Anastasia, Indonesia
Children with dyslexia tend to have a low expectation toward themselves, so the first thing that you have to do is to make sure that they have enough confidence to learn. The second is to check their limitations. Children with dyslexia are affected by the size of letters and shapes, so adjust them if necessary. The third is to give them a time limit: give 15 minutes maximum to read a letter, for example. The next step is to provide them with interesting material, provide pictures for example. Finally, always give them credit and reward for their achievement.
I am a teacher of dyslexic and autistic children, and I used to be one of them myself, and with a proper approach I have been able to become what I am now. Good luck to you and keep on supporting your students

Lucy Mardel, UAE
This is not really the ideal forum for asking questions about children with complex educational needs. Dyslexia is not as simple as getting the letters in the wrong order. I think it would be dangerous to offer quick-fix solutions that might not apply to the specific needs of the child you are teaching, so I suggest you visit the British Dyslexic Association's website for advice on adapting language lessons for dyslexic children. Also ask the child's family for help and advice – they should know what works best for their child. Monitor the child's progress carefully and make sure that you are being fully supported by your school and the child's parents. It is also vital that in making a positive learning experience for the dyslexic child you don't forget the rest of the class.

Stella, Argentina
I agree with Lucy. It is not as simple as it may seem. Anyway, don't feel disappointed. I had to work with a dyslexic student in a primary school and managed to feel some "sense of achievment" myself and help him to get it too. Ask for help from people who know about the topic. A simple piece of advice I was given is to be careful with size of letters, as Anastasia was saying, and with distance between lines. Also, try to focus most of his work (and yours) on oral activities... at least until you feel confident enough.

Idit, Israel
Teaching children with dyslexia is not a simple matter that we can give solutions to. I must say though that my experience in working with dyslexic children is based on looking for books, games, activities that might give the student the chance to learn the language with no rules or long explanations, and also with a lot of warm support for the student and their family. Without that support it is imposible to achieve any goal.

Bob Majirioghene, Nigeria
The first thing I would do if I found myself in that situation would be to take Lucy's advice concerning 'partnering' with the child's parents to help him. The second thing is this: bearing in mind the work of the French psychologist Piaget that the thought processes come first before the development of language, perhaps I would attempt to develop the student's mind with a lot of pictures, for example, that I would attempt to relate and identify with letters much later on. Of course this is going to mean that the teacher would do extra work most of the time for little pay but the rewards of seeing progress would be something to look forward to.

Roger Hill, Canada
I wonder if anyone shares the view that there is no such animal as dyslexia, and that what we are referring to are merely versions of reading difficulties.

Rehmat Ebrahim, Pakistan
I agree with Lucy and Stella - dyslexia is a special need and to address it effectively you need a lot more than 'quick fixes'. As a teacher I was always frustrated trying to deal with such children. However, initial patience and encouragement worked wonders for their self-esteem. Later I trained in addressing reading problems and found that though the patience and encouragement is an enormous help, it needs special work to help get them on the right track.

Anna Rozanska, Poland
To Kasia: I defended a doctoral thesis about teaching foreign languages last month and I agree with most of the people here that it is a very complex problem. Being your countrywoman I can offer some practical advice. The first thing would be to learn about the problem of dyslexia and the needs of your students: I recommend the books of professor Marta Bogdanowicz. Then you could look for some practical solutions in the books: "Dyslexia in the English Classroom" by Anna Butkiewicz and Katarzyna Bogdanowicz and "Dyslexia and Foreign Language Learning" by Elke Schneider and Margaret Crombie. The former is available in online bookstores and the latter can be obtained on order, e.g. at the Omnibus bookstore (also accessible online). All other advice offered here (counselling parents, using pictures, focusing on oral activities and working on student confidence above all) provides a good start.
To Roger: In a sense you are right: dyslexia is a form of reading and writing difficulties, that has a neurological background (and is probably of genetic origin). It is referred to as dyslexia to distinguish it from other forms of reading difficulties, which might result from eyesight/hearing impairment or environmental factors (improper instruction, family problems etc.) For more information I suggest visiting the website of The International Dyslexia Association.

C. Thabet, Tunisia
One of the biggest problems with teaching dyslexic children is when you are in an environment where it is not "accepted" to suffer from dyslexia, and where there is no backup for families. I have had one or two children who seemed to me to be suffering from dyslexia, but who had spent the first few years of their school lives being labelled lazy and stupid. Recognising that a child has a learning problem of whatever nature is often a relief to parents who can put a name to whatever it is that their child is suffering from. Also, having recognised that a child has a learning difficulty, even an ordinary (not special-needs) teacher can be encouraging and attempt to adapt lessons for the children in ways that correspond.

Liora Tamir, Israel
My main work is teaching dyslexic children. I think it is important to remember a few things: some of them may be officially classified as talented and may not be able to read English (as a foreign language). From my experience I can say that in these cases if a teacher starts teaching them by using a phonetic approach and a pupil feels that the teacher understands why he/she makes certain mistakes, the things start moving rather quickly.
Another important thing about the dyslexic learners is that for most of them it is next to impossible to understand Grammar rules. There may be various reasons for this. My advice is - teach them the language (vocabulary, reading) and leave Grammar for later stages, if any. Karol, Poland
I think you should try as much as possible to provide variety during your course. Of course, this may not always be easy, but it is worth trying though. Definitely, it is good to try to increase such students' self-esteem and self-confidence. This way they will not be discouraged, despite their impairment.

Marcilio, Brazil
Teaching children with dyslexia is really very diffcult because it is necessary to give them much attention and be very careful. In my country many public schools have a big number of students and very often the teachers do not note their problems. I think a lot of patience is needed and teachers should always be available to help them. Children with dyslexia need to be able to learn to deal with the challenges that face them.