Some study skills for dyslexic students*.

The nature of dyslexia means that dyslexic people can have problems with reading, writing, spelling, communication and/or short term memory. This may mean that they will learn in a different way and be at a disadvantage compared with non-dyslexics, not because they cannot participate in academic study but because they have to work harder at it.

The typical pattern of academic learning is not really suited to dyslexics. By this I mean attending lectures, reading text books, cramming the revision and repeating memorised facts in a logical order in an exam. The chances of getting academia to change to suit dyslexics are about as good as Aviation becoming a compulsory subject at Porcine University. So the dyslexic has to adapt to suit the system!

If dyslexics recognise their personal problems then they can develop learning strategies (study skills) to make the most of their abilities and overcome the problems. If the dyslexia is diagnosed while young and help is received then the development of compensatory study skills should not be a difficult process. But with previously undiagnosed adults then it is foolish to expect to change things rapidly, if at all. They may have unconsciously developed strategies to avoid the problems rather than face up to them. Offers of help, however well-intentioned, may be rejected. It is always important to remember that there is no such thing as a typical dyslexic - dyslexia manifests itself differently in different individuals and varies in intensity at different times.

Study skills.

So here are some skills which might help a dyslexic student to study:-

• make lists.
• a 'belts and braces' approach to note taking - always take notes in class, write up a neat copy afterwards, check you understand, ask the tutor to explain if you don't understand, keep rereading the notes rather than leaving them to be memorised on the night before your exam.
• use a diary to plan things: appointments (e.g. lectures, meetings, tutorials), things to do (e.g. deadlines for assessed work, returning library books), setting yourself targets.
• put important notes, files and things in 'safe places' (somewhere that is the place that you will always keep them) and don't put off putting them there - e.g. don't just drop your car keys down somewhere when you get home thinking "I'll put them in the usual place later!"
• use a notebook to write things down when you think of them (or use 'post-its', or even send yourself e-mails or text messages).
• study for a reason. You will learn better if you are trying to solve a problem. Ask yourself some questions before you read a book and try to find the answers in the book.
• make notes when reading textbooks. Consider highlighting or adding notes in your books [ I really hate to suggest this because I was always taught never to write in books and cannot bring myself to do it! But some course books (for example some Open University materials) are designed to be used in this way. Anyway if the book is your property you can do what you like with it, even if it does reduce its secondhand value!]
• when you make notes from textbooks or other sources then use your own words so that you do not accidentally plagiarise later. Make sure that you can tell the difference between your notes and thoughts and direct quotations - perhaps by using different coloured pens.
• "mind-mapping" - try to make associations with previous knowledge and experiences either in your mind or on paper; click here for an introduction to "mind maps".
• with important documents read them initially and then reread them a couple of times in the next few days. Remember it may be better to acknowledge 'urgent' e-mails and letters and then write a considered reply a few days later, rather than sending a swift reply without properly understanding the implications.
• perhaps use voice recognition and reading technologies for making notes or reading documents (I have little experience of using these at present, but suspect that they are helpful - for instance I have found that listening to a tape of a book will reveal bits that I did not "see" when reading it myself).
• develop a good filing system so that you can find things and put things in it in a logical place as soon as possible (avoid thinking 'I will do it later' or you will suffer from piles - piles of things waiting to be filed!). Cross reference your filing system in as many ways as possible. Consider colour-coding work and files for different projects to make them easier to find.
• develop referencing and bibliography skills - why not have a file of quotations and references that may be useful in the future with accurate citations, rather than having to search again later?
• try using a study review sheet to record what you learnt, where you filed the information and when you need to re-read the notes (click here for an example)
• develop your own strategy for reading during private study. You may prefer total quiet and isolation or you may like to have something happening in the background (music or even television). If you have problems with glare off the paper try printing things out on coloured paper (pale blue or cream are said to be good background colours) or try using tinted reading glasses. When using the computer or reading saved web-pages - consider chaning the font, text size, text colour and background colour to suit your needs. The standard 11 or 12 pitch Times New Roman in black on white is probably the worst combination - so thy something easier on your eyes. Click here for more information and examples.
• when using text books you can use the index to find the bits you are looking for, but also be aware that if you use books in that way you may miss other bits that may have been important or useful - the index only reflects what the indexer [is that a word?] thinks is important!
• use the information you read - you probably will learn things better by applying them.
• accept the fact that sometimes the things you say don't make sense or that you might even say the complete opposite of what you mean to say on occasions.
• be honest about your reading abilities and don't feel ashamed. Other people may read books many times faster than you. When reading aloud you may wish to explain that you are dyslexic and that it affects your reading.
• find the skills that you are good at and use them! Dyslexics often have enhanced skills such as problem-solving, lateral thinking, 3D visualisation, design....
• remember that, in Further and Higher Education, the tutors are there to help you but you have to ask for their help, you cannot blame them for not helping if you do not ask in the first place.
• don't leave thing until the last possible moment to get them finished - if possible set yourself a earlier deadline.
• learn to relax - relaxation helps you to avoid stress, allows you to 'recharge your batteries' and sometimes your best ideas appear when you are relaxed! It is also a longe term aid to concentration.

The key to writing an essay or report, or giving a presentation, or designing a poster display, sitting an exam, or even negotiating is planning and preparation. Give yourself enough time and the right knowledge to do the job properly.

