Dyslexia is an emotive and often contentious subject. For teachers, it can elicit confusion and some nervousness; invariably, they are working in busy classes with lots of competing demands, often having received little training on how to support dyslexic pupils.
However, the word dyslexia has clear roots. “Dys” means difficult or abnormal, whereas “lexia” denotes words. So, it describes difficulties with reading and spelling words.
The roots of the word may be clear, but the causes of the condition and what to do about it remain unclear for too many teachers.
Reading is a complex act, so dyslexia is a complex disorder. The dominant scientific consensus view is that dyslexia is predominantly a phonological deficit (though not exclusively), in which the brain struggles to match sounds to letters accurately. Early struggles can be compounded by compromised reading habits and low motivation to read or write.
Mark Seidenberg, who researches the links between language and cognitive neuroscience has said that the condition is akin to hypertension in that it is recognised on a continuum, from severe to mild, usually with complex co-occurring issues (Seidenberg, 2017).
For many parents, the diagnosis of dyslexia for their child can come as a relief, as it can go a long way to explain why they may have struggled in school or are unenthusiastic readers.
Dyslexia: what does the research say?
And yet, recent research by Cathryn Knight, The impact of the dyslexia label on academic outlook and aspirations: an analysis using propensity score matching, set out to learn more about the potential problems that come with being labelled “dyslexic”.
Firstly, she raises the point of a recent surge in dyslexia diagnosis: up 22-fold in two decades when recorded in 2012-13. We should consider this rise carefully.
The results are perhaps predictable, but worrying nonetheless. Knight finds that the presence of the dyslexia label correlates with a lowering of academic expectations. Dyslexic pupils aged 14 were less likely to report that they were good at English and maths compared with their non-dyslexic peers.
More concerning, though, was the finding that parents and teachers both had significantly lower expectations that dyslexic pupils would go to university than their non-dyslexic peers. This was evident even when pupils were matched by parent education, socioeconomic class and income - all key indicators of the privileges that see some pupils more likely to attend university.
Teachers, parents, and any adult with a stake in education is likely aware of the power of self-fulfilling prophecies. Being labelled with dyslexia may well establish a negative prophecy. Without a doubt, this must be staunchly challenged.
There is no quick and easy solution, but teachers should be trained to be aware, and confident, that dyslexic pupils can be ably supported by targeted interventions and high-quality teaching in their classroom. A focus on early intervention, such as high-quality structured phonics teaching, along with targeted reading and writing interventions, can all be marshalled in support.
The label dyslexia shouldn’t lower expectations - implicitly or explicitly. Instead, it should mobilise our support and see every resource put in place to support these pupils so that no academic achievement is beyond their expectations.
Alex Quigley is national content manager at the Education Endowment Foundation. He is a former teacher and the author of Closing the Reading Gap, published by Routledge
