Why Dyslexic Children Need a Spiraling Curriculum
If your child has dyslexia, you’ve probably seen this before: they learn a new phonics skill, practice it for one or two weeks, seem to “get it”—and then a month or two later, it’s gone. It’s frustrating. But it’s also expected.
The solution? Spiral review. Let’s break down what that means, why it’s so important for dyslexic learners, and how you can support it at home.
What Is a Spiraling Curriculum?
A spiraling curriculum is one that revisits previously taught concepts over time—layering in new information while continuously reviewing the old. It’s the opposite of a “one and done” approach.
“A spiral curriculum introduces key ideas gradually and repeatedly, building on them with increasing depth.”
—Bruner, J. (1960). The Process of Education
For reading, that means regularly reviewing earlier-taught phonics patterns, syllable types, and sound-spelling relationships—even after they’ve been “mastered.”
Why Is Spiral Review So Important for Dyslexic Kids?
Children with dyslexia often struggle with phonological processing and working memory which means it takes them longer to reach the point of automaticity. Even well-taught material can fade quickly without enough regular reinforcement.
“Because students with dyslexia are slower to develop accurate and fluent word recognition, they benefit from extended and distributed practice.”
—Moats, L. (2020). Speech to Print
And while orthographic mapping helps move words into long-term memory, this process depends on consistent, accurate practice across time—not a single week of instruction (Kilpatrick, 2015).
In short: Even if the seeds are planted, dyslexic kids need extra practice to reach automaticity and spiral review to keep the roots strong.
What Is a Phonics Scope and Sequence?
Taking a step back, let’s define what a phonics scope is: simply the full list of phonics concepts (like short vowels, blends, vowel teams, syllable types) to be taught. The sequence is the order they are introduced.
For example:
Short a → Short i → Consonant blends → Digraphs → Vowel-consonant-e (a_e) → R-controlled vowels → Diphthongs
A well-designed scope and sequence is systematic (not random) and cumulative (each new skill builds on the last).
“Systematic phonics instruction produces better outcomes than unsystematic or no phonics instruction, particularly for children at risk.”
—National Reading Panel (2000)
But here’s the catch: many school curriculums don’t revisit earlier concepts enough—especially after a unit has “ended.” So your child may have learned about r-controlled vowels, but then never got enough exposures to solidify the understanding or orthographic mapping of r-controlled vowel words, and additionally, never revisited the phonics rule.
How to Ask Your Child’s Teacher About Spiral Review
You don’t need to be an expert to ask good questions. Try:
“What phonics scope and sequence does your curriculum follow?”
“How often do you revisit past phonics concepts after the unit ends?”
“Is there built-in spiral review to keep earlier skills fresh?”
If they’re using a structured literacy program, some spiral review is usually included—but it still may not be done enough for your dyslexic child’s needs so it’s worth confirming.
How to Reinforce Spiral Review at Home (Without Overwhelming Yourself)
1. Make a Mastery List
Keep a list of phonics patterns your child has learned (e.g., -ck, ai, a_e, tch). Revisit older ones regularly with word sorts, phoneme manipulation, spelling, or decodable passages.
2. Use Mixed Review Activities
Instead of only practicing just the newest concept, mix it with older ones. For example, if your child is currently learning the vowel-consonant-e syllable, practice those words in addition to something they learned a few months ago such as the ch and tch sound.
3. Track Gaps
If your child keeps forgetting a certain pattern, highlight it. Go back and review with sound mapping, spelling practice, or multisensory games like skywriting or tapping out sounds.
4. Use Free Tools
Resources like:
UFLI Foundations
offer spiral-friendly lessons and activities you can reuse weekly.
Bottom Line for Parents
Mastery usually doesn't mean it's permanent—especially for dyslexic learners. Think about the things you have learned in school. If you haven’t done calculus in awhile, you may need to refresh yourself. If you had been calculating derivatives weekly for your work though, it would be fresh.
A spiraling curriculum doesn’t mean reteaching everything—it means purposefully reviewing what's already been taught, at regular intervals, to build fluency and confidence.
You don’t need to spend hours doing this at home. A little spiral practice, done consistently, can be the bridge between “I taught it” and “they really learned it.”
Sources:
Bruner, J. S. (1960). The Process of Education. Harvard University Press.
Moats, L. C. (2020). Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers. Brookes Publishing.
Kilpatrick, D. A. (2015). Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties. Wiley.
National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment.