Before teaching
-
Share reading lists and key materials well in advance of the session, giving genuine lead time rather than a day or two's notice.
-
Provide slides and notes in an accessible, screen-reader-compatible format — never a scanned image-only document.
-
Give clear, written marking criteria and, where possible, a model example of a strong answer.
-
Where reading aloud might come up in a session, decide and communicate in advance whether it will be optional.
During teaching
-
Never ask a student to read aloud unexpectedly — offer this as a choice made in advance, not sprung as a surprise in the moment.
-
Break longer verbal explanations into smaller, clearly signposted chunks rather than one continuous stream.
-
Reinforce key terms and instructions in writing as well as speech, particularly technical vocabulary specific to the discipline.
-
Allow extra processing time before expecting a response to a question asked directly.
After teaching
-
Give feedback on content and ideas separately from spelling and grammar, unless accurate spelling and grammar are themselves the specific learning outcome being assessed.
-
Check that agreed adjustments — extra time, assistive software access — have actually been applied, not just recorded as agreed.
-
Share a written summary or recording so students are not solely reliant on real-time note-taking, which is itself a high executive-function-load task.