Evidence-Based Dyslexia Interventions for Students

Dyslexia affects an estimated 15–20 percent of people in the United States, yet it is often described as a “hidden disability.” Many students with dyslexia perform well or even excel in areas that do not require strong reading skills. They may be highly intelligent, have excellent verbal abilities, and demonstrate above-average listening comprehension and vocabulary. For this reason, their difficulties with reading can come as a surprise to teachers and parents.

There are common misconceptions about dyslexia. One widely held belief is that all people with dyslexia see letters or words backward. While that can occur for some individuals, it is not a defining characteristic of the condition.

An authoritative definition from the International Dyslexia Association and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development describes dyslexia as “a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin … characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities,” usually stemming from a deficit in the phonological component of language. Because the underlying causes of reading difficulty can vary—sometimes due to lack of instruction rather than a neurobiological difference—a formal clinical evaluation is important to rule out other causes and to confirm a diagnosis. Still, there are behavioral and reading indicators teachers can use to flag students who need further assessment and support.

Intervening Effectively

The most effective approach for teaching students with dyslexia is Structured Literacy™ instruction. Structured Literacy is explicit: teachers do not assume students will pick up concepts on their own. It is systematic, following a logical progression from simple to more complex skills. It is cumulative, building new learning on a firm foundation of prior knowledge, and it is diagnostic, guided by data on each student’s performance. Instruction is also multimodal or multisensory—combining listening, speaking, reading, writing, and movement—to strengthen engagement and memory.

Core components of Structured Literacy include the following:

Phonology (the sound system of language)

Because dyslexia often involves a phonological deficit, explicit instruction in phonological awareness and phonemic awareness is essential. Students must receive repeated, targeted practice with the sounds of language to develop reliable decoding and spelling skills.

Orthography (the writing system of language)

Teaching letter names and explicit letter–sound correspondences helps students link sounds to symbols, enabling them to read and spell one-syllable words. Instruction in syllable division patterns also prevents students from omitting entire syllables in multisyllabic words.

Morphology (meaningful parts of words)

Understanding prefixes, roots, and suffixes expands vocabulary and gives students a reliable strategy for breaking longer words into manageable, meaningful parts, improving accuracy and fluency.

Semantics (word meanings and relationships)

Students who struggle to read get less exposure to written language, which can limit vocabulary growth and background knowledge. Ongoing work in general and domain-specific vocabulary, as well as relationships among words (multiple meanings, synonyms, connotations), supports comprehension.

Syntax (sentence structure)

Students need explicit instruction in how words, phrases, and clauses function within sentences and how connective words link ideas. This knowledge helps them tackle more complex sentences and passages.

Pragmatics (language use and interpretation)

Pragmatic language instruction helps students distinguish literal from nonliteral meanings and supports social communication. Where social skills are affected, pragmatic teaching can be particularly valuable.

In addition to these linguistic components, educators should emphasize spelling as a reinforcement of decoding and discourse instruction so students learn how texts are organized across genres (for example, cause-and-effect or problem-and-solution structures). These practices strengthen reading comprehension.

Self-Advocacy and Resources for Students

Teaching students to understand their strengths, recognize the areas where they need support, and communicate what strategies and accommodations work best for them is vital. When students can self-advocate, teachers can better tailor instruction and provide appropriate supports as students move through grade levels.

Because many students with dyslexia read less, they may fall behind in vocabulary, world knowledge, and the ability to process complex sentence structures. Providing access to audio books and audiotexts helps maintain exposure to rich language even when reading is slow or difficult. Free and low-cost audio resources, as well as subscription services and accessible libraries, can make a significant difference. Assistive tools such as speech-to-text for writing, smart pens for note-taking, and extended time on reading- or writing-intensive assignments are practical accommodations that help students demonstrate knowledge without being penalized for slower decoding speed.

Conclusion

No two students with dyslexia are identical. They display a variety of strengths and challenges at different levels of severity, so interventions must be individualized. The intensity of instruction—frequency of sessions, session length, and group size—should be based on each student’s skill level and rate of progress. The encouraging reality is that with appropriate, evidence-based intervention, the vast majority of students with dyslexia can become effective, confident readers.

About the Author

Dr. Suzanne Carreker, CALT-QI, is the Principal Educational Content Lead at Lexia Learning, a Rosetta Stone company. She received the International Dyslexia Association’s Margaret Byrd Rawson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. For further reading, Dr. Carreker has authored a whitepaper on dyslexia, early warning signs, and intervention.