Dyslexia
Students with Dyslexia are often left behind.
Reading and writing are central to nearly every part of the school day. For students with dyslexia, difficulties with decoding, spelling, reading fluency, and written language can make everyday academic tasks significantly more demanding.
By the time students reach middle or high school, many have spent years working much harder than their peers to complete the same assignments. They may understand complex ideas and contribute thoughtfully in class while struggling to demonstrate that same understanding through reading and writing.
Dyslexia has no bearing on a student's intelligence or potential. With appropriate instruction, accommodations, and support, students can strengthen their skills while continuing to engage with challenging academic material.
Why a Different Approach Matters
As academic demands increase, students with dyslexia may find that traditional classroom structures do not provide enough individualized instruction or flexibility to meet their learning needs.
A student may need explicit reading instruction while also being ready for sophisticated ideas in science, history, literature, or the arts. The right educational environment provides targeted support where it is needed without limiting a student's opportunities to be challenged, curious, and engaged.
At Bayhill, we work to understand each student's individual learning profile and provide the instruction, strategies, accommodations, and tools they need to access the curriculum and demonstrate what they know.
Bayhill Understands Students with Dyslexia
Bayhill teachers understand how dyslexia can affect learning across the curriculum and are trained to provide research-based instruction, effective accommodations, and individualized support. Our small classes allow teachers to get to know each student as a learner and respond to their particular strengths and needs.
Teaching Strategies that Support Students with Dyslexia
- Explicit, structured instruction breaks complex skills and concepts into clear, manageable steps.
- Multimodal teaching incorporates visual, auditory, written, and hands-on approaches to reinforce learning.
- Embedded accommodations such as extended time, audiobooks, and assistive technology allow students to engage with challenging material without unnecessary barriers.
- Individualized support helps teachers respond to each student's particular strengths, needs, and learning profile.
We celebrate neurodiversity.
At Bayhill, we want students to understand how they learn, recognize their strengths, and develop the skills and strategies they need to become confident, independent learners. Our approach combines targeted instruction with accommodations and tools that allow students to engage fully in their academic work.
Research-Based Remediation
Our Structured Literacy class is a one- or two-year class that uses an Orton Gillingham-based approach to strengthen foundational reading skills.
- Students develop skills in decoding, spelling, vocabulary, and reading fluency to support success across the curriculum.
- Classes are intentionally small, with no more than five students.
- Teachers draw from research-based approaches and programs, including the Wilson Reading System, Lindamood-Bell, and Structured Word Inquiry, based on individual student needs.
- Instruction is explicit, systematic, sequential, diagnostic, and multisensory.
Structured Systematic Writing Instruction
Throughout their time at Bayhill, students develop their ability to organize and express ideas in a variety of contexts.
- Using graphic organizers, assistive technology, explicit instruction, and individualized support, students learn to plan and develop increasingly complex written work.
- Students work toward individualized writing goals, allowing them to focus on the specific skills they need to strengthen.
Training in Assistive Technology
Assistive technology gives students additional ways to access information, organize their work, and demonstrate what they know. At Bayhill, students learn not only how to use these tools, but how to determine which tools work best for them.
- Google Apps for Education help students organize assignments, manage their work, collaborate with teachers and classmates, and keep track of deadlines.
- Bookshare provides access to a wide range of digital books, allowing students to listen to text while following along visually.
- Grammerly supports students with spelling, grammar, and the writing and editing process.
- Students also learn to use text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools to support reading and writing expression.
- In the required 21st Century Learning class, students learn how to use assistive technology effectively and develop strategies they can carry with them throughout their time at Bayhill and beyond.
The Bayhill way works for students with learning differences.
At Bayhill, students learn to understand their own learning profiles, recognize their strengths, identify the strategies and accommodations that work for them, and advocate for what they need.
Our goal is for students to leave Bayhill with stronger academic skills and a greater sense of confidence and independence- prepared to navigate college, work, and whatever comes next.
Connect with our Admissions Team to learn more about our program, ask questions, and explore whether Bayhill could be a good fit for your child.