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a ready-to-run workshopDyslexia & Learning Differences
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Supporting Students with Dyslexia & Learning Differences (Workshop)

Dyslexia and other learning differences are brain-based, lifelong, and common, and they are not about intelligence or effort. Supporting these students means recognizing the signs, using the right instruction and supports, and protecting their confidence, while leaving diagnosis to professionals.

Key takeaway

Dyslexia and learning differences are common, brain-based, and unrelated to intelligence or effort; teachers support with the right instruction and accommodations and protect confidence, while diagnosis stays with professionals.

Format
PLC / team meeting
Length
45 minutes
Group size
Any (works 4-40)
Who can run it
Any teacher-leader
You will need
Slides (5)Printed handoutA struggling student in mindA timer
Aligned to
Learning Forward: Rigorous ContentInTASC 2: Learning DifferencesResearch on dyslexia and learning differences
Share / assign

Why it works

Dyslexia, a specific difficulty with accurate and fluent word reading and spelling, is common and unrelated to intelligence. Research shows students with dyslexia and other learning differences benefit from structured, explicit instruction, appropriate accommodations, and classrooms that protect their confidence and effort. Teachers are not diagnosticians, but they can recognize signs, support effectively, and connect students to evaluation and specialists.

The research: Research on dyslexia; the International Dyslexia Association.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

    The core activity: recognize and support

    Teachers leave able to recognize signs and plan supports that help and protect confidence.

    Support the student, refer for diagnosisYou recognize signs and support with good instruction and accommodations; diagnosis belongs to specialists. And protect confidence, dyslexia is not about ability.

    Facilitator notes

    Never equate reading struggle with abilityStudents with dyslexia are often bright. Treating reading difficulty as low ability damages confidence and misses what they can do. Support, and refer for evaluation.

    Adapt it

    Participant handout

    One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

    K12 Academics · Professional Learning

    Dyslexia & Learning Differences: support and refer

    <b>Common and not about ability:</b> recognize signs, support with instruction and accommodations, protect confidence, refer.

    1. The common signs I will watch for:
    2. The supports and accommodations that help:
    3. How I protect confidence:
    4. When and how I refer for evaluation:
    5. My special-ed collaborator:

    Make it stick

    Support and protect:

    Common questions

    Does dyslexia mean a student is not smart?
    No. Dyslexia is a specific difficulty with word reading and spelling, unrelated to intelligence. Many students with dyslexia are bright and capable with the right support.
    Am I supposed to diagnose dyslexia?
    No. Diagnosis is for specialists. You can recognize signs, provide good instruction and accommodations, and refer for evaluation.
    What helps students with dyslexia?
    Structured, explicit reading instruction, accommodations like text-to-speech and extra time, and a classroom that protects confidence and does not equate reading struggle with ability.

    Go deeper

    Build it into a bigger day

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