Many strengths can be
associated with dyslexia
Jamie Oliver Richard Branson Steven Spielberg
A good assessment should identify both the barriers to literacy development and the abilities on which learning can be built.
A child can have genuine difficulties with reading and spelling while also having considerable strengths, abilities and potential.
Some of these may include...
1. Big-picture thinking: seeing the overall picture, recognising how ideas connect and understanding the wider purpose rather than focusing only on individual details.
Example: Sir Richard Branson - Entrepreneur and Business Vision (Virgin)
2. Imagination and creativity: generating original ideas, imagining alternative possibilities and creating stories, images or new concepts.
Example: Steven Spielberg — Visual Storytelling and Filmmaking (film director)
3. Innovative problem-solving: approaching challenges from unusual angles, trying different solutions and finding ways around obstacles.
Example: James Dyson — Product Design and Engineering Innovation (Dyson)
4. Visual and spatial thinking: thinking in pictures, mentally manipulating shapes and objects, or imagining how things might look when changed or rearranged.
Example: Pablo Picasso — Influential Spanish visual artist, founder of Cubism
5. Pattern recognition and connecting ideas: noticing relationships, spotting similarities and drawing connections between information that may initially appear unrelated.
Example: Agatha Christie — famous British author, writing intricate mysteries built around clues and connections.
6. Practical and hands-on thinking: learning through doing, experimenting, manipulating materials and applying ideas to real-world situations.
Example: Jamie Oliver - famous TV chef, healthy eating campaigner