Supporting Children with Dyslexia

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

These difficulties are not a measure of intelligence. A pupil with dyslexia may demonstrate strengths in verbal reasoning, creativity, problem-solving, practical work or visual thinking. Appropriate support recognises the whole learner rather than defining a child only by areas of difficulty.

A pupil may understand a lesson but require more time to read instructions, organise a written response or recall information in the expected sequence. Recognising the difference between understanding and task performance can help teaching assistants provide more appropriate support.

Dyslexia affects individuals differently. A strategy that assists one learner may be ineffective or unnecessary for another. Support should therefore reflect assessed needs, professional guidance and the pupil’s agreed educational plan.

Who Is This Course For?

The programme may be suitable for:

• Current and prospective teaching assistants
• Learning-support and classroom-support staff
• School volunteers
• Parents and carers
• 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. This is an introductory educational programme and should not be treated as specialist assessor training.

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.

These approaches may be useful in literacy work, but they should 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.

Support may also involve:

• Presenting instructions in clear, manageable 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

No single technique is suitable for every pupil. Adjustments should respond to assessed needs and be applied within the responsibilities assigned to the teaching assistant.

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 more accessible without completing it for the pupil.

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

Confidence, Participation and Emotional Wellbeing

Persistent difficulty with literacy tasks can affect 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 protect the learner’s dignity. Feedback should recognise genuine effort and progress while remaining specific and honest. Public comparisons with classmates or unnecessary 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. 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 conversations, written records and digital systems.

Individual Education and Support Plans

A formal education or support plan may describe 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 activities that form part of an agreed plan, but they do not normally determine formal provision independently. Plans should be developed, authorised and reviewed by the professionals responsible within the relevant setting.

Appropriate 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

Enrol online and access the three modules through the OHSC learning platform. The self-paced format allows you to organise the estimated 30 hours of study around employment, family commitments and other responsibilities.

Work through the learning materials before completing the required assignments. The duration is an estimate of the study commitment rather than a fixed deadline, so actual completion times may differ.

If you want a shorter introduction to the subject, consider our separate Dyslexia Short Course, which focuses on general awareness rather than extended classroom-support strategies.

Assessment and Course 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 you have met the requirements of this particular online programme. It does not provide qualified teacher status, professional assessor status or authority to diagnose dyslexia.

Professional and Safeguarding Clarification

This course provides introductory educational information. 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

For additional introductory subjects, browse our free Teaching Assistant course hub. Longer certificate and diploma pathways are available through the main Teaching Assistant courses online category.

Compare each programme’s syllabus, duration, assessment and certification arrangements before enrolling. Course completion does not guarantee employment, and particular roles may require regulated qualifications, supervised experience, safeguarding training and appropriate background checks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Supporting Children with Dyslexia free to study?

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

What level is the course?

This is a Level 2 programme providing introductory educational knowledge about supporting children with dyslexia.

How long does it take?

The estimated duration is 30 hours. The course is self-paced, so the calendar time required to finish may vary.

How many modules are included?

There are three modules covering the effects of dyslexia, classroom-support strategies and coordinated work with parents and professionals.

Will it qualify me to diagnose dyslexia?

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

Can I create an individual education plan after completing it?

No. The course explains collaborative educational planning, but it does not authorise learners to create or approve formal provision independently.

Will it qualify me as a teaching assistant?

No. It does not provide qualified teacher status or guarantee employment. Employers may require particular 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 how dyslexia may influence learning and explore how coordinated, individualised classroom support can reduce barriers to participation. Enrol online and complete this free Level 2 course at your preferred pace.