This week (6–12 October) is Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025, and the British Dyslexia Association is encouraging everyone to #RaiseTheVolume — to listen to the stories, voices, and experiences of young people with dyslexia, and to act on what we hear.
Over one million young people in schools across the UK have dyslexia — that’s at least three students in every classroom, and many more remain undiagnosed. Dyslexia is a lifelong condition that affects the way people process written language. It can impact memory, organisation, and confidence. But it doesn’t affect intelligence — and with the right support, many students go on to thrive.
This year, Jamie Oliver has launched the UK’s first-ever voice petition — inviting people to record a message instead of signing their name, because not everyone communicates in the same way. The petition is live on Spotify and is backed by voices like Davina McCall and Kelly Hoppen.
🎧 Listen here
📣 Add your voice here
A Personal Note
I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until after A-levels. At primary school, I was written off — seen as someone who just wasn’t trying or wasn’t capable. University was patchy at first, with old-school tutors who didn’t really get it. It wasn’t until I studied with the Open University for my MA that I really found supportive learning. I now have two English degrees — and a fierce passion for helping students see what’s possible when they’re taught in a way that works for them.
Every time I build a lesson or scaffold a structure, I think through two lenses:
– my younger self, unsure and frustrated,
– and the teacher I needed back then — someone who sees past the surface.
That’s why I teach the way I do. Why I believe alternative routes and scaffolds aren't "crutches" — they're bridges.
Comments
Post a Comment