Special needs · Dyslexia

Online lessons where reading isn’t the barrier

Pencil Spaces gives dyslexic learners dyslexia-friendly fonts, softer board colors, recordings to revisit and ways to answer without writing everything down.

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Area

Cognition and learning

Who it helps

Dyslexic students, specialist dyslexia tutors, literacy programs, SENCOs and families

What lessons need

Readable text, less copying, multisensory teaching, repetition, time to process

In Pencil Spaces

7 features available today, 1 coming soon

Customer story

ALP Charlotte

Part of

Special needs, need by need

What do dyslexic learners need from an online lesson?

Dyslexia mostly affects reading, spelling and how quickly written words are processed. A good online lesson cuts the reading load and keeps text easy to see. It also gives the learner more than one way to take in and show ideas.

Text that’s easier to readDyslexia-Friendly Fonts · AvailablePick OpenDyslexic or another dyslexia-friendly font from the font menu on the board, so letters are easier to tell apart.
A softer page to read fromBoard Backgrounds · AvailableMany dyslexic readers find a cream or pastel background easier than bright white. Set it once as the default for every new board.
Fewer menus to readChild Mode · AvailableChild Mode cuts the toolbar to five tools and hides chat, boards and apps, so there’s less to decode on screen.
Multisensory phonics on screenPen & Touch · AvailableStudents trace letters with a finger or stylus and build words on the shared board, while you watch every stroke.
Less copying from the boardDownload Boards · AvailableSave the board as an image to print or keep, so the student listens and thinks instead of copying notes.
Repetition without starting overPersistent Spaces · AvailableLast week’s word lists and boards are still in the Space, so overlearning builds lesson on lesson.
A second listenSession Recording · AvailableStudents rewatch an explanation in Pencil Spaces, pausing and rewinding, instead of trying to catch it all the first time.
Text read out loudRead Aloud · Coming soonRead Aloud will let a student click a block of text and hear it, as often as they need.

Customer story

ALP CharlotteCustomer storyFree one-to-one Orton-Gillingham reading tutoring for children in kindergarten to second grade

The features behind it

Why can online lessons be hard for dyslexic learners?

On most video calls, reading is everywhere: chat, slides, instructions and shared documents in small fonts. For a dyslexic learner, decoding all of it uses up the attention the lesson needed.

Copying is the other trap. A student who copies notes from a screen all lesson learns less, and tires faster, than one who listens and keeps the board.

What does a lesson look like in Pencil Spaces?

A tutor opens the Space and switches the board to cream ruled paper and OpenDyslexic. Last week’s word list is still there.

The student hears a sound, says it and traces the letters with a stylus. At the end, the tutor saves the board as an image for practice at home.

How do therapists use Pencil Spaces with dyslexic learners?

Speech-language pathologists and reading specialists work on phonological awareness, decoding and written expression on the shared board. Letter cards, sound boxes and word lists stay in the Space, and dyslexia-friendly fonts work on every board.

A document camera shows the student’s writing on paper, so spelling patterns can be checked as they write. Lesson Summaries give families the practice words and steps to follow at home.

Tips for teaching dyslexic learners online

Keep text on the board short, large and left-aligned, with plenty of space between lines.
Say instructions out loud as well as writing them, and check the student has understood before they start.
Give work in small steps, with one task on screen at a time.
Build in overlearning: revisit the same sounds and words across several lessons.
Let the student show understanding by talking, drawing or typing, not only by writing.

Good to know

Read Aloud and Dictation are coming soon, so text-to-speech and speech-to-text on the board aren’t available yet. Until then, many tutors read text out loud and let students answer by talking or typing.

Questions people ask

Does Pencil Spaces have a dyslexia-friendly font?

Yes. Pick OpenDyslexic or another dyslexia-friendly font from the font menu on the board. You can also change the board background to a softer color or ruled paper, which many dyslexic readers find easier than bright white.

Can you teach Orton-Gillingham or structured literacy online?

Yes. ALP Charlotte teaches Orton-Gillingham reading lessons in Pencil Spaces, with a shared board, letter tiles and video. The Space keeps work between lessons, and students trace and build words by hand with a finger or stylus.

Can my child watch the lesson again?

If the program records lessons, students can watch them again in Pencil Spaces and pause or rewind. English-language recordings come with a transcript, and an automatic lesson summary sets out what was covered and what to practice.

Is there text-to-speech in Pencil Spaces?

Read Aloud is coming soon. It will let a student click a block of text and hear it as often as they need. Until it’s live, the tutor reads text aloud in the lesson, and recordings let the student hear it again later.