Diagnostic+and+Assessment+Strategies+for+Dyslexic+Students

Kelley Montz TEP 547

Diagnostic and Assessment Strategies for Dyslexic Students

After reading an article, titled “Learning Strategies and Study Approaches of Postsecondary Students With Dyslexia” regarding the learning strategies and studying approaches of college students with dyslexia, I realized how important it to use diagnostic and assessment strategies that take into account their special needs. Since the article I read highlighted the learning and test-taking strategies students with dyslexia use in colleges, the article made it clear that students with dyslexia often approach homework, tests, and studying differently than other students do. By being aware of how dyslexic students naturally test and complete assignments, I can utilize those techniques in my classroom to give them ample opportunities to demonstrate their learning and understanding. By having a practiced set of study and assessment strategies to rely on, a student with dyslexia will have a better chance of academic success. If a student is able to develop learning strategies and study methods that work for them early on, their education will benefit as a result. When a student has a specific learning or study method to rely on when faced with challenging information or assignments, they will be able to apply those methods to various content areas and situations. As a result of my learning and my research on dyslexia, I have come up with several diagnostic and assessment strategies to use with dyslexic students.

Dyslexia is basically a learning disability that interferes with a person’s reading ability. It can result in students viewing words like the letters are in an incorrect order, making reading and comprehension extremely difficult. Students have difficulty understanding phonics, decoding them, or even issues with remembering what they just read. Dyslexia today is the most common learning disability, and occurs all over the world. Dyslexia makes spelling and reading comprehension difficult for most people who suffer from this learning disability, and can result in the following issues: slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, difficulty reading out loud, reading words in the wrong order, skipping words and sometimes saying a word similar to another word, and difficulty associating individual words with their correct meanings. The article discusses how post-secondary students with dyslexia go about studying and learning through the use of different kinds of strategies. The article highlights how dyslexic students learn and study compared to students who do not have dyslexia. The article, written by John R. Kirby, Robert Silvestri, Beth H. Allingham, Rauno Parrila and Chantal B. La Fave (2008), states “The reading ability differences between groups were strongest for word reading and for reading history. Neither of these findings is surprising, given that the former is the key component in current theories and definitions of dyslexia and the latter reflects the participants’ sense that they have long suffered from reading difficulties. The differences in Reading Rate and Comprehension were less strong but still substantial. These weaker effects suggest that the students with dyslexia have developed means to overcome their fundamental word reading difficulties to some extent, allowing them to succeed in postsecondary education.” This information lets me know how crucial it is for me to help my dyslexic students improve their reading skills as well as their reading comprehension to ensure academic success after high school. The article continued to state “We found that students with dyslexia reported greater use of Time Management strategies and Study Aids and less use of Selecting Main Ideas and Test Taking Strategies. The latter two scales were two of the ones most frequently reported in the literature as related to achievement or distinguishing between students with and without dyslexia” (Kirby et. al., 2008). This article clearly showed me where dyslexic students need extra work in my content area as well as giving me ideas on how to improve their ability to select main ideas and use test-taking strategies in my class. Based on what I what I read in the article, I have learned several diagnostic and assessment strategies I would use with dyslexic students. These strategies include things to do before the assessment, test-taking strategies, as well as strategies for the format of the assessment. I believe that if I incorporate these strategies into my teaching, students with dyslexia in my class have a much better way of demonstrating their knowledge and achieving academic success during assessments.

Some of the diagnostic and assessment strategies I would use for dyslexic students before assessments include giving students a written review sheet a few days before the test. I would also give an oral review of what would be covered on the test, but since dyslexic students can have difficulty writing notes on the spot they would also have a copy of the review beforehand to refer to during the in-class review- this allows them to listen to the review without the added pressure of trying to write notes at the same time. I would also let students know the format of the test ahead of time, so students know if they should be prepared for a short answer, essay, multiple choice, or other format. Students with dyslexia can be more prepared and know which study and assessment strategies to use if they understand what type of test they will be taking beforehand. I would also provide homework a few nights before assessments by assigning sample tests students can complete at home. Short sample tests with a few questions can help increase confidence for students, making them more calm and focused during the actual assessment. It also gives dyslexic students a chance to practice the format of the exam at home and receive feedback from the teacher during review, ensuring they understand what is expected of them during the test and also minimizing test anxiety which can often play a large part in the life of a dyslexic student. Also before assessments, I will always read the instructions for the test or quiz aloud. Students with dyslexia, especially if they are nervous, can mix up instructions or take longer to process the information, which can have catastrophic results during an assessment. Before I let students begin the exam I will make sure all students understand what to do, even if I need to revisit the directions again. I will also allow students as much time as they need to complete the test during class, since students with dyslexia will likely need extra time.

There are several strategies for students during the actual assessments that I plan to use and promote within my class. One of the main assessment strategies I have for dyslexic student relies on me differentiating assessments. If I have students with dyslexia who seem to know the subject matter but continually do poorly on written tests, I can use a variety of options to let the students demonstrate their knowledge. Ideas for assessment for dyslexic students include oral presentations, Power-Point presentations, open-book, take-home, or oral tests can relieve a lot of the pressure on students with dyslexia and still allow them to show they have mastered the subject. Another strategy for students is to provide word banks or vocabulary lists for fill in the blank tests. Students with dyslexia have a difficult time remembering new words and may be nervous about spelling words correctly. A word bank can help them focus on understanding the material rather worrying about spelling the words correctly. Being sensitive to the type of test formats that dyslexic students struggle most with will also help students. Since I know students with dyslexia frequently have an easier time with fill in the blank or matching tests rather than essay or multiple choice tests, I can use these formats to build their confidence and let them improve their test-taking abilities.

Source: Kirby, J.R., Silvestri, R., Allingham, B., Parrila, R., & La Fave, C. (2008). Learning strategies and study approaches of postsecondary students with dyslexia. //Journal of learning disabilities, 41//. Retrieved from []

Link to Article: Learning Strategies and Study Approaches for Dyslexia