Abstract

Increasing moves towards inclusive education have meant that children with learning difficulties are almost exclusively educated in mainstream schools. Based on prevalence estimates from a variety of sources, it is likely that up to 20% of the population of Australia lives with dyslexia of some severity. Thus, every teacher is highly likely to have more than one student with dyslexia in her or his class. Teachers are at the forefront of supporting students with dyslexia: they are expected to identify students who are struggling with literacy, differentiate their teaching approaches to cater for each child’s needs and ensure that the emotional wellbeing of students is attended to. It is therefore imperative that teachers are adequately trained, particularly during initial teacher education, in understanding dyslexia and in how best to support students’ needs. Australia has always been guided by education approaches in England. It is worth considering whether Australia could learn from teacher education on dyslexia there. This paper, which addresses the matter above, is in three parts. Firstly, it outlines the definitions and prevalence of dyslexia. Secondly, it details current policies and practices in teacher education on dyslexia in Australia and England. Thirdly, it considers those features of teacher education on dyslexia in England which could be emulated usefully by Australia.