Understanding Dyslexia: Why It Matters for Future Educators
Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning difference that primarily affects the development of accurate and fluent word recognition, spelling, and decoding skills. It is not related to intelligence or motivation; rather, it reflects differences in how the brain processes language. Students with dyslexia often experience difficulties with phonological awareness, word reading, and spelling, which can impact reading comprehension and overall academic success if appropriate instruction and intervention are not provided.
For preservice teachers, developing a strong understanding of dyslexia is essential. Elementary educators are often the first professionals to notice early signs of reading difficulties and play a critical role in providing evidence-based instruction that supports all learners. By recognizing the characteristics of dyslexia and understanding how to implement structured literacy practices, future teachers can identify students who may need additional support, collaborate effectively with families and specialists, and create inclusive learning environments where every child has the opportunity to become a successful reader. A strong foundation in dyslexia equips preservice teachers to make informed instructional decisions and positively influence students’ literacy outcomes from the earliest years of schooling.
Dyslexia Screening
When school teams interpret universal screening results, they should keep in mind that reading diagnostic assessments have components targeting decoding difficulties that also include components such as oral language comprehension difficulties. A child may have more than one of these issues, but when considering dyslexia, it is decoding difficulties that are most prevalent. If a child has poor decoding ability (determined by universal screener or teacher or parent observation), it is useful to further assess for the following decoding sub processes:
- Phonological awareness and phonemic awareness
- Sound symbol recognition
- Alphabet knowledge
- Decoding skills
- Encoding skills
- Rapid naming
These essentially are the components taught through Phonemic Awareness and Phonics instruction, two of the “Five Pillars of Reading” that make up a standard early reading curriculum (the other three being fluency, vocabulary and comprehension; National Reading Panel, 2001).
Dyslexia screener information has been provided in the KDE Approved Universal Screeners Comparison Chart and a one-pager regarding the Tests of Dyslexia and the Shaywitz Dyslexia Screener are now available.
Information taken from the Early Literacy Screening Assessments webpage.
