Why You Need Specific Training to Teach Children with Dyslexia

By The Reading Academy

If you’re a classroom teacher, chances are you’ve taught a child with dyslexia—even if you didn’t realise it at the time. Dyslexia affects at least one in every ten students, and yet many teacher training programmes provide little more than a passing mention of it. That’s a serious problem, because without specific training, it’s incredibly difficult to recognise and respond to the needs of these learners.

Here’s why specialised dyslexia training isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

1.

You Can’t Spot What You Don’t Understand

Dyslexia doesn’t always look how you might expect. It’s not just about letter reversals or slow reading. It can show up as inconsistent spelling, poor handwriting, or even behaviour that looks like inattention or laziness. Without training, it’s easy to misinterpret the signs. But once you understand the underlying causes, you can spot the red flags early—and that early identification can change the trajectory of a child’s entire school experience.

2.

What Works for Most Doesn’t Work for All

Many common classroom strategies simply don’t work for students with dyslexia. These children need structured, explicit, and multisensory instruction that teaches in a very deliberate way. This isn’t about making the work easier—it’s about making the teaching more effective. Dyslexia training equips you with the right tools to teach these children in the way they actually learn.

3.

Dyslexia Goes Beyond Reading

You might notice that a student can understand a topic when discussing it but can’t express their ideas clearly in writing. Or that they take far longer to complete a task, not because they don’t understand it, but because they’re working twice as hard to decode and spell every word. Dyslexia can affect memory, organisation, handwriting, and self-confidence. When you understand the full picture, you can adapt your teaching and your expectations in ways that truly support learning.

4.

You Can Protect a Child’s Confidence

One of the most heartbreaking effects of dyslexia is the blow it can deal to a child’s self-esteem. When students repeatedly fail at tasks their peers find easy, they start to believe they’re “not smart” or “just bad at school.” With the right training, you can spot these moments, change the narrative, and give that student the support and encouragement they need to keep going. Often, that makes more difference than any intervention programme.

5.

You’ll Be Empowered to Make a Real Difference

Dyslexia training doesn’t just benefit the child—it empowers you. Instead of guessing or relying on trial and error, you’ll have clear, evidence-based strategies that actually work. You’ll spend less time wondering how to help and more time watching students make real progress. And while dyslexia-specific methods are essential for some, they’re helpful for all—your entire class will benefit.

Final Thoughts

Dyslexia is not rare, and it’s not going away. Every teacher, whether in early years, primary, or secondary, will teach students with dyslexia. The question is: will you have the knowledge and tools to help them succeed?

Investing in dyslexia training is not about becoming a specialist—it’s about becoming more effective at what you already do best: helping children learn.

Have you had any training in dyslexia? What difference has it made in your classroom? Share your experiences or questions in the comments below.