What is Dyslexia Support Cornwall all about?

Dyslexia Support Cornwall is designed to support and improve literacy, study skills, basic numeracy and self esteem in learners with dyslexia.

About Nancy

I am a fully qualified dyslexia tutor with over 20 years experience working alongside and supporting learners with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia).

Prior to obtaining my Hornsby Diploma in supporting Learners with SpLD (Dyslexia) I obtained a BA (Hons) in Applied Languages.

It was during this time that I was able to explore and develop my love of language including the fundamentals of linguistic structures and elements of speech therapy.

My year long placement as an English Language Assistant for the Central Bureau in France, further deepened my knowledge and love of both the English and French language.

Tuition

I work with families, children, young people and adult learners, both at home and in schools. I offer specialist dyslexia support either face to face or via remote learning.

Each person I work with is unique and I dedicate time to understanding the wider context of every client as well as exploring their individual needs and learning styles.

I draw on the background of everyone I help and use that knowledge to develop ways to move forward in a positive and constructive way.

Together we work out how to progress. Whether this be via a multi-sensory modular course specifically designed to build up literacy and spelling patterns; or a tailor made ‘needs specific’ dyslexia-friendly study skills programme.

Specialist Tutor

As a young teacher, I worked alongside young people and adults within an FE/HE setting, co-ordinating and delivering dyslexia support as well as assessing students’ needs.

My Hornsby Diploma equipped me with the knowledge and skills to offer specific dyslexia support to any age group, from primary age children through to adults.

After starting my own family, I branched out into private tuition, working predominantly with primary and secondary school-aged children with dyslexia, both in school and at home.

Since then I have expanded my private work to once again supporting students with dyslexia in Higher Education.  In addition to this work I now deliver one to one dyslexia support to children with dyslexia within a primary school setting, as well as privately at home.

Dyslexia Support Cornwall: Services

Support and guidance

  • My sessions are designed to progress quickly through the modular course I use. As my students progress, so does their confidence and fluency with written work, reading, spelling and handwriting. I take enormous pride in the achievements of my students and love seeing how they develop their academic skills and coping strategies.
  • My goal is to provide those I support with a firm foundation of knowledge to build on, as well as to provide them with a tailor made toolkit of strategies to enable them to thrive in a literate world. I am here to draw out my students’ strengths and to enable them to flourish confidently, creatively and academically.
  • Anecdotal evidence helps to build a fuller picture of each individual learner’s needs. I am a firm believer in parents knowing what is best for their children.
  • In the same way, self knowledge in young people and adults in terms of areas of strengths and weaknesses is invaluable. It is important to gain a picture of each client’s progress, attitude to learning and feelings around study in school or at college/university.
  • Much information can be gleaned from educational reports and any psychological assessments. I have a wealth of experience in liaising with staff in educational settings as well as with exam boards.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is an umbrella term which is used to describe a difficulty with the written word. People with dyslexia often have trouble spelling words correctly and sometimes have problems with reading and handwriting.

Often people with dyslexia find it difficult telling their left from right, reading clock faces, learning their times tables as well as struggling with auditory short term memory and some aspects of numeracy. Often people with dyslexia are innovative thinkers.

Dyslexic learners can be very creative and holistic in the way they think and imagine things. Dyslexia does not affect intelligence, which is why it is also referred to as a “specific learning difficulty”. With the right help, people with dyslexia can acquire and develop specific strategies in order to better cope with their difficulties.

CALL NANCY ON 07985 470021
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Dyslexia Support Cornwall:
Frequently Asked Questions

Please do not hesitate to contact Nancy if you require any further information

Dyslexia is a word which describes a difficulty with written language. Dyslexia is often described as a syndrome; it is an umbrella term which clumps a variety of difficulties with literacy (and some aspects of numeracy) under one word.

People with dyslexia might experience difficulties with short term memory, rote learning and certain aspects of reading, spelling and written sentence structure.  These difficulties can adversely affect an individual’s learning experience, as the education system is structured around the very methods of communication people with dyslexia find difficult.

Despite such difficulties, dyslexia does not affect intelligence, in fact many people with dyslexia find creative and innovative ways around their difficulties.  Being dyslexic often encourages individuals to develop new and imaginative ways of thinking and problem solving.

Most schools have a basic initial screening test for dyslexia.

However the bar can be set quite low. If you have any concerns, it is worth seeking advice from The British Dyslexia Association or the Dyslexia Institute.

There is absolutely no reason why your child should not be able to learn, provided their teacher has a level of awareness of what dyslexia is and how to make their lessons dyslexia friendly. The good thing about this is that any changes made by the teacher will benefit everyone in the class, not just the dyslexic student.

Dyslexia is not a disease and cannot be cured. However, dyslexia can be minimised through early intervention and by developing strategies for dealing with specific difficulties associated with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is an ongoing syndrome which will always affect certain aspects of a person’s life.  This is why one to one specialist tuition and the development of compensating strategies is so important.

It takes time for any child to develop their literacy skills. However, there are certain dyslexic tendencies which are characteristic of dyslexia and are worth looking out for.

For example, if by the age of 8 a child is still struggling with decoding, short term memory, telling the time, learning times tables, letter reversal, confusion of left and right and spelling; this might be a sensible time to consider a full dyslexia assessment.

Studies have shown that there is an hereditary factor to dyslexia. However, this does not mean that reading problems cannot be remedied or that there is nothing that can be done about them. Reading and writing can be taught and improved!

TESTIMONIALS

Nancy is a brilliant teacher and helped me to improve my spelling and maths in a way no other teachers could. I had hour-long lessons once a week with Nancy for a year and a half prior to my GCSEs and thanks to her lessons I managed to pass every one of my exams.

She has a good understanding of how dyslexic minds can work differently and was able to show me ways around my problems. The lessons were fun and interesting; she would often include games as a way of learning which helped me to concentrate more.

My spelling has definitely improved since my lessons with Nancy. She also helped with my maths. I don’t think I could have passed my exams without her.

Jasmine, 19-years-old, presently studying a Diploma in Wildlife Filmmaking

Nancy provided support and encouragement to our daughter for 15 months and during this time she completed a full 30 module multi-sensory, cumulative literacy course designed for students with dyslexia. This gave our daughter a firm grounding in spelling and writing which has massively improved her confidence and ability to tackle other subjects.  Nancy is reliable and dedicated and we loved having her as part of our lives. She became a valued friend not just to us but to our daughter.

Senara Wilson Hodges

Nancy is a very positive person who is both friendly and approachable. She is hugely knowledgeable about dyslexia and she spends time getting to know the individuals she works with.  In this way, Nancy understands how best to support them whilst ensuring they feel secure and confident in their own learning. I have seen children that have worked with Nancy make huge improvements not only in their written work but also in their self-esteem. I cannot recommend Nancy highly enough!

Mrs Bonell, Primary School Teacher