Educator Vicky Kaperoni explains how inclusive education strengthens confidence and offers equal opportunities to every student, while inspiring teachers and parents to approach learning in new ways.
Vicky Kaperoni is an English language educator specialising in learning difficulties and inclusive education, and a PhD candidate at the University of Delaware in the United States. She is the founder of Teaching Brightly and promotes multisensory and inclusive learning through the Teaching Brightly Method, which is based on scientifically supported principles such as structured language instruction and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). She is also the author of educational books, including the series Lexi & Finn and Grammie & Max, which support students with learning difficulties. As a mentor at WHEN, she supports women in their professional development, and she has received international distinctions such as the Global Teacher Award and the Best Teacher in Special Education award.
Dyslexia continues to be misunderstood by parents and educators. What are the most common misconceptions about dyslexia, and what should we actually know about it?
Indeed, dyslexia remains one of the most misunderstood learning difficulties. One of the biggest misconceptions is that it is a sign of low intelligence or a lack of effort. In reality, dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental difference that is mainly related to the way the brain processes language, particularly its sounds. Today we know that a significant percentage of students present some form of learning difficulty, with dyslexia being one of the most common. This means that almost every classroom includes children who learn in different ways. The scientific community emphasises that children with dyslexia can learn effectively when teaching is based on structured, multisensory and explicit language approaches that activate more than one sense during the learning process.
As both an educator and the mother of two children with dyslexia, how has your personal experience influenced the way you approach learning and teaching?
My personal experience has been decisive. As the mother of two children with dyslexia, I encountered very early both the challenges and the potential these children have. This helped me realise that the issue is not whether a child can learn, but how they are given the opportunity to learn. This experience led me to explore the field of special education more deeply from a scientific perspective and to develop teaching practices that emphasise strengthening confidence, differentiated instruction and the creation of a safe learning environment. When a child feels understood and believes they can succeed, their relationship with learning changes fundamentally.
When a child feels understood and believes they can succeed, their relationship with learning changes fundamentally.
You have developed a multisensory and inclusive teaching method. What makes it different, and how can it strengthen the confidence of children with learning difficulties according to current scientific evidence?
The method I apply is based on principles from contemporary learning research, such as multisensory teaching, a structured approach to language, and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). In practice, this means that learning is not limited to listening or reading but combines movement, images, touch, sound and creative activities. In this way, more neural networks are activated and information becomes more accessible to students with different learning profiles.
At the same time, this approach places great emphasis on the emotional dimension of learning. Many children with learning difficulties have experienced failure or comparison with others. However, when teaching is designed to allow small successes and active participation, children begin to see themselves as capable learners. This is perhaps the most important element for their development.
Based on this method, I also created the books published by my publishing house, Brightales Books. The first, Lexi & Finn, is an alphabet learning book that helps children with phonological deficits caused by dyslexia learn to read English effectively. The second, Grammie & Max, is a grammar and writing book that has been nominated to be included among the 100 educational innovations for 2025 by the organisation HundrED. These are the only dyslexia friendly books for learning English as a foreign language in Greece.
How can today’s school become truly inclusive for students with dyslexia, and what changes do you consider most necessary in the education system?
Inclusion is not only about the presence of students with difficulties in the same classroom, but mainly about whether the school is designed for learning diversity. For this to become a reality, three key changes are needed.
First, systematic training for teachers in learning difficulties and modern teaching approaches. Second, flexible forms of assessment so that students can demonstrate their knowledge in different ways. Third, early identification and support for students who present difficulties so that the accumulation of frustration and low self esteem can be avoided.
A truly inclusive school does not simply adapt the child to the system. It adapts the system so that it can include all children. This is both my vision and my personal life purpose.ologies and autonomous navigation, making it one of the most exciting fields for the future of shipping.
