5 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies That Actually Work for Students with Dyslexia

Teaching students with dyslexia requires more than good intentions. It demands specific, research-backed methods that address how these learners process language.

Dyslexia affects approximately 15-20% of the population, making it one of the most common learning differences teachers encounter. Yet many educators receive limited training in dyslexia-specific instruction during their preparation programs. This leaves teachers searching for practical strategies they can implement immediately in their classrooms.

The gap between what dyslexic students need and what traditional classrooms provide can be significant. While some students thrive with standard accommodations and small group interventions, others require more intensive support than a typical classroom can offer. Understanding the full range of options, from classroom strategies to specialized educational settings designed specifically for dyslexic learners, helps teachers and parents make informed decisions about each student’s path.

If you’re a teacher or parent supporting a dyslexic student, these five strategies have strong evidence behind them and produce real results in the classroom.

1. Use Multisensory Instruction

Multisensory teaching engages multiple senses at once. Students see, hear, touch, and move while learning. This approach strengthens the neural pathways needed for reading and writing.

In practice, this means:

For phonics: Students trace letters in sand while saying the sound out loud. They build words with magnetic letters, feel textured letter cards, and use hand motions for each phoneme.

For spelling: Students write words in shaving cream, spell them with letter tiles, and tap out each sound on their arm. The physical movement helps cement the connection between sounds and letters.

For vocabulary: Students act out word meanings, draw quick sketches, and create physical movements paired with definitions. These actions create stronger memory links than reading definitions alone.

The Orton-Gillingham approach, which many dyslexia specialists use, builds entirely on multisensory methods. Studies show students who learn through multisensory instruction make significantly faster progress in decoding and spelling than those who receive traditional reading instruction alone.

Multisensory learning approaches have proven effective across diverse classroom populations, making these techniques valuable for supporting various learning needs.

2. Teach Phonics Systematically and Explicitly

Dyslexic students struggle with phonological awareness. They have difficulty connecting sounds to letters and breaking words into component sounds. This makes systematic phonics instruction essential, not optional.

Effective phonics instruction for dyslexic learners follows a clear sequence. You start with simple consonant-vowel-consonant words before moving to blends, digraphs, and multi-syllable words. Each new concept builds directly on what students already know.

Teachers must directly teach each sound-spelling pattern. Dyslexic students rarely figure out these connections through exposure alone. Every lesson should include practice identifying sounds in isolation, blending sounds into words, and segmenting words into individual sounds.

Repetition matters enormously. Dyslexic students need far more practice than typical learners to master each pattern. Plan to review previously taught patterns daily, not just when introducing them.

Decodable texts make the difference between practice that helps and practice that frustrates. Students should read books that contain primarily the phonics patterns they have already learned. Guessing at words based on pictures or context prevents them from building true decoding skills.

Research demonstrates that explicit phonics instruction significantly improves reading abilities for students with language-based learning differences, making it a cornerstone of effective dyslexia intervention.

3. Color Code and Organize Information Visually

Dyslexic students often struggle with visual processing and organization. Color coding transforms confusing text into manageable chunks.

Highlight different parts of speech in different colors. Use one color for verbs, another for nouns, a third for adjectives. This makes sentence structure visible and concrete.

Mark syllables in multi-syllable words with alternating colors. Students can see where to break words apart, which makes long words less overwhelming.

Use colored overlays or print text on colored paper. Many dyslexic students find that certain background colors reduce visual stress and make letters stay in place. Let students experiment to find what works for them.

Create color-coded reference materials. Grammar rules, math formulas, and key vocabulary should use consistent colors so students can find information quickly.

Visual organizers help dyslexic students plan their writing and organize their thoughts. Graphic organizers, mind maps, and flowcharts provide structure that reduces the cognitive load of generating and arranging ideas. These visual learning strategies engage different parts of the brain and create multiple pathways for information processing.

4. Provide Alternative Ways to Demonstrate Knowledge

Reading and writing difficulties mask what dyslexic students actually know. When every assignment requires lengthy writing, you measure writing ability more than content knowledge.

Alternative assessments include:

• Oral presentations instead of written reports: Students explain concepts out loud, demonstrating their understanding without the barrier of written expression.
• Audio recordings of book reflections: Students record their thoughts about what they read, showing comprehension without struggling through writing mechanics.
• Visual projects like posters, dioramas, or digital presentations: These let students showcase learning through design and creativity rather than traditional essays.
• Video demonstrations for procedural knowledge: Students can show how to solve a problem or complete a process on camera.
• Collaborative projects where students contribute their strengths: Group work allows dyslexic students to participate fully while others handle heavy writing tasks.

This doesn’t mean lowering standards. It means measuring what matters. If you’re assessing whether a student understands the water cycle, does it matter if they write an essay or create a labeled diagram with oral explanation?

Audiobooks and text-to-speech software level the playing field. These tools let dyslexic students access grade-level content without their decoding difficulties blocking comprehension. Research consistently shows that dyslexic students understand just as much when they listen as when they struggle through text.

5. Build Automaticity Through Structured, Cumulative Practice

Dyslexic students can learn to read, but the process takes longer and requires more practice. Skills must become automatic through repeated, structured exposure.

This means daily practice with previously learned material, not just new content. Spend the first ten minutes of each session reviewing sound-spelling patterns, sight words, and previously read passages. This cumulative review prevents forgetting and gradually builds reading fluency.

Flashcard drills work when done correctly. Keep sessions short (5-10 minutes), use spaced repetition, and celebrate progress. Students should practice until responses become automatic and effortless.

Repeated reading of the same passage builds fluency. Students read the same text multiple times until they can read it smoothly and with expression. This develops the automaticity needed to focus on comprehension rather than decoding.

Progress monitoring shows whether instruction is working. Track specific skills weekly. If a student isn’t making progress after several weeks of consistent instruction, the approach needs adjustment. Understanding how students generalize skills helps ensure they can apply what they learn across different contexts.

Moving Forward

Supporting dyslexic students takes knowledge, patience, and the right tools. These five evidence-based strategies give you a starting point. Implement them consistently, monitor progress closely, and adjust as needed.

The key is starting now and staying committed to methods that research supports. Your effort makes an enormous difference in these students’ academic lives and future success. For more teaching strategies and special educational needs resources, continue exploring evidence-based practices that create truly inclusive learning environments.