A new and one-of-a-kind online literacy tool has been launched that can be used to highlight dyslexic type difficulties in children – and it’s available for all UK schools to use for free.

The IDL Literacy Screener – from International Dyslexia Learning Solutions Limited – is a simple online test that can be taken in around 30 minutes to screen pupils aged 8 and over for dyslexia. It can be used with individuals and groups and can ultimately be an instrumental means of supporting the literacy and development of young children.

Schools interested in the IDL Literacy Screener can find out more about this exciting new product by emailing [email protected] or they can complete a ‘Free Trial’ by registering their interest on the IDL website. Should these schools then decide to roll out the use of the screener, it won’t cost them a penny. This promotional offer for the new tool forms part of its creator’s pledge to lift barriers to learning for all school pupils.

The test is easy to administer and only requires one teacher or teaching assistant to invigilate it. The test contains 11 individual tasks and focuses on the skills needed to understand written and spoken language, specifically:

Auditory processing
Visual processing
Short term memory
Speed of processing
Organising and sequencing

The tasks contain enough individual questions to ensure accurate assessments can be made, and through this level of scrutiny, it allows the results to be used either as a quick indicator of low ability or to identify more specific issues. Examples of the tasks include:

Names of letters
Sounds of letters
Find the vowels
Known sequences
Auditory memory

The screener also uses the customisable colours in the same manner as the existing IDL Literacy programmes, meaning that learners with previously identified issues can read the tests more easily.

Alongside the obvious benefit of being free to use, the screener has the potential to improve the literacy skills of children all over the country. This is because the screener can essentially identify any difficulties a pupil may be having from an early age, meaning they can get the targeted and appropriate support they need during their education.

Speaking about the launch of the IDL Literacy Screener Adrian Gallagher, Head of IDL offered these comments “Our ground-breaking new literacy screener is one of a kind and will provide pupils, teachers and schools with the foundation for intervention and further learning. This new screener is free to all schools, mirroring the groups charitable activity and will ensure that as many children across the globe are recognised and supported on their literacy journey.”

Dyslexia is something that affects around 10% of the UK population, but it need not be a barrier to learning, as there is support available for those that are found to need it. By using tools like the IDL Literacy Screener, schools and education trusts have a fantastic opportunity to benefit thousands of children all over the country without worrying about budgets.