Every Wednesday, we take you inside the AFS-Test, the standardized assessment that allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia. This is week 10 of 25.
This week: Auditory Recognition
Auditory recognition lets a child pick the important sound out of everything they hear, and tell similar sounds apart: d and t, g and k, m and n. If these distinctions are not reliable, spelling by sound becomes a guessing game. The standardized AFS-Test checks auditory recognition with listening exercises that show whether the child truly hears the difference between similar sounds. Where it is needed, targeted hearing exercises build this foundation before spelling rules can do their work.
About the AFS-Test
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom Test has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It examines the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the error symptoms of a child, and turns the results into an individualized training plan following the AFS-Method.
Find a Certified Trainer
Certified Dyslexia Trainers conduct the standardized AFS-Test in your area or remotely. Learn more and find a Certified Trainer near you: dyslexiatest.com
You can find all published articles of this series under the tag AFS-Test Series.
Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: Symptom Training in Language Arts. Letters, Words, and Real-World Use
Symptom training is the moment when preparation becomes performance: after attention and perception have been strengthened, we practice the actual skills of school. Letters, words, spelling, handwriting, reading, and short writing are worked through tight, repeatable cycles: model, guided practice, independent try, quick check. Often one word or one pattern per session, using all channels, so gains are accurate first and then fluent enough to transfer into daily classwork.
Symptom training is the “now we do it” phase of the AFS Method: after Attention and Function (perception) prepare the ground, we practice the actual skills, letters, words, spelling, handwriting, reading, and short writing. Using all channels (see–hear–say–write–mean), we target one concrete focus at a time, often one word or one pattern per session, and work it through a tight cycle: model → guided practice → independent try → quick check. Students highlight the tricky bit, tap and say sounds while writing, apply the rule or pattern, and use the word in a sentence; short reading aloud and micro-dictations reinforce accuracy. We track accuracy first, then fluency, so gains stick and transfer to classroom work, with parents easily joining in for brief daily practice.
Trainer note: Offer all six channels and encourage learners to combine them. Over time, each student discovers which mix is most effective, our goal is flexible, independent strategy use.
What you will learn in Lesson 13
The practice cycle: model, guided practice, independent try, quick check
Why one word or one pattern per session works
Using all learning channels: see, hear, say, write, mean
Getting gains to transfer into daily classwork
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.
For a limited time, the Certified Dyslexia Trainer Program is 50% off. The program is accredited by us, the American Dyslexia Association (ADA), and built on the structured, multisensory AFS approach that helps teachers and homeschooling parents support learners with dyslexia.
What you get
48 self-paced lessons that take you from the standardized AFS-Test for assessment all the way to the individualized training plan, with ready-to-use materials included. You finish with a certificate and everything you need to actually work with dyslexic learners.
Why the program is trusted
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
This October only
The 50% offer is limited to the first 50 sign-ups this October, or through October 31, whichever comes first. You can start free with Lesson 1, no credit card needed.
Every Wednesday, we take you inside the AFS-Test, the standardized assessment that allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia. This is week 9 of 25.
This week: Visual Sequencing
Visual sequencing keeps things in order: the sequence of letters in a word, of digits in a number, of words in a line. When it is underdeveloped, letters swap places and ‘was’ becomes ‘saw’. The child is not careless: their processing of order is simply different. The standardized AFS-Test checks visual sequencing with exercises where order is everything. Once the cause is identified and categorized, sequencing can be trained systematically, and reading becomes noticeably more stable.
About the AFS-Test
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom Test has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It examines the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the error symptoms of a child, and turns the results into an individualized training plan following the AFS-Method.
Find a Certified Trainer
Certified Dyslexia Trainers conduct the standardized AFS-Test in your area or remotely. Learn more and find a Certified Trainer near you: dyslexiatest.com
You can find all published articles of this series under the tag AFS-Test Series.
Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: Training Tools and Resources. Trainer-Parent Toolkit
Weekly sessions set direction and quality, but short, consistent home practice is what consolidates skills. This lesson curates trainer-vetted tools and resources, shows how to hand them to families in a simple, achievable routine of about 20 minutes a day, and explains how each tool maps to the AFS framework. Small daily wins, added up, become measurable progress.
What this lesson is about
Effective dyslexia/dyscalculia support is a team effort. Weekly sessions with a certified trainer set direction and quality; short, consistent home practice consolidates skills and accelerates growth. The trainer’s job is to make home practice simple, specific, and achievable, about 20 minutes daily (and even 5–10 minutes consistently is a solid start).
This lesson curates trainer-vetted tools and resources, shows how to deploy them with families, and explains how each maps to the AFS framework. With the right tools and a clear routine, families can turn small wins into steady, measurable progress.
