The Dyslexia Smart School Program
A 10-week program to take your language school to a new level
Dyslexia Smart School program
Schools everywhere are saying they see more and more students with dyslexia and ADHD in their classes.
This is NOT a global trend. It’s a reality. Estimates suggest that 1 in 5 students has a neurodivergent profile (dyslexia, ADHD, autism, dyscalculia, etc.).
But these students face two main challenges:
There is still a low level of awareness, screening and diagnosis (although this is improving).
Teachers and schools are not yet fully trained to help these students reach their full potential.
This is WHY the Dyslexia Smart School program exists.
The Dyslexia Smart School program works with your teachers, training them to become more effective and confident in supporting ALL their students.
It also works intensively with your administration and marketing teams. Together, we develop clear and effective communication around neurodivergent conditions within your school—and, most importantly, with parents.
But we go one step further. We look at how your school can take a real step (or even a leap) forward, not only improving student retention, but also increasing the intake of new students.
Janet Sinclair - Director IH Braga
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What your team will learn
Your teachers
Your teachers will take Levels I and II of the Dyslexia Smart Teacher course. When they complete the course, they will know:
What dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other neurodivergent conditions are, and how they relate to language learning
How to recognize the signs of these conditions in their students
How to apply dyslexia-smart teaching strategies that work for all neurodivergent students (dyslexia, ADHD, autism, etc.)
How to adapt or create dyslexia-smart materials that also work for the rest of the students
How to communicate effectively about neurodiversity (dyslexia, ADHD, autism, etc.) with colleagues, students and their families
How to motivate students with dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other neurodivergent conditions
How to effectively prepare neurodivergent students for official language exams
How to create inclusive language classes that work for all students, both neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent
Admin (and Marketing) Staff
The administrative staff of a language school play a key role in this process. They are often the first point of contact for families. If they are not familiar with Dyslexia Smart practices, valuable opportunities for both student retention and growth may be lost (this is also where the marketing team plays an important role).
When the admin part of the Dyslexia Smart School program is completed, they will:
Understand dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other neurodivergent conditions, and how they relate to language learning
Recognize the signs of these conditions in students
Understand how Dyslexia Smart teaching works, and how to explain it clearly to families
Understand how teachers adapt and create materials
Communicate effectively with teachers, students and, most importantly, families about neurodivergent conditions
Apply strategies to create stigma-free environments and improve student retention
Use strategies to expand the student base by attracting more neurodivergent learners
What the Dyslexia Smart School program includes
Your teachers will join the Dyslexia Smart Teacher program, which is a hybrid online course with a balanced mix of videos, texts, and quizzes as well as 3 live group sessions (2 hours each).
The Dyslexia Smart Teacher program (Level I and II) has 6 modules:
Week 1 – Module 1: Understanding and recognizing dyslexia & ADHD in language learning
Week 2 – Live Session 1
Week 3 – Module 2: Dyslexia and ADHD-friendly teaching strategies
Week 4 – Module 3: Adapting and creating dyslexia and ADHD-friendly material
Week 5 – Assignment: teachers will create their own dyslexia-smart material and activities, which will be presented and discussed in Live Session 2
Week 6 – Live Session 2
Week 7 – Module 4: Self-Esteem and Emotional Intelligence: motivating your students with dyslexia and ADHD
Week 8 – Module 5: Effective communication around dyslexia and ADHD (with parents, students, peers) and creating truly inclusive learning spaces
Week 9 – Module 6: Other specific learning differences (autism, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, etc)
Week 10 – Live Session 3
Each module consists of a series of short videos, text, and quizzes. The interactive live sessions are in small groups of maximum 10 teachers.
Your admin and marketing staff will join the Dyslexia Smart Admin program, which also is a hybrid online course, with 4 modules and 2 live group sessions.
