February 24, 2026

Dyslexia Demystified: Practical Help for Christian Educators | Cindy Hall | Ep. 170

53 minutes

“One person in five has dyslexia. That means if you have a classroom of 20 students, you probably have three to four students on that continuum.” - Cindy Hall

Every classroom includes students who learn differently, and many teachers feel unsure how to support them well.

In this episode of Teacher Edition, Jenny Copeland sits down with Cindy Hall, founding director of the Dyslexia Center at Lindsay Lane Christian Academy, to talk honestly and practically about dyslexia in Christian schools. Cindy brings decades of classroom experience and a deep passion for helping teachers understand how small, intentional shifts can make a world of difference for dyslexic learners.

Together, they explore what dyslexia really is (and what it isn’t), how common it is in Christian school classrooms, and why many students with dyslexia are often misunderstood or overlooked.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Why 1 in 5 students may fall somewhere on the dyslexia continuum

A clear, teacher-friendly definition of dyslexia

Common classroom signs and struggles teachers often miss

Strengths that dyslexic students frequently bring to the classroom

How dyslexia impacts confidence, behavior, and emotional well-being

Practical, manageable classroom strategies that help all learners

Simple, low-cost materials that support memory, reading, and comprehension

Where teachers can go for trusted resources and professional development

“When children feel that their teacher is on their side, their shoulders go down—and then they’re able to learn.” - Cindy Hall

“Being kind to struggling students teaches the rest of the class how to be kind to everyone.” - Cindy Hall

Resources Mentioned:

The Reading Well has a wonderful summary article of what the Orton-Gillingham approach is, where it originated, details of what sets it apart and list of branded programs that are based on the Orton-Gillingham approach. https://www.dyslexia-reading-well.com/orton-gillingham.html

The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators website: https://www.ortonacademy.org/

The International Dyslexia Association: https://dyslexiaida.org/

Five-minute overview of dyslexia TED talk by Kelli Sandman-Hurley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zafiGBrFkRM

Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity: https://dyslexia.yale.edu/

AACS Continuing Education recording of Cindy teaching about dyslexia. 10 clock hours long, cost is $40: https://www.aacs.org/services/staff/continuing-education/

For information on Cindy’s professional development packages and workshop descriptions, or to follow Cindy’s blog for curated articles on topics related to dyslexia as well as stories both funny and poignant from Cindy’s interactions with her beloved students and staff, visit her website at www.cindyhallconsulting.com

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz is the seminal work on dyslexia, a must-read for educators looking into dyslexia. Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt is a middle grade level novel, and a great way to introduce dyslexia to a class or to one student. This is not a Christian author, and some themes in the book may not be appropriate for all students.

Every day in the classroom is YOUR day to impact and inspire through God’s power and grace working in you.

Go do what God has called you to do!

About Our Guest

Cindy Hall, the founding director of the Dyslexia Center at Lindsay Lane Christian Academy, has 17 years of teaching experience with elementary students in the Christian school setting, and another 20 years focused on teaching specifically dyslexic learners. She is a graduate of Faith Baptist Bible College with postgraduate work in special education at Iowa State University as well as many training hours in the Orton-Gillingham approach for dyslexic learners. Cindy opened her private tutoring practice focused specifically on individuals with dyslexia in 2005 and was hired to develop and implement a dyslexia center at Lindsay Lane Christian Academy, a Christian school in her area. Cindy served as the director of that center for 10 years, growing it from the 5 initial students to serving over 50 students daily in small groups and in twice weekly 1:1 tutoring. After retiring from daily school life in 2020, Cindy returned to her private tutoring practice and providing professional development for teachers. After spending a decade developing dyslexia friendly classroom practices in the school where she directed the dyslexia center and seeing the positive impact that environment had on the entire school, it is her passion to help teachers understand how best to foster success in the dyslexic students sitting in their classrooms through sharing characteristics and best practices which are good for all learners but vital for those with dyslexia.