Effective support is a team effort. Alongside the certified trainer’s weekly sessions (typically once or twice a week), progress accelerates when parents provide short, consistent home practice. The trainer equips parents with clear, parent-friendly instructions for daily practice, so the child reinforces exactly what was targeted in sessions. Parents should aim for about 20 minutes of daily home practice; even 5–10 minutes done consistently is a solid start.
What you will learn in Lesson 12
Building a simple, achievable 20-minute home routine
Trainer-vetted tools and resources for families
How each tool maps to the AFS framework
Turning small daily wins into measurable progress
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.
Every Wednesday, we take you inside the AFS-Test, the standardized assessment that allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia. This is week 8 of 25.
This week: Visual Memory
Visual memory stores what we have seen: the image of a word, the shape of a letter, the look of a number. Spelling depends on it heavily, because writers constantly compare what they write against the stored images of words. A child with underdeveloped visual memory can read a word ten times and still write it differently the eleventh time. The standardized AFS-Test measures visual memory with matching exercises, and the result shows exactly whether this storage system needs targeted training.
About the AFS-Test
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom Test has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It examines the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the error symptoms of a child, and turns the results into an individualized training plan following the AFS-Method.
Find a Certified Trainer
Certified Dyslexia Trainers conduct the standardized AFS-Test in your area or remotely. Learn more and find a Certified Trainer near you: dyslexiatest.com
You can find all published articles of this series under the tag AFS-Test Series.
Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: Sensory Perception Training. Visual, Auditory, and Spatial Foundations for Literacy and Numeracy
Reading, writing, and arithmetic depend on a network of sensory processes working together. When one of them is underdeveloped, the brain compensates, and that shows up as slow processing, fatigue, and avoidable errors. Function training strengthens recognition, memory, and sequencing in the visual, auditory, and spatial domains, preparing the brain to handle academic tasks more efficiently. This lesson covers every function area with practical examples and selection guidance.
What this lesson is about
Function training does not replace instruction in reading, writing, spelling, or math; it prepares the brain to handle those tasks more efficiently. As functions improve, students more readily recognize symbols, maintain order in words and numbers, follow instructions, and integrate information across senses. This lesson outlines each function area, shows how to implement function training for school-age learners (and why we limit preschool to F only), and gives practical examples and selection guidance for trainers.
Key Takeaway: Function training prepares the brain to handle academic tasks more efficiently by strengthening the sensory foundations of learning.
What you will learn in Lesson 11
The visual, auditory, and spatial function areas
Strengthening recognition, memory, and sequencing
Why preschoolers train functions only
How to select the right exercises for each profile
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.
Every Wednesday, we take you inside the AFS-Test, the standardized assessment that allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia. This is week 7 of 25.
This week: Visual Recognition
Visual recognition is the ability to spot the essential detail and tell similar shapes apart: b and d, ie and ei, 6 and 9. A child with underdeveloped visual recognition sees perfectly well, but sorting what they see takes longer and costs more effort. In the standardized AFS-Test, the child works through playful exercises that show precisely how reliably they differentiate optical patterns. If this area needs support, targeted training strengthens it step by step, before letters are even involved.
About the AFS-Test
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom Test has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It examines the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the error symptoms of a child, and turns the results into an individualized training plan following the AFS-Method.
Find a Certified Trainer
Certified Dyslexia Trainers conduct the standardized AFS-Test in your area or remotely. Learn more and find a Certified Trainer near you: dyslexiatest.com
You can find all published articles of this series under the tag AFS-Test Series.
Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: Attention Training. Building Focus for Learning Success
Attention is the foundation of all learning, and for dyslexic and dyscalculic learners, staying focused on letters and numbers is especially hard. This lesson explains what attention training is, how attention differs from concentration, and why situational inattentiveness around symbols is not the same as ADHD. It closes with a practical toolkit, including kinesiology-based exercises, to help learners reach and hold optimal focus.
What this lesson is about
Attention is a vital foundation for all learning. Without it, even the most carefully designed training cannot be fully effective. For learners with dyslexia or dyscalculia, maintaining attention on symbol-based tasks, such as reading, spelling, writing, or math, can be especially challenging. Attention training in the AFS Method addresses this challenge directly, using structured exercises to prepare the brain for focused work.
Attention training refers to structured, targeted exercises designed to help learners focus their thoughts and sustain concentration on a specific task over a period of time. In the AFS Method, attention training is one of the three core pillars, alongside function training and symptom training, because it addresses a key barrier to learning for many individuals with dyslexia and dyscalculia: the difficulty of maintaining mental focus on written symbols and numbers.
What you will learn in Lesson 10
What attention training is, and how attention differs from concentration
Why dyslexic learners lose focus around letters and numbers
Situational inattentiveness vs. ADHD
A practical toolkit, including kinesiology-based exercises
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.
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