This odd book is full of checklists (21), self- assessment lists (5) and how-to-do lists (25). If your pupil has a need, this book has a list for it.

This implies an individual-education- plan approach to study skills rather than an awareness of the activities that the dyslexic typically finds more challenging, especially as an included pupil. For example, one of the spelling strategies advises: “Do not use words you are unable to spell in examinations” and “Use a dictionary if you are not sure how to spell words.” So much lies beneath these suggestions for a dyslexic pupil. Thinking up strategies is not usually a problem for teachers; getting the pupils to implement them is.

Dyslexia and ICT: a guide for teachers and parents; 2nd edition by Anita Keates David Fulton, pound;14 This is a sound, pragmatic and encouraging introduction to the enormous potential of ICT for dyslexics, from constructing essays to assessment. Anita Keates explains all this clearly and sets basic guidelines for choosing appropriate programmes.

She is particularly helpful on the problems that can come with laptop computers, but I would like to have seen more on voice and speech recognition. ICT can transform school work for dyslexic pupils, but teachers and parents need a book like this to guide them.

How Dyslexics Learn: Grasping the Nettle by Kate Saunders and Annie WhitePatoss, pound;19.95 Adyslexia-friendly book, with large print and attractively presented. Although aimed at teachers, it would be accessible to a dyslexic learner. Great emphasis is placed on nurturing individuals by teaching the way they learn, and there are many examples of using visual input for learning. Clearly, in 100 pages it is impossible to cover such a complex issue comprehensively, but this book is a good starting point and a reminder of the essential principles of teaching dyslexics.

How to Identify and Support Children with Dyslexia by Chris Neanon LDA, pound;9.95 It’s a bold author who tackles this subject in less than 60 pages, even if he does acknowledge that he “will not give you all the answers or resolve all of your challenges”. Chris Neanon offers sound, commonsense advice, but his book is inevitably superficial. He sets high expectations for the role of teaching assistants, who might find his book useful. Inclusion is very dependent on the role of the teaching assistant, and this book might make a reasonable starting point for training.

steve Chinn is principal of Mark College, Somerset