Giving the gift of time is one of the easiest yet most valuable gifts to give to someone with dyslexia and dysgraphia. It's simple, free, and doesn't require extra prep for an educator or parent.

Why does someone with dyslexia need more time?

Dyslexia is a language processing disorder, which means that someone with dyslexia may have delayed processing. When we are doing anything that pertains to language, we rely mainly on our left hemisphere to process information. It can be from identifying a phoneme (an individual spoken sound) to writing an essay. When we rely on our brain's left hemisphere to access this information, it tends to have a difficult time or is delayed.

The dyslexic brain relies heavily on the frontal lobe, also known as Broca's Area. When trying to read, spell, or get thoughts down on paper, the processing time takes a lot longer. Instead of accessing a few different areas of the left hemisphere, the brain becomes activated and gets stuck in the frontal lobe and can't process the information effectively, or it will take a while to recall. This leaves all the work for the frontal lobe and doesn't allow other areas of the brain to be activated. For many years, fMRI scans have shown the difference between a person with dyslexia and a person without. The image below shows the different areas that are activated for a dyslexic brain versus a non-dyslexic brain. As you can see that several areas of a non-dyslexic brain are activated, and not one area is heavily relied on. When looking at the dyslexic brain, you can see that the size of the frontal lobe is bigger because the brain gets stuck in the frontal lobe when trying to process information. This is one of the reasons why extra time is quite beneficial for someone with dyslexia or struggles with reading and writing.

How and when can I implement this for my student or child?

Anyone with dyslexia, no matter the severity, will benefit from more time, especially when reading a lengthy passage, writing, or taking a test. You can implement this in many ways. Here are a few:

  • Send home handouts, literature books, or any other reading material a week or more before it's needed.
  • Give a student a colored square to put on their desk to indicate that they need extra time. This nonverbal task eliminates distraction and doesn't draw attention to that student.
  • ALWAYS allow a child to attend recess and NEVER keep them in to finish a task or test. Every child needs to get their wiggles out.
  • Allow extensions on projects or written work when it's needed.
  • Break a project or test into sections. This will help a child focus on one task at a time and not become overwhelmed with the entire thing.
  • Try to avoid timed tests especially when it comes to math facts or comprehension tests.

I love this gift because you are can start it at anytime. No matter what the task is, give the child who is struggling some extra time. I guarantee you'll see a difference in their performance and will even eliminate some anxiety. Who knows, they may even thank you for giving them this amazing gift.