Dyslexia-Friendly English Activities for Key Stage 3 Students
Supporting children with dyslexia at Key Stage 3 in English requires activities that build literacy skills in a multi-sensory and engaging way. Here are some activities tailored for children with dyslexia:
1. Multi-Sensory Reading Activities
Audiobooks & E-books: Pairing written text with audio can help dyslexic students follow along and improve comprehension.
Touch and Trace: Use tactile materials, like sandpaper letters or gel boards, for spelling practice to enhance memory through touch.
2. Phonics-Based Activities
Phonics Games: Online phonics games or apps like Nessy can strengthen phonological awareness, helping students decode words more easily.
Word Families: Explore word families (e.g., “cat,” “bat,” “hat”) to reinforce sound patterns in a fun and systematic way.
3. Memory and Sequencing Exercises
Story Sequencing: Use pictures or cards to have the child arrange events in a story in the correct order.
Mnemonics: Teach mnemonics or create personalized ones to help with remembering tricky spelling rules or homophones (e.g., “Big Elephants Can Always Use Small Exits” for "because").
4. Vocabulary Building
Mind Mapping: Encourage the use of mind maps for planning essays or understanding vocabulary. Visuals can help organize thoughts and link related ideas.
Word Games: Play Scrabble, Boggle, or other word-based games to enhance vocabulary in a low-pressure way.
5. Comprehension Strategies
Summarization: After reading a short passage, ask the child to verbally summarize it, reinforcing key points.
Comic Strip Creations: Create comic strips based on reading passages. This allows them to express comprehension in a visual, structured format.
6. Writing Support
Sentence Starters: Provide sentence starters to reduce the cognitive load and help get them writing. For example, “One important point is…” or “I believe that…”
Dictation Software: Use tools like Dragon NaturallySpeaking to let students dictate their responses, bypassing the need for manual writing which may be challenging.
7. Reading and Spelling Apps
Nessy: This is a dyslexia-friendly platform offering games and activities tailored to reading and spelling.
Read Theory: Another online platform that assesses children’s reading ability and adapts to their learning needs.
8. Assistive Technology
Text-to-Speech Tools: Tools like Read&Write for Google Chrome can read aloud text on websites or documents, aiding comprehension.
Speech-to-Text: Encourage the use of speech-to-text software for writing tasks to reduce the physical demands of writing.
9. Creative Projects
Drama or Role-Playing: Act out scenes from a book or story to enhance understanding through movement and expression.
Art Projects: Have students draw or create something related to what they are reading, allowing them to express comprehension visually.
10. Spelling and Word Practice
Spelling Pyramids: Write words in a pyramid shape (starting with one letter and adding a letter on each line). This engages visual and kinesthetic learning styles.
Rainbow Writing: Have the child write tricky words in different colors to engage their visual memory and make the process more fun.
Tips for Parents and Educators:
Break down tasks into smaller steps.
Give clear, concise instructions.
Use positive reinforcement to build confidence.
Allow for extra time with reading or writing tasks.