Queen’s Register of Support Providers
Providing Dyslexia Tutor Support to Students
No one person with dyslexia will experience all of the difficulties associated with the
condition but in general, the main issues are as follows:
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Reading
Visual problems such as blurring and distorting of print
Concentrating
Organising and planning effectively
Working within time limits and to deadlines
Spelling/grammar/punctuation issues and use of malapropisms, homophones
Sentence construction, paragraphing, structure
Physical co-ordination
Writing and note taking
Short-term memory problems, remembering information/instructions
Thinking and working in sequences
Needs Identification
Each student will experience elements of the above to a greater or lesser extent so it is
important that from the outset, you identify what the key issues are for that particular
student. As each person will be different, it is helpful to ask your student to share with you
their dyslexia assessment or educational psychologist’s report. This is often a great
place to start, particularly if the student is unsure of what help they might require or if they
find it difficult to articulate or pinpoint exactly what aspects they may need support with.
Talking with your student will help them explore what they find most challenging. It will
also help you discover what they do best and what coping/compensating strategies they
are already using. Recognising and building on these is a very positive starting point and
is an excellent way of progressing. It is important to appreciate that many students will
already have developed their own effective coping methods so focusing on the
fundamental issues (the mechanics of spelling, writing etc) may be just too basic for
them. If they prefer to tackle their coursework ‘head on’ then go with this.
Frequency of Meetings
Again, depending on your student, their course, the amount of reading/writing required and
the extent of their dyslexia, the frequency of your tutoring sessions will vary from person to
person. Whilst some students will benefit from meeting on a regular basis, others with well
developed coping strategies or less written course work may prefer to see you on an ‘as
and when required’ basis, if, for example, the exams are approaching or an assignment
deadline is looming.
Key Challenges
Below is a list of the key issues faced by dyslexic students, together with some strategies
that you might try with them. The table is by no means exhaustive or very detailed. It is
intended as a guide only as each of your students will have different needs, priorities and
course requirements.
Key Issues and Problems
Learning and Thinking Style:
Thinking style – holistic or analytic?
Learning style - kinaesthetic (seeing,
hearing, doing), tacticle (touching, smelling)
or multisensory?
Organising study time:
 ‘Finding’ study time between friends,
family, work commitments and
classes
 Double the workload - having to
read/reread material and understand
new concepts/vocabulary
Suggested Strategies
Memory techniques/mnemonics - identify
how the student thinks/learns most easily ie
their preferred learning style(s) and build on
this:
 Mind maps / concept maps
 Lists eg ‘To do’
 Spider diagrams
 Flow charts
 Note cards
 Visual/shape memory pegs
 Rooms and items around the house
 Reading aloud
 Mnemonic phrases/poems
 Auditory memory/rhyme pegs
 Rhymes
 Acronyms
 Tune association
 Recording and listening back to
information
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Reading:
 Visual discomfort
 Slower pace
 Comprehension difficulties
 Distortion of print
 Glare from white pages
 Words appearing to move, jumble or
blur ie scotopic sensitivity (mears-
Identifying an appropriate study
space
Organising materials/equipment
Diary use
Class timetables
Colour coding for different modules
Semester schedules/planners with
key deadlines for assignments
Wall charts
Study timetables/charts that divide a
week into days and hours to identify
work, travel, study time and time off.