Week 1 – Module 1: Understanding and recognizing dyslexia & ADHD in language learning
Week 2 – Live Session 1
Week 3 – Module 2: Explaining dyslexia smart teaching
Week 4 – Module 3: Effective communication around dyslexia and ADHD (with parents, students, peers) and creating truly inclusive learning spaces
Week 5 – Module 4: Other specific learning differences (autism, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, etc)
Week 6 – Live Session 2
Each module consists of a series of short videos, text, and quizzes. The interactive live sessions are in small groups.
Live Sessions
The live sessions are what makes the Dyslexia Smart School program special and different from any other neuro-inclusive program.
Since every language school is different, during these sessions I work with your teachers and admin/marketing staff to make sure that everything they take from the course is directly tailored to and adapted for their classes and your school.
These sessions are in closed groups with your teachers and admin/marketing staff. Dates and times are agreed based on your team’s needs and my availability.
What this program is NOT
This program does NOT teach teachers to diagnose students. Diagnosis is for specialists, not for language teachers.
However, we do believe it is every language teacher’s responsibility to understand how their students learn best, and how their brains work.
This is why we created this program.
This program is NOT just another course in your yearly CPD plan. It has already changed the lives of many teachers—and their students.
Teachers who complete the program will not be the same again. They will see their neurodivergent students in a completely different way.
This program is NOT about adding extra work to your teachers’ plates. In fact, it’s the opposite.
With dyslexia-smart strategies and materials, teaching becomes easier and more effective—because what teachers do now works for ALL their students.
The trainer
After more than three decades in private language teaching, Boelo van der Pool now dedicates his work to helping language schools and teachers worldwide shift their perspective—from problem to opportunity—every time they encounter a student with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, dyscalculia or dyspraxia.
Being dyslexic and having ADHD himself, and having managed private language schools for over 25 years, he knows first-hand what it feels like to be misunderstood as a student. At the same time, he understands how frustrating it can be for teachers and school managers who want to support their neurodivergent students, but don’t know how.
This is why he created the Dyslexia Smart programs—for language teachers and language schools.
In addition to being a teacher trainer and course developer of the Dyslexia Smart programs, Boelo is an international researcher in neurodiversity and ELT/ESL, a conference speaker, and a neurodiversity consultant for publishers in the ELT and ESL sector.
Dyslexia Smart Community
If, by now, you’ve realised how impactful the Dyslexia Smart School program is, there’s more.
Any school that completes the program will have its place on www.dyslexiasmartschools.com.
In addition, you will become part of the Dyslexia Smart Community.
Here, you can connect with other Dyslexia Smart Schools from around the world.
Your teachers will also join the Dyslexia Smart Teacher community, where we continue to share insights, knowledge, new findings and research.
Together, we are reshaping the language learning landscape for neurodivergent students worldwide.
Testimonials
Pricing, Dates & Workload
- 1 teacher group (up to 10 teachers) in the Dyslexia Smart Teacher program (Levels I & II)
- 1 admin/marketing group (up to 6 participants) in the Dyslexia Smart Admin program
- Dyslexia Smart School certificate & Community membership for management, DOS and teachers
- Your school page on dyslexiasmartschools.com
Price: 2500 €
- 1 teacher group (up to 10 teachers) in the Dyslexia Smart Teacher program (Levels I & II)
- 1 admin/marketing group (up to 6 participants) in the Dyslexia Smart Admin program
- Dyslexia Smart School certificate & Community membership for management, DOS and teachers
- Your school page on dyslexiasmartschools.com
Price: Contact us for your tailored offer
The Dyslexia Smart School program is designed on a 10-week basis. Nevertheless, there is certain flexibility in this. Some schools do it faster (8 weeks), others take a bit longer (12-14 weeks)
Starting dates are also flexible, although the most suitable start of any program would be:
• September/October
• January
• April
• June/July
The workload really depends on each teacher. The videos can (and I know many will) be reviewed, text can be re-read, etc. Nevertheless, teachers report that they spend an average of 2 hours per week on the course.