5 Dyslexia Teaching Strategies for Special Education Professionals
Written by:
Wilson College
• Sep 24, 2025
Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder globally, with the Child Mind Institute and the American Brain Foundation estimating that as many as 1 in 5 people experience dyslexia to some degree. It typically manifests as difficulty decoding words and trouble reading, writing, and spelling.
For children with dyslexia, it can be an especially frustrating condition, negatively impacting their education as well as their mental health and social development. Teachers are vital to helping students with dyslexia build reading and writing fluency—as well as self-esteem.
By mastering various dyslexia teaching strategies, special education teachers can tailor instruction to each student’s needs and provide more effective support. Undergraduate and graduate special education degree programs can equip teachers with the evidence-based methods, in-depth theoretical understanding, and practical experience needed to foster success for all learners.
What Is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that impairs people’s reading, writing, and spelling abilities. Children who have dyslexia struggle with decoding—the process of translating written symbols (letters and words) into their corresponding sounds. This makes it difficult for them to sound out new words and recognize familiar ones, ultimately inhibiting their ability to assign meaning to words.
While the exact cause of dyslexia is still unclear, the disorder is linked to individual variations in the areas of the brain that process language. Research suggests a genetic component is involved, as dyslexia tends to run in families.
Symptoms of Dyslexia
Dyslexia can manifest in a myriad of ways, varying from person to person and depending on the severity of the disorder. Letter reversal—reading “pot” as “top,” for example—is one of the symptoms commonly associated with dyslexia.
Other signs of dyslexia in children include the following:
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Difficulty learning simple rhymes
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Speech delays
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Problems forming words correctly, such as swapping sounds within words or confusing similar-sounding words
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Repeating or leaving out certain words, such as “and,” “the,” or “but”
Children with dyslexia can also experience challenges seemingly unrelated to language. They may have difficulty following multistep directions or telling time. The disorder can even affect their motor learning, with some struggling to distinguish left from right or tie their shoes.
How Does Dyslexia Impact Education?
Unsurprisingly, dyslexia can have a significant impact on a child’s education. Since reading and writing are foundational to virtually every subject, students with dyslexia often have trouble keeping up with their peers, especially in literacy-based tasks. Difficulties with decoding, reading fluency, and spelling can also slow their academic progress and make schoolwork frustrating.
In the classroom, students with dyslexia may:
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Read below the expected level for their age
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Reverse letters and numbers when reading
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Struggle to find the right word or form answers to questions
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Take longer to complete assignments that involve reading, writing, or both
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Avoid reading in front of classmates
They may also find it difficult to take notes, follow complex instructions, or recall information in the correct sequence. Dyslexia can also impair working memory and short-term memory. Difficulty holding multiple pieces of information at once can affect comprehension, critical thinking, and organization. Still, many children with dyslexia exhibit strengths in other areas, including creative fields.
Without appropriate support, the challenges dyslexic students face can contribute to low self-esteem and a reluctance to participate in school, jeopardizing their academic progress and future opportunities.
5 Strategies for Teaching Students With Dyslexia
The symptoms of dyslexia can be difficult to recognize before children enter school, so teachers are often the first to notice problems, particularly as children begin to read. Early intervention is critical because it can prevent reading difficulties from becoming entrenched and set children on a stronger path to learning success. With the right support, students with dyslexia can do very well in school.
Special education teachers can deploy a range of strategies to support dyslexic learners, tailoring their approach to each student’s unique needs. Below is a list of effective teaching strategies for supporting dyslexic students.
1. Make Accommodations
Students with dyslexia are typically eligible for accommodations in school. This may include giving them extra time to complete tests or assignments, providing them with a quiet space to work, allowing them to give oral rather than written answers, and using audiobooks instead of textbooks. While not every accommodation will work for every student or every situation, meeting dyslexic learners where they are helps create a more equitable learning environment that supports their needs.
2. Break Lessons Up
Because students with dyslexia often have problems with short-term memory and complex instructions, breaking up assignments or other tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks can be beneficial. This approach makes it easier for them to process information step by step, reducing frustration and improving their ability to complete tasks.
3. Take Advantage of Technology
Special education teachers have various tools at their disposal to support dyslexic learners. Using certain digital fonts, for example, can help make words more legible. Letting students complete assignments on a computer—rather than by hand—helps reduce barriers since they can use a spellchecker. Other strategies include using audiobooks or applications that gamify decoding, making learning more fun and boosting students’ motivation.
4. Multisensory Activities
Using flash cards, videos, or even puppets in the classroom can inspire greater student engagement. These sorts of multisensory activities—a form of experiential learning —activate multiple areas of the brain simultaneously and may improve memory and retention. Incorporating tactile writing tools, such as color-coded tiles or magnetic letters, can lead to improved learning outcomes, especially for students who struggle with traditional methods, including those with dyslexia.
5. Provide Emotional Support
Though not a teaching strategy in a strictly pedagogical sense, supporting the mental and emotional health of students with dyslexia is a vital part of any effective intervention plan. Dyslexic learners can become frustrated easily and engage in negative self-talk, eroding their confidence.
The following are examples of emotional support:
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Helping students recognize where their strengths are
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Praising students’ hard work and perseverance
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Reassuring students of their intelligence, particularly when they’re struggling
By addressing both their academic and emotional needs, educators can foster a more positive learning experience for students with dyslexia.
Unlock Every Student’s Potential
Educators who embrace diverse, evidence-based teaching strategies—multisensory learning, assistive technology, classroom accommodations—can empower students with dyslexia to overcome literacy challenges, helping them thrive academically and laying the foundation for long-term success.
Wilson College Online’s Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Special Education and Master of Special Education programs can help teachers develop and refine their pedagogical expertise as well as their emotional support skills. Both programs are almost entirely online, with asynchronous coursework designed to accommodate students balancing personal and professional commitments.
Find out how Wilson College Online can empower you to make a difference in students’ lives.
Recommended Readings
6 Key Special Education Teacher Skills
How to Become a Special Education Teacher
5 Types of Learning Disabilities Teachers Should Know
Sources:
American Brain Foundation, Dyslexia
Child Mind Institute, “Understanding Dyslexia: Signs of Dyslexia in Kids”
Engage Education, Supporting Dyslexia in Schools: 10 Teaching Strategies
National Center on Improving Literacy, Why Early Intervention Matters for Kids With Dyslexia
Understood, “8 Multisensory Techniques for Teaching Reading”
