Supporting Dyslexic Readers in the School Library

by Valerie Byrd Fort, March 2021

Click to Enlarge +Supporting Dyslexic Readers in the School Library

When I was earning my masters in library and information science, I was taught how to encourage students to become life-long readers. I was taught that if you found that one "just right" book for a child, they would be hooked on books for life. I was taught that if a child did not enjoy reading, it was simply because they had not found something they enjoyed YET. I was taught that if I collaborated with my classroom teachers and selected books my teachers and students wanted and asked for, I would have a school full of engaged readers. All I needed to do was keep encouraging them to read. Put books in their hands and plan enticing reading incentives and programming.

What I was not taught is what to do if none of those things worked. What if a child had reading difficulties? What if a child had a diagnosed reading disability like dyslexia? As an elementary school librarian, I tried very hard to find books for all of my readers using strategies I learned in library school. I made displays. I book talked state book award program books. I tried to learn what students were interested in outside of school and recommended books based on their interests. When students enjoyed a particular book, I found other books that might pique their interest based on what they read before. What I did not do is learn about reading disabilities. Looking back, there were clues that I may have missed. Students who said they had already read everything I suggested; students who checked out books but brought them back untouched week after week; students who had behavioral issues only in the library; students who claimed they were already reading something (but could not tell me much about what they were reading); students who never stepped foot in the library. I missed many opportunities to help these students. Perhaps they wanted to be readers, but they simply could not read because of a reading disability like dyslexia. I first realized this possibility during a training I attended as a parent at my local dyslexia resource center. This center holds workshops and volunteer training sessions for parents, teachers, and the local community regularly. I attended a parent workshop and was amazed at what I learned and what I walked away with...if a student simply CANNOT read, no amount of book talking or reader's advisory is going to help. First, you have to help that student learn how to read. In most cases, the classroom teacher is responsible for the mechanics of teaching a child to read, however, the school librarian can play a critical role.

There are several things school librarians can do to support all readers who walk through the library doors, including our dyslexic and striving readers.

1. Learn about dyslexia. Readers with dyslexia have trouble matching the letters they see on the page with the sounds those letters and combinations of letters make. Because they have trouble with that step, all the other steps for reading are harder. Explore the resources I have included below to learn more.
2. Know that dyslexia is very common, affecting 20% of the population and representing 80–90% of all those with learning disabilities (Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity)
3. Know that dyslexia cannot be "cured." It is lifelong.
4. Be mindful of the signage in your space; include pictures, not just words.
5. Look at the font you use on signs and on printed materials you share with students. Use clear, legible font without underlines, italics, or all caps.
6. Include notes in your library catalog entries so that students, teachers, and caregivers can search for books easily. Include terms like "dyslexia" and "decodable."
7. Talk with your IT department and make sure your website and computers have voice readers installed (and invite students to bring earbuds to the library).
8. Know how to increase the font size on e-readers and computers, and teach your students and their caregivers how to do this too.
9. Have quiet, cozy spaces available. Our libraries can be busy, social places (and they should be!), but some readers still need that quiet space to concentrate. Make sure you have quiet spaces available.
10. Create special displays (e.g., authors or athletes who are dyslexic). Celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Month in October. Share daily facts, have a display, host a parenting workshop, etc.
11. Pair print materials with audiobooks and allow students to check them out as a set.
12. Curate websites and apps that will help struggling readers using a tool like Symbaloo or Pearltrees. Include websites like Starfall, Bookshare, and Learning Ally.
13. Collaborate with speech pathologists, reading interventionists, and resource teachers. They are usually the ones in your school who will work closely with students who have reading disabilities.
14. Work with classroom teachers at your nearby middle and high schools to create a "reading buddy" program where you invite middle and high school students to your school to read with striving elementary school students. This can be done virtually, as well. Just make sure an adult is always present.
15. Bring in a reading animal. Classroom pets, therapy dogs and cats, and stuffed animals make excellent reading partners.
16. Purchase decodable books that consist of an alphabetic scope and sequence that enables children to practice what they have just learned, read independently, and promote good reading skills based on understanding rather than guessing.
17. Purchase audiobooks, comic books, graphic novels, drawing books, "cheat code" books, and large print titles for all readers.

Resources

• International Dyslexia Association Dyslexia Handbook: https://dyslexiaida.org/ida-dyslexia-handbook — This handbook provides information on assessments, effective teaching approaches, self-advocacy ideas, and an array of resources. It contains information that will be useful from elementary school through college.
• Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, Educators Page: http://dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/educators — This site has resources from experts; stories from others parents; and tools you can use to help your students.
• NPR, Unlocking Dyslexia Series: https://www.npr.org/series/503544816/unlocking-dyslexia – A National Public Radio special series from 2016 about dyslexia.
• Top 10 Dyslexia Resources from Reading Rockets: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/top-10-resources-dyslexia — Reading Rockets is an excellent resource! On this page, you can learn the common signs of dyslexia, how parents can support their child and celebrate their strengths, the role of assistive technology, how the latest brain research can help kids with dyslexia, and more. Explore the Reading Rockets' Struggling Readers page as well: https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-topics/struggling-readers
• Learning Ally: https://learningally.org/— Learning Ally is an audiobook resource. Also check out Audible (https://www.audible.com), Bookshare (https://www.bookshare.org) and your public library!
• Understood: https://www.understood.org — This is an organization dedicated to helping parents and educators whose children are struggling with learning and attention issues.
• Decoding Dyslexia: http://www.decodingdyslexia.net / – Decoding Dyslexia aims to raise dyslexia awareness, empower families to support their children, and inform policymakers about best practices to identify, remediate and support students with dyslexia. Look for the local Decoding Dyslexia group in your state. IFLA Guidelines for Library Services to Persons with Dyslexia: https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/9457 — Professional guidance from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
• The Reading League, Knowledge Base: https://www.thereadingleague.org/knowledge-base/
• Cult of Pedagogy, "How to Spot Dyslexia, and What to Do Next": https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/spot-dyslexia — A podcast discussing dyslexia with a special educator who is director of a professional training nonprofit for teachers.
• Dyslexia Awareness Dashboard from Teen Librarian Toolbox. http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2019/10/dyslexia-awareness-dashboard-all-our-dyslexia-posts-and-references-in-one-place — Created by Karen Jensen, Teen Librarian Toolbox focuses on professional development for teen librarians. The dashboard shares a plethora of information about dyslexia and librarians.

Works Cited

"What Is Dyslexia?" Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, 2020. https://www.dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/

"Debunking the Myths about Dyslexia." DyslexiaHelp, University of Michigan. http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/dyslexics/learn-about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/debunking-common-myths-about-dyslexia