To help a child with dyslexia at home, create a supportive routine, use multi-sensory learning (like tracing letters in sand or using colored overlays), read aloud together (using audiobooks and dyslexia-friendly books), embrace technology for typing, and focus on their strengths while practicing skills in short, positive bursts, ensuring you work closely with their school for consistent strategies.
Guided Reading Activities for Children with Dyslexia
5 things not to say to your child about dyslexia
Understanding and supporting individuals with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Dyspraxia is essential for fostering an inclusive and effective learning environment. These disorders can also coincide with other conditions such as ADHD and Autism, requiring a comprehensive approach.
Symptoms of dyslexia in children aged 5 to 12 include:
Dyslexia does not worsen over time. However, the demands of adult life—more complex reading, multitasking, or workplace expectations—can make its effects more noticeable. With continued support, individuals often learn to manage their challenges and build on their strengths.
Dyslexic strengths include:
High levels of empathy. Excellent big-picture thinkers. Good at making connections. Strong narrative reasoning.
According to UMHS, the following conditions can present similar symptoms and difficulties to dyslexia: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Executive Dysfunction. Memory Impairments.
Famous actors like Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom all have dyslexia. Pablo Picasso's teachers described him as “having difficulty differentiating the orientation of letters”.
Dyslexia results from individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading. It tends to run in families. Dyslexia appears to be linked to certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language.
Kinesthetic learning, such as using wood or plastic letters or writing symbols in the air, can help young learners link sounds to symbols and build their awareness of written language. Teachers at all levels can help students by including elements of tactile learning in their instruction.
DLA isn't just for children who are physically disabled. It can be given for a wide range of medical conditions including behavioural and mental health conditions as well as learning disabilities and developmental delay. You might be able to claim even if you wouldn't describe your child as 'disabled'.
The recommended seven hands-on learning strategies that can promote learning and support for struggling readers during literacy instruction include Build the Words, Feel the Words, Whole Body Letters, Five Finger Retell, Sight Word BINGO, Elkonin Boxes, and Word Swat. Young children learn in a variety of sensory ways.
Both mothers and fathers can pass dyslexia on to their children if either parent has it. There is roughly a 50% – 60% chance of a child developing dyslexia if one of their parents has it.
Using games is a fun way to help your child develop areas in their learning that they can struggle with. These areas of weakness have an impact on the child's ability to learn and include: working memory (visual and/or auditory), poor ability to order and sequence information (visual and/or auditory) and.
Establish a routine
Dyslexic learners may find it difficult to maintain concentration for long periods of time and may get tired quickly, so it's a good idea to create a routine which emphasises 'a little and often' rather than trying to squeeze too much work into a longer session.
Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world didn't let his dyslexia hold him back.
Actress Jennifer Aniston has publicly shared that she was diagnosed with dyslexia in her 20s, a diagnosis that explained lifelong struggles with reading, writing, and retaining information, leading her to believe she wasn't smart until discovering the learning disorder. She discovered this during an eye exam, where she realized her eyes jumped words when reading, and the diagnosis helped her understand past difficulties, transforming her self-perception.
Gwen Stefani opened up about a challenge in high school that became a “superpower” when she began to harness her creative energies. The 54-year-old pop star and The Voice coach explained that she struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia. In a new interview, she revealed when she first realized what was going on.
Dyslexia is not a physical problem with the eyes but a neurological difficulty with the brain. Many of the most common difficulties are caused by the way the brain recalls and works with letters and sounds, called phonological processing.
Phonics is the name for the process of matching letters to sounds. Kids with dyslexia have a hard time with phonics and need to learn it in a slow, structured way. A teacher can help kids move from simple patterns of letters and sounds to more complicated ones.
One in five people are dyslexic, including over 50 percent of NASA employees.
Research by the University of Strathclyde has found that people with dyslexia are much better at being curious and exploring new ideas and more likely to be found in careers where this is an advantage, such as art, media, architecture, creativity, engineering and inventing things!
Kids with dyslexia have many gifts, including:
Creative thinking
Dyslexic individuals often excel in creative fields like art, design and storytelling. Our brains are wired to think visually, making us great at generating unique ideas and seeing connections where others might not.