Dyslexic learners sometimes need specific arrangements in their exams and assessments. Some dyslexic learners require more than others and in some but not necessarily in all subjects.
Evidence and support
Teachers gather evidence to support the assessment arrangement and the impact of this is analysed. All assessment arrangements should be normal classroom practice and there is no guarantee of assessment arrangements without evidence.
For example, a teacher may set a subject test with no ‘reader’ and mark the student. The teacher may then set a similar test but with the reader available. The test results can then be compared, and if there is a significant difference in mark, this can be used as evidence that the student requires/does not require extra assessment arrangements.
Teachers usually start to gather evidence for assessment arrangements in 3rd year. This allows time for the student to know what will happen to them in their 4th year exam and have a practise. For example, if the student is using a scribe, it allows them to do exams with a scribe and get used to it. If a student or parent is not sure if they have been given assessment arrangements they can contact their pastoral teacher or the learning support teacher who will guide them through the process.
For more information on profiling for assessment arrangement, click here.
Assessment arrangements
The following are examples of assessment arrangements which could be used to support dyslexic learners, depending on the needs of the young person concerned and pending evidence from class teachers:
- Adapted paper e.g. coloured paper, modified font size and style
- Extra time (usually 25%) – due to it take longer to re-read questions and process information
- PC with spellcheck (only for significant spelling issues)
- PC without spellcheck e.g. when a learner has poor/illegible handwriting or if this is the learner’s preferred working style
- Prompt – may be required when a learner has little/no sense of time or has significant concentration difficulties
- Reader – speech to text software e.g. Ivona reader can be used. However a human reader is available if this will help the dyslexic student.
- Scribe – ICT is available, and learners can use laptops/iPad keyboards. However a human reader is available if this is helpful to the dyslexic student.
- Transcription with correction – removes the ‘unreadability’ of a learner’s written responses due to the very high frequency of spelling and/or punctuation errors
- Transcription without correction – for learners who have illegible handwriting and are unable to use appropriate ICT