Accommodations That Make the Biggest Difference for Middle School Students with Dyslexia

One of the most common misconceptions about accommodations is that they replace intervention.

They don't.

Students with dyslexia still need explicit, evidence-based structured literacy intervention to build reading and spelling skills. Accommodations simply provide equitable access to learning while those skills continue to develop.

As students transition into middle school, academic demands increase significantly. Reading becomes heavier, writing assignments become longer, and students are expected to work much more independently.

Many of the accommodations that supported your child in elementary school should continue into middle school, including:

• Audiobooks and text-to-speech

• Alternatives to traditional spelling tests

• No popcorn reading

• Reading support and/or a scribe when appropriate

• Multiple ways to demonstrate knowledge

  
  

As both a literacy tutor and the parent of two children with dyslexia, these are the accommodations that have consistently made the biggest difference:

1. Assistive Technology

This was my "honourable mention" for elementary school, but by middle school it becomes essential.

Students should be explicitly taught how to use tools such as speech-to-text, text-to-speech, Immersive Reader, predictive text, spell check, and grammar support. Learning keyboarding skills is equally important.

These tools do not replace learning, they remove unnecessary barriers so students can demonstrate what they know.

2. Foreign Language Exemption (When Appropriate)

This accommodation is not necessary for every student.

Some students with dyslexia enjoy learning a second language and do very well.

However, for students who are already behind and struggling to master English, a foreign language requirement can add significant frustration without meaningful benefit.

An exemption may provide valuable time for resource support, assistive technology instruction, or additional academic support.

3. Additional Time for Tests and Assessments

Middle school assessments require more reading, more writing, and more detailed responses.

Extended time allows students to process information carefully and communicate their knowledge without being limited by slower reading or writing speed.

For some students, this accommodation continues to be paired with reading support or a scribe.

4. Teacher-Provided Notes

Copying notes while simultaneously listening to instruction is difficult for many students with dyslexia.

Providing guided notes before class allows students to focus on understanding the lesson rather than trying to keep up with writing.

Students can then add their own observations and examples, creating an effective study guide.

5. Word Banks for Spelling

This may be one of the simplest accommodations, and one of the most effective.

If spelling is not the skill being assessed, students should not lose marks because they cannot spell a difficult place name or scientific term.

A word bank reduces unnecessary cognitive load and allows students to demonstrate what they have actually learned.

If a student does not know the content, a word bank will not provide the answer. It simply removes spelling as an unrelated barrier.

Accommodations do not give students with dyslexia an advantage, they give them access.

As academic expectations increase, the right accommodations allow students to spend less energy working around their dyslexia and more energy learning, thinking, and demonstrating their knowledge.

Written by Jessica Mosley, with insights by Tierney Van der Vlugt