Dyslexia Course
 for Parents

  Dyslexia Parents Resource

Course for Parents
in the Teaching of Children
with Dyslexia
(or similar difficulties)

Many parents find they do not have the necessary training in the techniques which will help their dyslexic child. Our distance learning multimedia course provides practical training in how to teach a child who is, or may be, dyslexic, at home. The course is especially suitable for:

• parents with a dyslexic child in school, and
  
  
• parents home-schooling their dyslexic child.

Is the course suitable for me?

What is the difference between the Certificate and the Parents' courses?


Course in the Teaching of Children with Dyslexia (or similar difficulties)

The training course consists of five Modules, and can be studied at home. The five Modules are:

The course provides training in the particular learning needs of dyslexic children, and the areas in which they experience difficulty, especially spelling, reading, writing and math/s. It is not a general teaching course, but focuses on practical techniques and strategies which are known to raise achievement levels in dyslexic children and teenagers.

The Course Director is John Bradford and we have students in over 50 countries: USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Russia, Finland, Switzerland, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Israel, Luxembourg, Greece, Bermuda, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, Mexico, India, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Nepal, Malta, Trinidad, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Netherland Antilles, Oman, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Namibia, the Czech Republic, Macau, Vietnam and China!

Accessible learning style

As dyslexia often runs in families, it is recognized that some parents teaching their dyslexic child may experience difficulties with spelling, comprehension and math/s themselves. With this in mind, the course book has been specially designed to be visually accessible to students, with illustrations, diagrams, explanatory boxes, etc., on almost every page, and very clear layout of information.

Practical Assignments

Students will choose 15 (out of the 60) short Practical Exercises to carry out one-on-one with their child, and will submit their notes on these execises as assignments. There are no essays to write.

Course materials

The course materials consist of:

Straightforward assignments

Assignments should be word-processed and spell-checked, though spelling errors are ignored for the purpose of assessment. Assignments are sent in by email.

Grades

There are two possible grades for each Module: Pass or Repeat. A Course Certificate is awarded when a student has achieved a Pass grade in each of the five Modules. If a student is asked to repeat a piece of work, advice will be provided about how it may be improved, and students may repeat Assignments as many times as they wish (though a small charge will be made if an Assignment is submitted more than three times).

Length of the Dyslexia Course

The course is estimated to take up to 100 hours of study. It will normally be completed in six months (about three or four hours study each week), but students are allowed up to one year (or more if there are any particular difficulties or unusual circumstances).

Fees

The fees for the course, which include all the course materials, are listed here. Our aim is to provide training in the best teaching methods for dyslexic children for as many parents as possible, and the course fees are deliberately kept at an affordable level.

Group Discount

If you are thinking of running the Dyslexia Course as a group enterprise, we will be happy to help and advise. Teaching and learning groups like this provide a really valuable activity, giving opportunities for group learning and discussion, in addition to individual study. A 10% discount is provided for groups of three or more parents.

Some local dyslexia associations have found the course helpful for a group of their members.

Become a course provider

Have you thought of joining our team of course providers?

Access to the Dyslexia Course

The course is open to everybody with an interest in teaching and helping their dyslexic child or teenager, and no prior qualifications are required.

Accreditation and affiliations

The Direct Learning Course for Parents in the Teaching of Children with Dyslexia is approved by the University of New York. Direct Learning staff are members of the International Dyslexia Association and the Specific Learning Difficulties Association of Australia. Direct Learning is a supporter of the British Dyslexia Association.

Course News

November 24th - Welcome to Marion, our first student from Bermuda.

January 1st - Some minor revisions to the course book to include new research findings.

Feedback about the course

'Many thanks for your reply and comments. I have learned so much over the last few months, very valuable points and observations that will in turn make myself and my husband better parents. Thanks so much for your time and patience.' (R.W., Falkland Islands)

Thank you - and it was a great course, wonderful book and good feedback. Thanks for offering this opportunity for parents.' (D.H., Houston, Texas)

'This course has really boosted my confidence as a home schooling mom, and now I know that I can relax and enjoy my role in my childrens' education.' (T.M., North Carolina).

'My life has changed since I started this course! Every time I read something new in the course book, I tell my children about it to help them to benefit to improve academically and socially.' (L.J., Qatar)

'May I just say how impressed I have been by the speed at which you mark our assignments - it is just lovely to receive the results next day, and you are always so encouraging and positive. I have really enjoyed the course and I can safely say this has been the most enjoyable course I have ever done!' (L.H., Ireland)

'I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and have learnt a lot about both myself and my daughter. This course has been a pleasure to study, the content was easy to follow and of good quality. I have studied many courses and this was the first course that I took which didn’t make me feel that I couldn’t achieve my goals. I appreciate the continuous proactive feedback that was given and the quickness in the return of the assignment marking. Due to the fact that there isn’t a lot of pressure to complete the course, the course is perfect for busy moms. I would 100% recommend this course to anyone with a dyslexic child. Well, done on an achievable, beautifully written course, which is affordable for the rich and poor.' (S.W., Coventry, UK)

I am so happy that I found this course. It gave me exactly what I was looking for: a very practical child-centred approach, reassurance that the steps I was taking were correct, plus lots of additional ideas and information. (M.D., County Cork, Ireland)

'Thanks for the course. It's just what I hoped - well organised, practical and very useful.' (J.D., West Midlands, UK).

'I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and have been able to recommend it to numerous other parents of dyslexic children.' (F.C., Ireland)

'I am impressed by the way your course is structured. Thank you for the promptness in evaluating my assignments, and for the positive and encouraging feedback'. (C.B., Liverpool, UK)

'Thank you so very much for all your kind remarks and positive feedback that you have been giving me throughout the course. I am enjoying the course very much and find it is becoming addictive! I look forward to the time I spend on the assignments and the discussion group.' (F.G., Canada)

'The Students' Discussion Group Forum is very interesting and informative. I have enjoyed learning there, and will continue to go there. I have also made some very wonderful friends from there from all over the world! ' (D.W., Arizona)

'I have enjoyed doing the course and found your comments helpful. Although I have finished studying the course manual, I know I shall continue to refer to it, especially for the wealth of practical advice such as short-term memory exercises, etc.' (J. D., UK)

'It has been a pleasure for me to complete this course . . . Thank you for your encouragement and appreciation of my assignment work.' (D.Y., India)

'I really enjoyed doing the readings and writing the responses. I was so happy to find that this sort of training exists by distance.' (A.G., Switzerland)

'Thank you for your kind words of encouragement throughout the course. I am especially impressed at the rate you return the marked assignments within days. This course has been very informative for me. I believe that many have and will gain from this course and its website information. I am glad that you and your colleagues have done an excellent job. Keep up the excellent work!' (D.L., Singapore)

'This is probably the best distance learning course I have ever been involved with!' (A.W., UK)

'If it were not for this course, I would be pulling all the hair out of my head!' (M.H., NJ, USA - mother of three)

'Thank you for a very worthwhile course that has helped me improve my son's reading and writing and made me observe children more closely in my own teaching.' (B.H., Malaga, Spain)

(Original testimonials held in our ofice.)