Dyslexic Support Through Story Structure

Learners with dyslexia are often highly intelligent but may struggle in traditional classroom settings where instruction frequently requires students to decode text, organize and sequence ideas, and generate content at the same time—placing a heavy demand on working memory.

Save the Cat!, a resource designed to support all learners, is especially effective for students with dyslexia. It helps students recognize patterns in storytelling. When students learn to identify these patterns, storytelling becomes more concrete, predictable, and approachable. 

As students understand that stories follow a recognizable structure, they are able to focus more on creativity and meaning rather than managing multiple cognitive demands at once.

For dyslexic learners who are already literate, this process is especially powerful. The structure is no longer something they must hold in their working memory. It is visible and available to them.

Why Story Structure Supports Dyslexic Learners

In the classroom, students are often asked to managemultiple tasks at once: follow instructions, organize ideas,apply grammar, and generate creative content. Thiscreates a high cognitive load.

In the classroom, students are often asked to manage multiple tasks at once: follow instructions, organize ideas, apply grammar, and generate creative content. This creates a high cognitive load.

Save the Cat! reduces that load by providing a clear structure. Students no longer need to manage everything internally. Instead, they can use the framework to organize their thinking, explore ideas, and take creative risks. This process allows them to focus on understanding meaning and emotion in storytelling, both in what they read and what they write.

The Workbook carefully explains the Save the Cat! methodology, centering on its backbone: the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet, a framework of 15 key story beats that represent meaningful stages in a narrative. 

The Workbook includes "beat by beat" instruction, followed by work sections with expandable fields the students can fill in.

There is no "right way" to use the Workbook. The student can skip pages, write one word, leave fields empty, come back later... or ask for help!

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    WB

    • Front Cover

    • Workbook Purpose

    • Your Job & Our Job

    • How to Use This Workbook

    • The Save the Cat! Beat Sheet

    • Access Beat Sheet

    • What Is Act One?

    • Act One Example

    • Beat 1: Opening Image

    • Your Opening Image Beat

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Beat 2: Theme Stated

    • Your Theme Stated Beat

    • Beat 3: Set-Up

    • Your Set-Up Beat

    • Beat 4: Catalyst

    • Your Catalyst Beat

    • Beat 5: Debate

    • Your Debate Beat

    • Beat 6: Break into Two

    • Your Break into Two Beat

    • Act One Complete!

    • Bring It Together - Part 1

    • What Is Act Two?

    • Act Two Example

    • Beat 7: B Story

    • Your B Story Beat

    • Beat 8: Fun & Games

    • Your Fun & Games Beat

    • Beat 9: Midpoint

    • Your Midpoint Beat

    • Beat 10: Bad Guys Close In

    • Your Bad Guys Close In Beat

    • Beat 11: All Is Lost

    • Your All Is Lost Beat

    • Beat 12: Dark Night of the Soul

    • Your Dark Night of the Soul Beat

    • Beat 13: Break into Three

    • Your Break into Three Beat

    • Act Two Complete!

    • Bring It Together - Part 2

    • What Is Act Three?

    • Beat 14: Finale

    • Your Finale Beat

    • Beat 15: Final Image

    • Your Final Image Beat

    • You Did It!

    • Put It All Together

    • Download and Print

    • Let's Get Real

    • Feel Stuck?

    • Hero Builder

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Access Story Wheel

    • Back Cover

Managing Your Student Seats

When you "group order" individual Workbooks for your students, you can access your Admin Dashboard to easily:

  • send a specific sign-up link to each student
  • manage seats
  • view details of students who have enrolled or claimed a seat
  • easily add seats
  • manually unenroll students

Pricing Options

Group Orders are available at various discounts.