Suggest:
 Enlarging the size of the print
 Changing the font style
 Using coloured acetate overlays
 Reading material out aloud
 Recording and playing it back
 Making note cards of key
words/concepts, definitions, new
irlen syndrome)
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Spelling:
 Spelling errors
 Transposing of letters
 Malapropisms - difficulties
distinguishing between similar
sounding words with different
meanings/spellings
 Homophones and incorrect usage
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Writing/composing:
 Slow writing speeds
 Poor note taking skills
 Lack of clarity
 Slow copying
 Losing the ‘flow’
 Confusing composition and
transcription
 Muddled ideas
 Disjointed material
 Poor sequencing of information/ideas
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words etc
Speed reading development
Smarter reading skills
Proof reading skills development to
spot own errors
Note cards of the spellings of
new/unfamiliar words and their
definitions
Revision of spelling rules
Mneumonics
Repetition/chanting
Using of pictures/visualization
techniques to help imprint spellings in
the mind
Post-its of regularly used words
around the house
Dictionary/thesaurus use
Alphabet arc to help with looking up
words in dictionary/thesaurus
Effective use of assistive technology
– TextHelp Read & Write Gold,
spellchecker, scanner pen, Dragon
Develop note taking skills
Try different types of pen (eg
ballpoint vs fibre tips)
Different coloured inks
Optimal paper colour
Using a PC/laptop/word processor
instead of handwriting
Distinguish between composition and
transcription
Unpacking the question- question
analysis/decoding
Essay planning
Structuring and paragraphing
Chunking
Using mind maps, spider diagrams
etc to organize thoughts and ideas
Effective use of assistive technology
such as Inspiration and Mindview for
same
Develop proof reading techniques to
spot grammatical/structural errors
Using quotes
Report writing
Referencing
Exam Preparation:
 Poor preparation
 Ineffective revision techniques
 Poor organizational abilities
 Exam-related anxiety
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Bibliographies
Plagiarism
Using lecturer/tutor assignment
feedback
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Identifying the preferred learning
style (and therefore the most
effective memory techniques)
Identifying an appropriate study
location
Organisation of notes/course
materials
Developing a flexible revision
schedule of optimal study periods,
breaks, review sessions etc against
topics to be covered
Condensing notes
Using topics/headings
Chunking
Being selective
Using different colours/highlights
Revision posters
Revision cards
Brainstorming techniques –
diagrams, charts, mindmaps etc
Listening to information – use of
assistive technology to review/revise
material aurally
Mnemonics
Past exam paper review
Practice session(s) with
Reader/Exam Scribe (if applicable)
Role play (for practical exams)
Self-testing
Question analysis/decoding –
identifying what the question is
asking the candidate to do (process
words, question topic, question focus
and inclusion of examples)
Planning strategies – how much time
to spend on question preparation and
answering per question/section
Relaxation, stress and anxiety
management techniques
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Maths:
 Decoding numbers, letters and
symbols more slowly
 Decoding errors
 Understanding and remembering the
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Mnemonics
Saying it aloud/using fingers (visual
and auditory)
Chunking digits/formulae
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language of maths
Remembering equations
Applying equations/formulae
correctly
Remembering the correct order of
operations
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Foreign Languages:
 New vocabulary/rules
 New/unfamiliar words
 Pronunciation difficulties
 Differently structured language
 Different language ‘rules’
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Music:
 Different language
 Different symbols/shapes
 Same shapes in different locations
mean different things
 ‘Reading’ must be co-ordinated with
particular hand/mouth movements
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Linking with a familiar tunes/rhythms
Fostering remembering by
understanding – understanding the
meaning of formulae/equations helps
with both accurate remembering and
usage
Translating formulae into words
Acronyms
Making note cards of key
formulae/words
Using the multiplication square –
pattern recognition of multiplications
from 1 to 12
Using the fast finger method for
multiplying numbers from 6 to 10
Mnemonics
Multisensory learning
Use of colour
Use of pictures to link words/phrases
to images
Visual/shape memory pegs
Repetition
Auditory memory/rhyme pegs
Rote learning of exact
phrases/sentences
Note cards of key words/phrases
Colour overlays to counter visual
distortions
Mnemonics
Using linkwords associated visually
or audially with the target word
Mental images, associations and
phrases
Writing names of notes on the
keyboard
Note cards of key symbols
Zoom-Ex Machine
Located in the McClay Library, the Zoom-Ex machine is a digital scanner/OCR that
converts any printed text into multiple formats such as speech, large print, sound files and
text files etc. As such, it is useful facility for those dyslexic students who find it easier to
understand the spoken word or are better able to read text in larger fonts.
If, as a Tutor, you would like to become familiar with the Zoom-Ex scanner to give more
informed advice/guidance to your students, training courses are periodically arranged by
the Register. The scanner may also be borrowed for short periods by contacting Sally
Bridge, the Library’s Information Services Disability Co-ordinator on s.bridge@qub.ac.uk,
90 976145.
Recommended Reading
Hargreaves, Sandra
Study Skills for Students with Dyslexia
Sage (2012)