This online course features special education teacher, author and national trainer Mark Weakland as he shares strategies and techniques to help students who have or may have dyslexia. First, the course focuses on the foundations of reading to understand why and how reading difficulties develop. Then, the course defines and explains dyslexia. Marks shares strategies on how to best talk to students and their parents about dyslexia, what signs to look for, and ways to best work with students who may show signs but have not been diagnosed. Additionally, this course is packed with whole-class instructional techniques that can help all students become better readers and writers while providing much-needed support to students with dyslexia who struggle to read and write. The main focus of this course is strategies and activities to help students who struggle to successfully read, write and spell. Mark presents dozens of ready-to use, adaptable activities, including phonological awareness, orthographic activities, spelling activities and reading activities. The course concludes by focusing on assessments and modifications to further increase your students' success in school. Lastly, this course also provides access to Mark's website and resource folder, where he shares additional activities, templates and resources.

You will learn how to:

• Help your students who have or may have dyslexia achieve greater success in reading, writing and spelling
• Build foundational literacy skills with students who have dyslexia and may not have developed these skills in lower grades
• Use direct and explicit teaching techniques to help students with dyslexia participate in whole-class instruction and not fall behind
• Increase your use of multi-modal and instant error correction to provide the much-needed support to students who struggle to read and write
• Utilize orthographic activities in your classroom to help your students with dyslexia to improve their reading and writing and increase their success in school
• Use strategies and assessment tools to help you identify and support students who have or may have dyslexia
• Talk to students and parents about suspected and/or diagnosed dyslexia

Watch an excerpt from this course:

EDDU 9531

"This content is very current and applicable to the work I do in the general ed classroom. It is full of practical strategies and activities that translate easily to the classroom  but also gives the thinking behind the day to day work. I look forward to using what I have learned with my new class in the fall."

              - B. Hovorka

"I LOVED the practical strategies that were presented! I can begin using what I learned immediately.  Also  I was encouraged by the positive outlook that DYSLEXIA is just a different way of the brain working and these children can grow up to be whatever they want to be and truly make a different in the world!"

              - L. Gorton

"I was hesitant about taking a pre-recorded course but Mark is an energetic presenter who provides authentic  user-friendly  information  resources  and strategies. Even though some of the information was review for me it was information worth the reminder. I also feel as though I have learned a lot and have some new strategies for my toolbox."

              - J. Tauscher

"I thought this course was engaging. I wasn't sure what to expect from this online course but the information was so informative and valuable that I enjoyed every minute of it."

              - M. Helle

"The presenter was excellent and very knowledgeable about this subject. There are many tools that I'll be able to use within the classroom."

              - K. Brummett