About This Course
This is a part-time short course delivering literacy interventions to children and young people with difficulties developing their literacy skills. Candidates will have the option of online or in-person learning Also a blended version is available in Bangor. The course can be completed through the medium of Welsh or English with the option to complete the teaching intervention in either language.
Who is this course for?
This course will benefit teachers, tutors, teaching support staff and assistants, speech and language therapists, and those working with learners with additional learning needs or learning differences. 2 years prior experience in education or working with children is needed prior to the course.
Why study this course?
It offers candidates to become accredited specialists in delivering literacy interventions to children and young people with difficulties developing their literacy skills and those with dyslexia. Candidates will be able to identify the difficulties faced by a child or young person in reading, spelling, and handwriting, and formulate suitable programmes for intervention. They will be able to identify literacy difficulties and provide intervention through the medium of Welsh and/or English.
On successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to deliver targeted literacy interventions to children and young people with Accredited Practitioner Status or Accredited Teacher Status with the British Dyslexia Association. This is the only course in the UK that focuses on supporting learners with SpLd in Wales and allows for Welsh and English language intervention work with pupils.
How long does this course take to complete?
This professionally accredited intensive course runs over 10 months. Candidates will be expected to commit 12 hours a week of self-study to complete the necessary requirements to pass the course. This time is in addition to live lectures and teaching for the assessment.
Information about assessments:
Assessment of the course will include:
20 hours of practical teaching with a pupil. This will be assessed by two 60-minute recorded lessons.
Case study based on the pupil receiving the intervention.
Teaching portfolio based on the teaching practice.
Tutors
Jo Dunton
Director of Teaching at Miles Dyslexia Centre
As an AMBDA holder she is a BDA accredited specialist teacher and assessor. Her teaching career has covered a wide range of ages and schools, including working in special schools and FE colleges. She joined the MDC’s teaching team after completing the AMBDA course in Bangor, subsequently going on to become the Director of Teaching for the Centre. She is currently a serving member of the BDA Accreditation Board.
Ruth Elliott
CPD lead with the Miles Dyslexia Centre
specialist teacher and assessor of pupils and adults with literacy difficulties. She is a qualified teacher and holds AMBDA with the British Dyslexia Association. She is currently the lead for continued professional development (CPD) with the . She is also a content creator and trainer for the .
Course Content
What will you study on this course?
Course content:
The course will familiarise students with approaches and underlying principles of teaching learners with SpLD (dyslexia) and those with literacy difficulties.
Topics include:
Theories about dyslexia and the underlying causes
Co-occurring difficulties with dyslexia
Associated difficulties of language and learning, self-esteem, and mathematics.
Bilingualism and second language learning.
The course will enable the candidates to assess for intervention and identify the difficulties faced by their pupil in reading, spelling, and handwriting. They will also be able to formulate suitable programmes for intervention.
Candidates are expected to take a critical approach when selecting materials for teaching and assessing their pupils. Ingenuity and originality of multi-sensory teaching approaches are encouraged, particularly in the use of games, sensory, and visual material to assist further learning. On-going formative evaluation by students will show how their work has developed over the teaching period.
Future Courses
- Access arrangements for schools
- Diagnostic assessments
- Additional learning needs
Future Careers
- Specialist literacy teacher/practitioner
- Tutor
- ALNCo
- ALN Support worker
Course Cost
£2,450 (price valid for 2026/27 academic year).
Entry Requirements
Applicants for APS (Accredited Practitioner Status) must fulfil the following criteria to be eligible for this course:    
- GCSE grade C or level 2 equivalent in English and/or Welsh language or literacy
- Qualifications at Level 3 would be helpful to meet the academic demands of the course.
Candidates should have 2 years of prior experience working with children and young people. Please contact us for further information if you are unsure of your eligibility.
The course requires access to work with a child or a young person aged 6-16 who would benefit from a literacy intervention in your place of work or an associated organisation.
Please enquire if you are unsure if the child or young person meets the requirements
Application
Ready to take the next step? If you’re interested in joining this course in 2026/27, you can apply directly or request a call back from our team. Choose the option that suits you best below.