Supporting Children with Dyslexia

Develop a more detailed understanding of supporting children with dyslexia through this flexible Level 2 online course from Oxford Home Study Centre. The programme examines how dyslexia may affect learning and introduces practical approaches that can help teaching assistants contribute to a more accessible classroom.

Dyslexia can influence reading, spelling, writing, working memory, sequencing and information processing. Its effects vary considerably: a strategy that assists one pupil may not be appropriate for another. Effective support therefore begins with understanding the individual learner, following assessed needs and applying the approaches agreed by responsible teaching staff.

This three-module course explores dyslexia in greater depth than OHSC’s shorter introductory Dyslexia Awareness course. It focuses particularly on classroom strategies, multisensory learning and cooperation between families, teachers and relevant professionals.

The programme is open to learners from all backgrounds and has an estimated duration of 30 hours. Course access, online learning materials and required assignments are provided without a course fee. Optional certification is available to purchase after successful completion.

Explore more introductory programmes through OHSC’s free teaching assistant courses, or compare the complete selection of online courses.

Understanding How Dyslexia Affects Learning

Dyslexia is a learning difference commonly associated with difficulties in accurate or fluent reading, spelling and written language. Some learners may also experience challenges involving memory, organisation, sequencing or processing speed.

These difficulties are not a measure of intelligence. Pupils with dyslexia may demonstrate strengths in areas such as verbal reasoning, creativity, problem-solving, practical work or visual thinking. A balanced approach recognises these abilities while providing appropriate support where barriers exist.

This dyslexia support course considers how those barriers can affect classroom participation. A pupil may understand a lesson but need more time to read instructions, organise written answers or recall information in the expected sequence. Recognising this difference can help teaching assistants respond more constructively.

Who Is the Course For?

The course may be suitable for:

• Current and prospective teaching assistants
• Learning-support and classroom-support staff
• Parents and carers
• School volunteers
• Childcare and education workers
• Learners interested in inclusive education
• People considering further teaching-assistant study

No previous teaching or special educational needs training is required. The programme provides introductory educational knowledge and should not be treated as specialist assessor training.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, learners should be able to:

• Explain key characteristics associated with dyslexia and how they may affect learning
• Discuss classroom strategies used to support pupils with dyslexia
• Understand how multisensory approaches may support reading and writing
• Consider ways of adapting approved activities to reduce barriers
• Identify resources and tools that may assist individual learners
• Explain the value of communication with parents and relevant professionals
• Understand how teaching assistants may contribute to an agreed individual support plan

Teaching assistants work under the direction of responsible educational professionals. They should not independently diagnose dyslexia, prescribe an intervention or create a pupil’s formal educational plan.

Multisensory Approaches to Learning

Multisensory teaching combines two or more ways of receiving and working with information. An activity might involve seeing a word, hearing it spoken and physically forming or arranging its letters. The intention is to provide different routes through which the learner can engage with the material.

Such approaches may be useful in literacy work, but they need to form part of a structured and appropriate teaching plan. Teaching assistants should use methods selected or approved by the teacher, special educational needs coordinator or relevant specialist.

Supporting dyslexic learners may also involve:

• Presenting instructions in clear stages
• Allowing suitable processing time
• Using approved visual prompts
• Reducing unnecessary copying
• Checking understanding without causing embarrassment
• Reinforcing previously taught material
• Helping pupils organise tasks and resources
• Encouraging the appropriate use of assistive tools

Adjustments should respond to the pupil’s assessed needs. Dyslexia does not affect every child in the same way, and no single technique will suit all learners.

Supporting Reading and Written Work

Reading difficulties can affect fluency, accuracy and comprehension, particularly when a pupil must devote substantial effort to decoding individual words. Written tasks may also require additional time because the learner is managing spelling, handwriting, sentence construction and the organisation of ideas simultaneously.

A teaching assistant may help by breaking an approved activity into manageable stages, reviewing instructions or using agreed prompts. Support should make the task accessible without completing the work for the pupil.

The aim is not to lower expectations automatically. It is to remove unnecessary barriers so the learner has a fair opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and make progress.

Confidence, Participation and Emotional Wellbeing

Persistent difficulty with literacy tasks can influence confidence and classroom participation. Some pupils may avoid reading aloud, become anxious about written work or use avoidance behaviours when they expect to struggle.

A calm and respectful response can help protect the learner’s dignity. Feedback should recognise effort and progress while remaining specific and honest. Comparisons with classmates or public discussion of a pupil’s difficulties should be avoided.

Teaching assistants should record relevant observations factually and report concerns through the school’s established procedures. They should not diagnose anxiety, depression or another mental-health condition.

