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: Additional Teaching Methods for Dyslexia. Exploring Four Classic Approaches I
Four structured literacy methods have shaped dyslexia education: the Bangor Dyslexia Teaching System, the Baumer Method, the Hornsby Method, and the Hickey Multisensory Language Course. All four are explicit, structured, and multisensory, yet each has its own strengths, from Bangor’s phonics and syllable structure to Baumer’s parent-friendly early intervention. This lesson gives you a working overview of all four.
What this lesson is about
In the previous lessons, we explored how Montessori education can support dyslexic learners. Now, we turn to four structured literacy methods that have played a major role in shaping dyslexia education: the Bangor Dyslexia Teaching System, the Baumer Method, the Hornsby Method (Alpha to Omega), and the Hickey Multisensory Language Course.
These methods share common ground: they are explicit, structured, and multisensory, focusing on phonics, repetition, and steady progress. Yet each also has its own strengths. Bangor emphasizes phonics and syllable structure; Baumer offers parent-friendly, step-by-step support with strong emphasis on early intervention; Hornsby provides systematic phonics instruction with dictation and cursive writing; and Hickey builds a highly multisensory program with reading and speaking cards, stressing that no step should ever be skipped.
What unites these approaches is their commitment to providing dyslexic learners with clear structure and multisensory reinforcement. What differentiates the AFS-Method is its diagnostic framework. Every dyslexic child shows challenges across Attention, Function/Perception, and Symptoms, but in different combinations. By identifying these differences, AFS helps teachers and parents choose and adapt methods more precisely. This means that Bangor’s syllable rules, Baumer’s daily practice routines, Hornsby’s dictation drills, or Hickey’s multisensory cards can all be integrated into AFS Training, ensuring that instruction not only follows proven literacy structures but also matches each child’s unique profile.
What you will learn in Lesson 22
- The Bangor Dyslexia Teaching System: phonics and syllable structure
- The Baumer Method: parent-friendly early intervention
- The Hornsby Method: systematic phonics with dictation
- The Hickey Multisensory Language Course: no step skipped
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.
