Translating Evidence into Practice: Supporting Dyslexia in Primary School Classrooms

Abstract

Dyslexia is considered one of the most prominent educational needs across English medium, Irish medium and Gaeltacht schools in Ireland with teachers and school staff engaging in professional learning to upskill their teaching and learning approaches. The current article presents findings from a final year undergraduate research study on educators’ perspectives on what strategies best support dyslexic children in primary schools in Ireland. Data were gathered via semi structured interviews, and a thematic data analysis approach was utilized. The findings note the importance of early intervention and the use of technology as key strategies to support the teaching and learning of dyslexic children. Another theme that emerged is the impact of lower self esteem on learning. These three findings echo previous studies, and the current research offers another Irish perspective to adds to the current literature.