English at KS2 and dyslexia

The National Curriculum for English is statutory in all maintained, mainstream schools up to and including key stage 4. An appropriate version of the curriculum is used in maintained special schools. Key Stage 1 (KS1) covers years 1-2, children aged 5-7 years.

The same challenges remain in KS2 as for KS1 but there is a greater expectation of use of text to find information, understand concepts and answer questions.

You can

• Offer support with strategies for information gathering. Help by breaking tasks into smaller steps, colour-coding different aspects of a task.
• Try the Cloze procedure to assess understanding without requiring lots of writing.
• Help think of mnemonics to remember key facts and mind maps for vocabulary and ideas.
• Humour will aid memory but adapt it to be appropriate, don’t use expressions some children won’t understand.