01 NRDC Dyslexia 1-88 update - Texthelp

Developmental dyslexia in adults: a research review 7
Preface
A rigorous review of research on dyslexia is long overdue. ‘Developmental Dyslexia in Adults:
a research review’ aims to generate and share new knowledge, based on evidence from sound
research, to add to all that is already known about dyslexia from practice, informed advocacy
and research and development work by organisations which have been active in the field over
several decades. So NRDC is pleased to publish this report from a rigorous, peer-reviewed
research project. The report can inform policy development and teaching and learning
practice by enhancing the evidence base on which decisions are taken and new directions
pursued. We believe it will deepen and enrich our knowledge of dyslexia and in addition
inform literacy provision for other groups of Skills for Life learners.
It is important to emphasise that this is a review of research, not a review of practice or
policy. However, we believe that a strong partnership based on the combined approaches of
researchers, practitioners, dyslexia organisations and policy makers can make a real
difference for the learners whose needs this report highlights – people with dyslexia. The
major project: ‘A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia’ conducted recently by LSDA and
NIACE has identified existing approaches to the teaching and learning of adults with dyslexia.
Wherever good approaches could be found, they have been bought together to illuminate
possible strategies for people whose learning needs, as with most learners of literacy,
numeracy and language, can be better identified and met by carefully designed and focused
teaching and learning strategies. NRDC’s recent report ‘Adult Numeracy: review of research
and related literature’ analysed research on dyscalculia. These new pieces of work, adding to
the large body of work already carried out by dyslexia organisations, LLU+ at South Bank
University and others, have the potential to raise significantly the quality of educational
opportunities for people with dyslexia, whose learning needs can be better identified and met
by carefully designed and focused teaching and learning strategies.
We hope the report will interest organisations and teachers working with dyslexic adult
learners. We strongly believe the messages here can also speak to many practitioners
engaged in wider literacy provision for young people and adults. It is critical to improve
learning opportunities and focus sharply on the best methods of teaching to help learners
overcome the obstacles they face, achieve more and progress in life and work.
The report indicates that the work done in the field of dyslexia to help dyslexic people learn
has much to offer literacy practitioners working with learners who are not dyslexic. This is
because dyslexia practice has developed structured, explicit approaches to teaching, which
are geared to the assessed needs of individual learners and which are successful in helping
many learners.
There is evidence that the approaches to teaching developed for the field of dyslexia might
well be appropriate for other groups of people learning to improve their literacy. The findings
of this study connect interestingly with other NRDC research into effective teaching and
learning. We are finding out from research projects on reading, that much literacy teaching
does not systematically use explicit teaching strategies in the blend of teaching and learning
activities in the classroom. We also know that, for many adult literacy learners, significant
progress is elusive. We are now carrying out five extensive linked studies of Effective Teaching
and Learning Practice: in reading, writing, ESOL, numeracy and ICT. These studies, based on
assessments and detailed observation of classrooms and other settings, are investigating