🤔 Activity 1

What is dyslexia?

🧠 Activity 2

Name:

One sign
One strength
One support method

🧩 Activity 3

Someone is struggling to read.
What would you do?

❤️ Activity 4 – Reflection

Why is support important?

🧾 18. EASY READ VERSION