Beyond Dyslexia Accommodations: Building Independent Reading Skills

Students with dyslexia face challenges in reading and spelling that can make learning frustrating and affect confidence. Dyslexia accommodations are tools that may allow learners to access grade-level content while their skills develop. These accommodations can reduce barriers, support engagement, and help students demonstrate their knowledge.

Students may be enrolled in a public or private school, where accommodations for dyslexia can significantly improve their day-to-day learning. At the same time, some students need more intensive, individualized instruction to address the root causes of their reading difficulties. 

Lindamood-Bell offers two additional pathways for these learners: attending Lindamood-Bell Academy (LBA) for a full-school experience centered on sensory-cognitive instruction, or receiving one-on-one sensory-cognitive instruction at a Lindamood-Bell Learning Center to develop the sensory-cognitive foundation for reading. 

To hear how students with dyslexia have learned with our approach, check out this remarkable student story: True Grit – A student with dyslexia tells his story.

This article highlights some dyslexia accommodations that may be available at school, details LBA’s individualized learning, explains Learning Center instruction, and offers practical next steps for families with children facing reading challenges.

Dyslexia Accommodations in School

Dyslexia accommodations in a public or private school setting may help students access the curriculum while they build reading and spelling skills. They can help learners participate without being limited by difficulties with decoding or written expression. Examples of some  dyslexia accommodations include

•  Access to audiobooks or text-to-speech for core content 
• Sharing guided notes, outlines, or slides ahead of time 
• Extra time on assignments, quizzes, and tests 
• Alternative response formats such as oral presentations, visuals, or recorded answers 
• Strategic seating and quiet work areas to minimize distractions 
• Assistive technology such as spell check, word prediction, and speech-to-text 

These dyslexia accommodations can help students stay engaged, build confidence, and demonstrate knowledge. Schools often document these supports in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan to ensure consistent implementation.

Lindamood-Bell Academy (LBA): A Full-School Approach

Unlike traditional schools, LBA develops the sensory-cognitive processing that is the foundation for learning. Lindamood-Bell Academy is the only school that intentionally prioritizes the underlying language processing skills that students require for success in school and life. 

At LBA:

• Instruction is individualized to develop symbol imagery, phonemic awareness, and concept imagery for fluent reading and language comprehension. 
• Curriculum pacing is adjusted to each learner’s needs. 
• Students progress at their own rate while accessing a complete school curriculum. 
• We meet the needs of students with dyslexia by providing intensive instruction first, ensuring they can access grade-level content right away. 

This approach is particularly effective for students whose reading challenges prevent them from keeping pace in a typical classroom, including learners diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning differences.

Lindamood-Bell Learning Centers: Sensory-Cognitive Instruction

For families who prefer their child to remain at their current school, the Lindamood-Bell Learning Center offers intensive one-on-one or small-group sensory-cognitive instruction. This instruction

• targets foundational skills needed for accurate, fluent reading; 
• strengthens symbol imagery and phonological awareness; 
• and produces measurable improvements in decoding, reading fluency, and comprehension.

How to Get Started if Your Child is Struggling

Lindamood-Bell instruction is available both in-person and live online, giving families flexibility without compromising quality. The first step is a comprehensive Learning Ability Evaluation, which identifies your child’s strengths and areas of need. Based on the results, we may recommend a plan for one-on-one instruction at a Lindamood-Bell Learning Center or enrollment in LBA. This personalized approach targets the root causes of reading and learning difficulties, helping your child thrive academically and build confidence. 

Schedule a Learning Ability Evaluation today to start your child’s journey to reading success.

Why Specialized Instruction Matters

While dyslexia accommodations may reduce barriers and provide access to content, they do not address the underlying reading difficulties. At Lindamood-Bell, students develop the sensory-cognitive processes essential for independent reading. Benefits of this approach include:

• more accurate decoding;
• improved reading fluency;
• and stronger comprehension and writing skills.

Lindamood-Bell instruction is intensive, evidence-based, and individualized, producing measurable gains in reading and supporting long-term academic achievement. For nearly four decades, we have worked with thousands of learners, and our success comes from our unique, sensory-cognitive approach to literacy instruction.

The Seeing Stars® program is specifically designed to support students with dyslexia. It develops symbol imagery, the ability to visualize letters within words—a skill crucial for sounding out new words, recognizing common words, spelling accurately, and reading fluently in context.

Learn more about our experience and results with students diagnosed with dyslexia in ‘Understanding the Signs of Dyslexia’.

Supporting Students with Dyslexia

While school-based dyslexia accommodations can help students access grade-level content, they do not remediate dyslexia or teach the brain how to read. Lindamood-Bell Academy’s full-school approach and Learning Center sensory-cognitive instruction directly develop the underlying processes required for accurate, fluent reading. Families can partner with Lindamood-Bell to select the pathway that best meets their child’s needs—so students can participate in learning today while building the real reading skills essential for lifelong success.

If your student is struggling with dyslexia or reading difficulties, we encourage you to contact Lindamood-Bell. We have the expertise and resources to provide personalized support and intervention. Together, we can build a brighter future for your child. Contact us today to schedule a Learning Ability Evaluation or call 800-233-1819 to learn more about how we can help.