About dyslexia and significant difficulties in reading

Dyslexia is a common difficulty, usually associated with problems with reading, writing and spelling. Students with dyslexia and significant difficulties in reading may:

• have difficulty with reading, writing and spelling
• have a poor working memory, which affects sequencing and mental calculation
• find it difficult to quickly process verbal instructions
• appear to be disorganised and lacking concentration
• display anxiety and poor self-esteem

Course outline

Dyslexia is a term that refers to difficulty in acquiring and processing written language. Students with dyslexia typically lack proficiency in reading, spelling and writing.

This course focuses on:

• the causes, incidence and main characteristics of dyslexia
• the impact of dyslexia and significant reading difficulties on learning
• individual reading assessment and monitoring student progress
• the development of SMART goals and targeted interventions
• the importance of a whole school approach to teaching reading and providing personalised support
• evidenced-based strategies to teach the critical aspects of reading
• using assistive technology effectively
• your responsibilities under the Disability Standards for Education 2005

This course is divided into sections.

• Understanding
  You will learn about the causes, incidence and main characteristics of dyslexia, and some of the issues surrounding it.
• Assessment for Learning
  Learn about the purpose and process of assessments and how to assess individual needs arising from dyslexia and significant difficulties in reading. Create three student focused SMART goals to start putting your learning into practice in the classroom.
• Interventions
  Explore a range of adjustments to meet the needs of students with dyslexia and significant difficulties in reading. Learn how to individualise the class reading program and support learning across the curriculum. Understand the importance of a whole school approach to teaching reading and providing additional support.
• Case Studies
  View real video examples that illustrate the needs of the individual, the interventions implemented and their resulting progress.

Who is the course for?

Our Dyslexia and Significant Difficulties in Reading course is perfect for those who work in schools and specialist settings, such as teachers, learning and support teachers, teaching assistants and school leaders.

Why join the course?

Participants’ pre and post-course evaluations demonstrate significantly increased confidence in identifying, assessing and supporting students with dyslexia.

This course looks at the impact dyslexia and significant difficulties in reading can have on a student’s life and shows how you can make your classroom and practice more inclusive for these students. You will learn how to further understand their needs and develop a range of strategies to improve learning outcomes.

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What you will learn

On successful completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• describe the relationship between phonological awareness and reading ability
• explain the role that working memory has in learning to read, write and spell
• examine the purpose and process of individual education assessments
• apply a graduated approach to assessment using a universal, targeted or intensive staged process
• use checklists to assess reading, comprehension, decoding and phonological awareness
• identify co-occurring difficulties
• provide strategies to teach decoding, spelling, comprehension, phonological awareness and reading fluency
• systematically monitor progress in response to intervention, and plan next steps
• evaluate how assistive technology can support student progress
• work in partnership with parents to create an action plan to practice and improve literacy skills
• set SMART goals and implement strategies to improve outcomes

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