Skip To Main Content

How We Teach

Research-based and relationship-driven to create results that last. 

Students with dyslexia don’t just need more support—they need the right support. At dePaul, we use evidence-based, multisensory instruction tailored to how the brain learns best - especially for students with language-based learning differences.

Our Approach

All instruction is grounded in structured literacy, supported by continuous progress monitoring, and delivered by educators trained specifically to meet the needs of diverse learners.

 

Structured Literacy

All dePaul teachers are trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE), the gold standard for dyslexia instruction. 

This structured literacy model is:

  • Explicit: Skills are taught clearly and directly.
     
  • Sequential: Lessons build logically and intentionally.
     

  • Multisensory: Students use sight, sound, movement, and touch to reinforce learning.

This approach strengthens reading and writing by targeting phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, while also building confidence and independence.

A person wearing a blue shirt is intently focused on writing something in a notebook on a table.

 

Writing Instruction

Writing is often a vulnerable area for students with dyslexia.

At dePaul, we create a safe and supportive environment where writing becomes a process, not a pressure point.

At dePaul:

  • Students are taught strategies for planning, organizing, and revising their work using multisensory tools. 
     
  • When needed, we integrate assistive technologies such as speech-to-text to ensure access. 
     
  • Our goal is for students to grow as writers with clarity, creativity, and confidence.

 

Mathematics

All math teachers at dePaul are trained in Multisensory Math strategies developed by Marilyn Zecher, which align with how students with dyslexia and dyscalculia learn best.

We pair this methodology with Eureka Math², a standards-based curriculum delivered through tactile, visual, and conceptual frameworks.

Students learn to:

  • Build number sense through manipulatives and guided practice
  • Connect math concepts to real-life problem-solving
  • Approach multi-step problems with tools that support memory and comprehension

This approach helps turn math from frustration into discovery, building not only skills, but mathematical identity.

young girl wearing glasses focused on science experiment with lego

 

Science & Social Studies

In content-rich subjects, we remove barriers to access while raising the bar for critical thinking.

Throughout a range of subjects, our instruction is:

  • Vocabulary-rich to develop academic language
     
  • Audio-supported, so all students can fully engage with the material
     
  • Hands-on and project-based to build curiosity, collaboration, and comprehension

Whether dissecting a frog, reenacting a historical debate, or building a model ecosystem, students are actively involved in making meaning, not just memorizing facts.