Dyslexia

find out moreDyslexia Action www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk British Dyslexia Association www.dyslexia.uk.net

I can’t seem to write things as quickly as everyone else. And I’m always forgetting how to

spell things. But I’m getting extra help to catch up.

Dyslexia makes it hard for people to read and to spell words correctly. It doesn’t affect how clever a child is. Dyslexia is not a disease or an illness – it is a learning difficulty that people are born with.

Not everybody with dyslexia is affected in the same way. It can be mild or severe. Some children say that when they try to read, the words move about on the page. Some children find it difficult to remember what has just been said to them. Having dyslexia can make school and homework difficult and some children might fall behind unless they get extra help.

There are lots of ways children can get help to cope with their dyslexia. Some children who struggle to remember things use a voice recorder to set reminders. Some people learn special techniques to help them read by putting see-through coloured plastic over the page. Others benefit from special learning techniques or personal tutoring.

Dyslexia is very common – about 1 in 10 children in the UK have it.

No one knows what causes dyslexia. It often runs in families and can affect children from any country. You cannot catch it.

Steven Spielberg (film director), Richard Branson (businessman), Bruce Jenner (Olympian), Jamie Oliver (chef) and Keira Knightley (actress).

what is dyslexia?

what causes dyslexia?

famous people with dyslexia

factsheet lesson

1 dear d

iary

dyslexicImagine you make a new friend at school. Give him a name, an age, and think about what his interests are, what he might like and dislike. Then imagine this is your new friend’s diary and write an entry from him about the day he met you. Use your factsheet about dyslexia to help.

A tip: think about what it might be like for him finding it hard to read when he has a comprehension test in English. Remember, his whole day isn’t just about the challenges of dyslexia, he’s also a brilliant cartoonist and will have the same kinds of experiences as you, too!

task:

worksheet lesso

n 1 d

ear diary

My new friend is:

His name is

He is years old

He likes Lego and

He dislikes broccoli and

This

imag

e is

of a

mod

el a

nd is

bei

ng u

sed

for i

llust

rativ

e pu

rpos

es o

nly

Dear diary,Today I started my new school and it was