Working with Parents and Professionals

Consistent communication can help ensure that a pupil receives coordinated support. Depending on the educational setting, this may involve teachers, the special educational needs coordinator, parents or carers, specialist teachers, educational psychologists and other authorised professionals.

Teaching assistants can contribute useful day-to-day observations. For example, they may notice which instructions a pupil understands most easily, where frustration occurs or how the learner responds to an agreed classroom strategy.

Information should be recorded objectively and shared only through approved channels. Confidentiality and data-protection requirements apply to verbal discussions, written records and digital systems.

Individual Education and Support Plans

A formal education or support plan describes identified needs, agreed outcomes, appropriate provision and the responsibilities of those involved. Terminology and procedures differ between countries and educational systems.

Teaching assistants may contribute observations and deliver agreed activities, but they do not normally determine formal provision independently. Plans should be developed, authorised and reviewed by the professionals responsible within the relevant setting.

Good practice involves understanding:

• The pupil’s agreed learning outcomes
• Which strategies have been authorised
• How progress should be recorded
• When concerns must be referred
• What information may be shared
• The limits of the teaching assistant’s role

How Online Study Works

Learners enrol online and access the three course modules through the OHSC learning platform. The self-paced format allows study to be arranged around employment, family commitments and other responsibilities.

The estimated duration is 30 hours, although completion times may vary. Learners can work through the materials at a suitable pace before completing the required assignments.

Those seeking a shorter introduction to the subject can review OHSC’s separate Dyslexia Short Course, which focuses on general dyslexia awareness rather than extended classroom support.

Assessment and Completion

The course includes required assignments based on the supplied learning materials. These must be completed successfully before optional certification can be requested.

Completion confirms that the learner has met the requirements of this online programme. It does not provide qualified-teacher status, professional assessor status or authority to diagnose dyslexia.

Professional and Safeguarding Clarification

This course provides educational information and introductory classroom-support knowledge. It does not qualify learners to:

• Diagnose dyslexia or another learning difference
• Conduct a formal diagnostic assessment
• Work as a specialist dyslexia assessor
• Prescribe educational or clinical interventions
• Independently create or authorise a formal support plan
• Practise as a qualified teacher, psychologist or therapist

Anyone working with children must follow their organisation’s safeguarding, confidentiality and reporting procedures. Concerns about a pupil’s learning, safety or wellbeing should be referred to the appropriate responsible professional.

Further Teaching Assistant Study

Learners looking for additional introductory subjects can browse OHSC’s free teaching assistant course hub.

Longer certificate and diploma pathways are available through the main teaching assistant courses online category. Prospective learners should compare each programme’s syllabus, duration, assessment and certification before enrolling.

Course completion does not guarantee employment or professional recognition. Particular roles may require regulated qualifications, supervised experience, safeguarding training and background checks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Supporting Children with Dyslexia free to study?

Yes. Enrolment, online access, course materials and required assignments are provided without a course fee. Optional certification is purchased separately.

Is the certificate included free?

No. Learners may choose to purchase a certificate after successful completion. Current certificate formats, prices and delivery charges should be checked before ordering.

How many modules are included?

The course contains three modules covering the effects of dyslexia, classroom-support strategies and collaboration with parents and professionals.

How long does the course take?

The estimated study duration is 30 hours. It is self-paced, so actual completion times may differ.

Do I need previous teaching experience?

No. Entry is open to all, although the course may be particularly relevant to teaching assistants, education workers, parents and carers.

What is the difference between this course and the Dyslexia Short Course?

The Dyslexia Short Course is a 20-hour introduction to general awareness. Supporting Children with Dyslexia is a longer, three-module programme focused more closely on classroom strategies and coordinated educational support.

Will the course qualify me to diagnose dyslexia?

No. Dyslexia diagnosis and formal assessment must be undertaken by appropriately qualified professionals.

Can I create an individual education plan after taking this course?

The course explains collaborative educational planning, but completion does not authorise a learner to create or approve formal provision independently. Teaching assistants contribute under the direction of responsible professionals.

Does the course include practical classroom strategies?

The syllabus covers multisensory learning, structured literacy, classroom accommodations and cooperation with parents and school teams. Strategies should be applied only when appropriate and authorised.

Will this course qualify me as a teaching assistant?

No. It does not award qualified-teacher status or guarantee employment. Employers may require specific qualifications, experience, safeguarding training and background checks.

Can parents and carers enrol?

Yes. The programme is open to parents, carers and other learners interested in understanding educational support for children with dyslexia.

Begin the Supporting Children with Dyslexia Course

Study the effects of dyslexia in greater depth and explore how coordinated, individualised classroom support can reduce barriers to participation.

Enrol in the supporting children with dyslexia course today and begin studying online at your preferred pace.