Dyslexic Pupils at Grammar Schools

INFORMATION SHEET NUMBER 10

By Louise Green

A pupil with dyslexia/specific learning difficulties (SpLD) who has successfully obtained a grammar school place is unlikely to demonstrate the "typical" dyslexic symptoms but will exhibit a pattern of difficulties that can help to identify the problem. Not all pupils will have all the symptoms but most will have some from the following list: -

SPELLING

• Incorrect word endings word i.e. deciding/decided
• Bizarre letter patterns
• Transposed letters within words i.e. form/from or wolud/would
• A word that is spelt differently at least twice on the same page

READING

• Inaccurate reading aloud – words can be omitted, added, transposed, substituted or mispronounced – especially small words like 'the'
• Slower reading speed than the rest of the group or slower than you would expect from their overall performance
• Misreading/misinterpreting of questions
• Not following printed instructions
• Poor proof-reading skills leading to "careless" work with "avoidable" mistakes
• Misinterpreting information
• Difficulty in spotting implied information

WRITING

• Written work not reaching expected standard from verbal performance
• Written work shorter than expected
• Written work containing rambling sentences with meaning frequently implied but not clearly stated
• The question not answered accurately
• Words omitted or added to the text
• Work containing too much irrelevant detail
• Not enough detail supplied
• Poor sequencing skills
• Order of work confused and/or jumbled
• Inability to write what was meant
• A better standard of work produced when pupil uses a keyboard
• Difficulty in answering an "open" question - i.e. Tell me about yourself
• Much better at answering a specific question – i.e. Tell me about your hobbies

PUNCTUATION

• Poor punctuation generally
• Full stops omitted
• Too many commas
• Long rambling sentences
• Inappropriate use of the apostrophe

HANDWRITING

• Letters poorly formed and unevenly spaced
• Slower writing speed than expected
• Not able to write on the lines
• Uneven spacing between words
• Large writing
• Gaps left at end and/or beginning of lines/pages
• Words crushed together at end of lines
• Exerting too much pressure when writing
• Extended writing leads to physical discomfort
• Immature pen grip and poor writing posture

COPYING

• Inaccurate copying of work from the board or books
• Slow copying speed
• Preference to copy from neighbour rather than the board

ORGANISATION

• Difficulty in planning work
• Missing equipment on a regular basis
• Equipment brought on the wrong day
• Forgetting unusual events such as mufti-day
• Forgetting to deliver forms and information sheets to parents
• Forgetting to return forms and payments
• Forgetting which subjects they have each day
• Bringing the wrong files to lessons
• Needing instructions repeated more than once on a regular basis
• Not following instructions or difficulty in following instructions
• Difficulty in settling to work in lessons (and at home)
• Either totally disorganised or over organised (almost paranoid)
• Tendency to forget verbal requests to bring/return items to school or to lessons

SOCIAL SKILLS AND BEHAVIOUR

• Immature for their age
• Isolated within the class
• The class clown
• The class butt
• Treated with amused superiority by peer group
• Seen as less intelligent by peer group
• Awkward in social settings
• Aggressive when confronted
• Tearful when confronted
• Low self-esteem
• Super-sensitive to criticism
• Overanxious and insecure
• Suffering from stress and has difficulty relaxing
• Sleep problems
• Always saying "Sorry"
• Tendency to have more single day absences from school than peer group

LISTENING SKILLS

• Not being able to follow instructions in class and/or a tendency to forget verbal instructions
• Talking once the others have settled down to work (asking neighbour what they are meant to be doing!)
• Asking for confirmation of the instructions
• Not able to process the spoken sound (NOT a hearing problem!)
• Switching off after a comparatively short listening period
• Inability to recall/repeat what was said
• Not processing verbally presented information at all
• Missing the point and/or misinterpreting verbally presented information
• Inability to follow and/or process verbal information through background noise
• Difficulty in note-taking from verbally presented information
• Slower than expected at note-taking from verbally presented information
• Asking for constant repetitions of dictation
• Copying/completing notes from friend after the lesson

SPEAKING AND LANGUAGE PROCESSING

• Word retrieval difficulties
• Volunteering answer and then unable to supply that answer
• Inability to clearly and concisely state what they mean
• Poor verbal sequencing skills
• Irrelevant details added
• Not enough detail supplied
• Not answering the question asked
• Difficulty in answering an "open" question - i.e. Tell me about yourself
• Much better at answering a specific question – i.e. Tell me about your hobbies
• Stammering when answering
• Jumping topics when answering – the grasshopper or butterfly mind!

STUDY SKILLS

• Difficulty in acquiring study skills
• Not an incidental learning like most of the peer group
• Slower to acquire new concepts – but once acquired has no greater difficulty than rest of class

HOMEWORK

• Difficulty in recording homework accurately
• Difficulty in remembering to do homework
• Difficulty in prioritising homework
• Difficulty in remembering to return homework when completed