So what did we learn about teaching kids with dyslexia this year?

We made it to Christmas break! 🎁

From all of us at Scanning Pens, we’d like to offer everyone in education a huge congratulations. You’re the ones who make learning happen every day, and your impact can’t ever be understated. You’re our literacy heroes, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 brings! 

…But before we get into our pyjamas and open that third box of mince pies, we’re going to take a quick moment to reflect on everything we’ve learned about teaching and empowering learners with dyslexia in 2024, too.

#1: Dyslexia in girls still needs more attention.

Girls with dyslexia don’t get screened and diagnosed as much as boys do. Even when they do, dyslexia in boys gets suspected at far earlier ages. But why?

Research from the mid-2000s identified that girls with dyslexia may be less open about their reading needs: data suggests dyslexic boys are more likely to respond to reading needs with challenging classroom behaviour, but girls tend to hide dyslexia signs and try to comply with educator instruction despite their reading needs,  using their social-emotional skills to disguise reading gaps.

#2: But parents are more clued in about neurodiversities than ever before!

We’re entering a new age of neurodiversity awareness, and parents are now more aware of dyslexia thanks to more information being available through social media, news stories, and educators.

So in 2025, we may see more parents requesting assessments, support plans and reading tools… which means more students getting the help they need to succeed!

#3: Not every child with dyslexia enjoys being told they’ve got superpowers.

We empower children (and adults!) with dyslexia by reminding them that their dyslexia often brings with it incredible skills— usually artistic, entrepreneurial, or innovative ones.

But children and young people who don’t feel like they have incredible art or entrepreneurial skills— or just feel like their dyslexia causes lots of negative emotions— may not always like their dyslexia being framed as a superpower. You can find out more about this debate in the last issue of The Education Station!

#4: Dyslexia hasn’t been the only headline cause of reading needs in 2024…

Even in 2024, we’re still operating within pandemic reading deficits.

Not all learners who lost ground during remote learning have been able to make it up, so we’re dealing with a classroom with more struggling readers than previously—some with dyslexic differences, and some who are neurotypical, but still need reading support. 

#5: And reading support should go further than students with dyslexia.

Kids don’t need dyslexia to experience the benefits of reading supports like a reading pen. Having dependable comprehension support on hand can boost confidence in learners who have come to English from other languages (EALs/ELLs), those suffering from pandemic learning loss, and even just those who need a little extra help getting started reading independently, too.

Literacy is a journey. It’s rarely linear… and it’s not just dyslexic students who need a little support sometimes, especially after the pandemic. To find out which reading pen is right for your students’ needs as they head back in January, check out the super-handy Reading Pen Guide Quiz.

Make a difference for folks with dyslexia this year!

If you want to support people with dyslexia and those who advocate for them this festive season, you can donate to the British Dyslexia Association’s Christmas Appeal or to the International Dyslexia Association through their IDA Donate Portal.

Happy Holidays!