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Dyslexia Awareness Week: A guide for teachers

Discover essential resources, strategies and insights to support dyslexic learners and champion inclusivity during Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025 and beyond.

Author: Teachit's editorial team
Published: 25/09/2024

Dyslexia Awareness Week (6-12 October 2025) is an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of this neurodevelopmental difference, which affects about 10% of students. For teachers, it's an opportunity to implement evidence-based strategies, collaborate with specialists and parents, and empower dyslexic learners. This approach improves outcomes for dyslexic students while creating better learning environments for all students.

Contents

Dyslexia Awareness Week

What is Dyslexia Awareness Week?

Dyslexia Awareness Week is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about dyslexia, challenging common misconceptions, and promoting a dyslexia-friendly society. For teachers, it's a chance to develop your understanding of this learning difference, implement evidence-based teaching strategies, and collaborate with colleagues, parents and specialists.

When is Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025?

Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025 (DAW25) will take place 6-12 October 2025. The event begins on Monday 6 October 2025.

What is the theme for Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025?

The theme for DAW25 is 'Raise the Volume'. This theme will focus on amplifying the voices of young people with dyslexia – their stories, challenges, and successes. By "raising the volume," the aim is to ensure their experiences are heard loud and clear in schools, families, workplaces and beyond.

This theme encourages teachers to:

  • Create platforms for dyslexic students to share their experiences
  • Listen actively to the challenges dyslexic learners face
  • Celebrate the unique perspectives and successes of dyslexic students
  • Advocate for inclusive practices that respond to the actual needs expressed by dyslexic young people

Understanding dyslexia

What exactly is dyslexia? Think of it as a different way the brain processes information when reading and spelling. Dyslexic learners often struggle with connecting letters to sounds, remembering spoken information, and processing information quickly. Dyslexia is not related to intelligence, it affects people across all ability levels and exists on a spectrum.

Beyond reading and writing, dyslexia might affect a student's memory, ability to follow sequences, concentration, and organisational skills. Many dyslexic thinkers also have strengths in visual thinking, creative problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking.

Dyslexia and ‘the 4 D's’

The '4 D's' refer to four specific neurodevelopmental differences that affect learning and processing information:

  • Dyslexia: Affects the ability to read, write and spell, along with challenges in verbal processing, memory, and information processing. It impacts how individuals decode text and process phonological information.
  • Dyspraxia: Also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), it affects both fine and gross motor skills. People with dyspraxia may struggle with tasks requiring coordination, like writing or sewing, as well as with balance and physical coordination.
  • Dyscalculia: Impacts the ability to understand number concepts, learn arithmetic skills, and apply mathematical procedures. It goes beyond simply struggling with math to affect fundamental numerical comprehension.
  • Dysgraphia: Affects writing processes, including legibility, spelling, word spacing and sizing. It impairs writing ability and fine motor skills, making the physical act of writing challenging.

Dyslexia is the most common neurodevelopmental difference affecting approximately 10% of the population, with a strong hereditary component (40-60% chance of inheritance), yet remains largely undiagnosed, with only 1 in 10 dyslexic individuals receiving a formal diagnosis.

How teachers can get involved in Dyslexia Awareness Week

There are many ways you can participate in Dyslexia Awareness Week and enhance your support for dyslexic learners:

In your classroom

  • Implement reasonable adjustments — get ideas and support from our Dyslexia toolkit
  • Teach all students about neurodiversity and the strengths associated with dyslexic thinking
  • Review text presentation (font, spacing, colours) to improve readability

In your school

  • Host a staff CPD session on supporting students with dyslexia (our Dyslexia toolkit includes a ready-to-use PowerPoint perfect for staff CPD)
  • Review school literacy policies to ensure they accommodate dyslexic learners
  • Ensure exam access arrangements are in place for eligible students
  • Partner with parents/carers of dyslexic learners to share successful strategies

In the wider community

  • Amplify dyslexic voices in line with this year's 'Raise the Volume' theme
  • Connect with local dyslexia support groups to learn more about community resources
  • Invite dyslexic speakers to share their experiences with students or staff

Practical classroom strategies

Our Dyslexia toolkit outlines a range of evidence-based strategies for supporting dyslexic learners. Here are some approaches to consider:

Reading and writing support

  • Use multisensory teaching approaches that engage visual and tactile pathways to compensate for phonological processing challenges
  • Provide reading materials with dyslexia-friendly font, increased spacing and appropriate colour contrast to reduce visual stress
  • Implement text-to-speech technology as outlined in our Text-to-speech assistive technology article to support verbal processing difficulties
  • Offer visual and oral alternatives to demonstrate knowledge beyond written work, leveraging creative strengths
  • Use writing frames and graphic organisers to support composition and harness non-linear thinking skills

Organisation and concentration support

  • Break down tasks into manageable chunks with clear, visual instructions to address distractibility
  • Allow extra time for processing written information and completing literacy-based tasks
  • Teach memory techniques that make use of visual and spatial strengths rather than relying on verbal memory
  • Use colour-coding systems to aid organisation and capitalise on strong visual processing abilities

Nurturing dyslexic strengths

  • Focus on visual-spatial abilities, creative thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Create opportunities for students to demonstrate innovative approaches and thinking outside the box
  • Discuss famous dyslexic role models like Richard Branson, Agatha Christie and Steven Spielberg
  • Develop self-advocacy skills by helping students understand and articulate their learning differences

Further information and resources

To learn more about dyslexia and how to support learners in your classroom, you might find the following helpful:

Teachit's editorial team

The editorial team at Teachit consists of experienced teachers and subject specialists who curate, write, edit and check our content to ensure it is useful, insightful and of the highest quality.

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