How Can Teachers Support Vocabulary for Dyslexic Pupils?
Updated: Oct 28
Vocabulary is not the same as decoding
A pupil may struggle to read the printed word 'evaporation' yet understand the process when it is explained. Another pupil may read the word aloud accurately but not know what it means. These are different barriers and need different responses.
Dyslexia primarily concerns difficulties with learning to read and spell; it should not be assumed that every dyslexic pupil has a language disorder or poor vocabulary. Equally, an individual assessment may reveal particular weaknesses in receptive or expressive vocabulary that deserve attention in their own right.
Teach a small number of useful words well
Before a science lesson, select perhaps three essential words rather than handing out a long glossary. Explain each in everyday language, say it aloud, show a picture or demonstration, and use it in a meaningful sentence. For 'condensation', demonstrate water droplets forming on a cold surface.
Contrast it with 'evaporation' and return to the distinction during the lesson. A pupil should encounter a word repeatedly and in different contexts; copying its dictionary definition once rarely establishes secure understanding.
Check understanding, not just recognition
Asking 'Do you understand?' often produces a polite yes. Instead, ask pupils to choose which of two examples fits the word, explain it to a partner, or use it to complete a new sentence. A pupil might recognise 'evaluate' on a worksheet but still be unsure what an evaluative answer requires.
Model the instruction using a familiar example: identify strengths, limitations and a justified judgement. Keep the key instruction visible while pupils work. If the response is unclear, revisit the meaning rather than treating it automatically as lack of effort.
Make words easier to retrieve
Some pupils know a concept but take time to find the precise word. Give thinking time, accept an initial explanation and then model the technical term. Word banks can help, especially when organised by topic and accompanied by a short definition or image.
For older pupils, draw attention to useful word parts, such as 'bio-' for life or 're-' for again, while avoiding the suggestion that word parts always reveal a complete meaning. Spoken rehearsal before written work can reduce the combined demands of word retrieval, spelling and sentence construction.
Support spelling without losing the lesson
When the objective is historical explanation, the pupil may need support to show subject knowledge when they cannot spell 'industrialisation' from memory. A visible keyword list, accessible notes or appropriate typing tools can keep attention on the subject.
Marking must still follow the task criteria; spelling instruction remains important, but it can be taught deliberately at another point. Teachers should also distinguish unfamiliar vocabulary from a familiar word used differently in a subject—for example, 'power' in mathematics versus everyday conversation.
Work across subjects and with families
Vocabulary teaching is most useful when the same key terms appear in spoken explanations, reading materials and writing tasks. Subject teachers can share a short list of upcoming words; parents can discuss them naturally rather than administer another test.
Review which words pupils can understand independently after a week and again later. For a pupil with persistent difficulties understanding spoken language, consider whether wider language assessment or speech and language advice is appropriate rather than attributing every difficulty to dyslexia.
The central question
Ask whether the pupil can understand, explain and use the word—not merely copy it or pronounce it. That distinction makes vocabulary teaching more precise and helps pupils show what they know.