Writing reports and essays -

There are differences between a report, an essay and a piece of creative writing - mainly concerning the amount of structure that is expected. A report is usually highly structured, an essay does have a structure but it is not so obvious, and pieces of creative writing allow you greater freedom of expression. With all though you must not lose sight of why you are writing and who the reader is.

• gather all the practical information you need for the report; plan the work so that it is ready on time; use a checklist to remind yourself about what is needed and tick things off as you do them. Click here for an example.
• use a computer/word processor for writing essays/reports. You can write things a bit at a time and then move sentences or paragraphs around later to get them into a logical order. You can use 'cut and paste' techniques to avoid the introduction of new spelling errors when you retype things (especially web-site URLs).
• use a dictionary, but don't rely on a computer spell-check - they correct the spelling but do not check you have the right word.
• be careful when you use a grammar check - the computer is only making a recommendation. and tends towards the bland; sometimes your work can have more impact if you break the rules occasionally. Would great literature really be as interesting if it had been written using a grammar check?
• avoid plagiarism - this is cheating and is the greatest sin in academia, and there are now computer programs that test for it. On the other hand - quoting from others and accurately citing the source is good academic practice!
• include non-prose information in your written report- such as lists, illustrations, charts, graphs; you are probably good at these.
• in your assessed work - make sure you are answering the questions that have been set and not the question you would have asked!
• try chatting to your tutor about your essay plan or asking your tutor to have a quick look at an early draft to ckeck that your work will be acceptable.
• when proof reading try reading it aloud or whispering to yourself, especially if you are checking that you have copied something correctly. Split long numbers into pairs or triplets when trying to check or memorise numbers.
• don't be too independent - your ability to conform to academic standards is what is being assessed. By all means use your dyslexic lateral-thinking to grab the assessors attention (they may have lots of essays to mark on the same subject, so they are more likely to really take an interest in something that is a bit different) but if you expect the assessor to change the rules to suit your dyslexia you will be very disappointed!
• there is no such thing as the perfect essay - so just aim to do your very best!
• keep within the word-count limit if there is one - some lecturers penalise students who exceed the wordcount quite heavilly!
• above all play the game - if your tutor says that you get 5 percent for printing on blue paper and tying it up in a pink ribbon then that is what you should do if you want that 5 percent mark. So find out the rules and play by them. Be warned though - each tutor/lecturer may have a different rule book!

Click here for some more essay writing tips.

Click here for some tips on writing a scientific report.

Presentation skills

If you find reading aloud difficult, or have trouble remembering what to say then presenting to others can be very scary. But maybe you can present in a more natural way because of your difficulties? Think about it - what are you good at? How do you attract and keep peoples attention in daily life?

Here are some ideas -

• 'join the dots' - have fixed points or cues in your presentation (overheads, slides or just a note for yourself) and then make up the links as you present.
• planning - think about it for a long time, and keep thinking about it - a bit like Zen calligraphy where the Zen master spends ages just creating the calligraphy in the head and then just draws it very quickly; warning - this approach does not suit everyone.
• if you can then have a practice run with a friend that can give constructive advice - but not the day before because that will not give any time to change things and could shatter your confidence.
• be entertaining - grab the audience's attention.
• try to involve the audience - by making it interactive you get feedback about how the presentation is going.
• be flexible - you can leave bits out if you like, add bits if appropriate, backtrack if you have lost the audience.
• accept that you will forget at least one bit of your presentation or to say something vitally important - be prepared to let it go. yes you presentation would have been different if our remembered it, but you can't go back and start again.
• get the audience on your side - if you think it helps then be honest and say "I am feeling nervous .....", "this is my first time..." or event make a joke about your difficulties.
• don't over-prepare - I find that the more detailed my plan is, the greater the chance of me getting it wrong. That does not mean that I do not prepare the presentation and materials that I am going to use - it means that I have learnt to be flexible.
• be prepared to miss bits out if your audience looks bored or you are running out of time. Also accept the fact that you are going to forget to say at least one of the things that you meant to say - just let it go!
• DON'T PANIC.

Assessment Results.

"They [students] also tend to assume that full marks are possible for answers, whereas many universities use marking schemes where marks over 70 per cent are rare" (Cottrell 2001). I have no idea why this is the case, but, perhaps with the exception of tests that require simple keyword answers, it is hard to get over 70%. And on the other hand scores below 45% tend to mean that you have not read the question, not done the studying or have seriously missed the point.

-o0o-

Some things I have found out from my own experiences are - my spelling gets better with age as my vocabulary grows and I have to learn difficult words by heart; problems with short term memory get worse as I grow older and problems with naming things; it is easier to proof read things I have written if I print them out and then forget about them for a few days; reading aloud gets easier if I practice, but gets worse again if I stop doing it.

Oh! and one last piece of advice - develop routines for your studying - for instance a full time student would benefit from timetabling their private study time rather than fitting it in when their social life allows! This is more true now that degrees are modularised:- steady, persistent work pays off!

link to Recommended reading

University of Hull Study Skills web-pages

Click here for some thoughts on learning and teaching.

(copyright) M Horne, January 1st 2003, last updated Sept 2008.

* note - these suggestions are aimed at part-time adult learners without access to computerised reading and writing aids, but should be helpful to fully-supported full-time students too.