--- title: 'Reading to my son: 5 ways I get ready as a dyslexic dad' description: 'Get tips on reading to your child when you have dyslexia. A dyslexic dad shares his strategies for reading to his son. ' slug: dyslexic-dad-tips-read-to-child author: Khalil Munir published: '2021-01-05T18:24:31.013Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/iZKzrd64cYLLiakFaR9r7/230e48469586b509205e5485c0d42258/Reading-to-My-Son--5-Ways-I-Get-Ready-as-a-Dyslexic-Dad.png source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/dyslexic-dad-tips-read-to-child lang: en --- # Reading to my son: 5 ways I get ready as a dyslexic dad At one point in my life, I didn’t want to have children because of my [dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-dyslexia). I didn’t want to have to read to my child. It was my insecurity I was dealing with. Years later, I remember one time I was reading to my son and stumbling over words. I was so uncomfortable that I started making up words. I would throw in what made sense based on the context clues because it wasn’t clear to me what the word was. I felt a little foolish doing that.  So that’s when I developed a system to make sure I’m not stumbling and bumbling over words. Being a parent is a selfless act. It’s bigger than my insecurities. It’s about wanting to read with my son to create memories and connection. Here are five ways I get ready to read as a dyslexic dad. ## 1. Have my son choose a book the night before. Each night when we finish reading, I ask my son, “What book do you want to read tomorrow night?” For a while, it was superheroes — Spider-Man, Black Panther, the Avengers. When my son was in that mode, that’s what we were reading.  Sometimes I want to introduce my son to [books with black characters or authors](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/representation-matters-4-books-about-kids-of-color-that-i-love-to-read-to-my-son). I’ll ask, “Which of these do you want to read tomorrow?” But I always ask the night before because I need time to prepare.  ## 2. Read in advance. I want to make sure I’m comfortable with the book. This helps me bring it to life. Reading the book in advance helps me be more animated with it and change my voice in certain places.  This tip is for non-dyslexic parents as well. The more interactive and entertaining you are, the more your child will engage with the book. ## 3. Decode with my phone. If there’s a word I’m having trouble [decoding](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/decoding-what-it-is-and-how-it-works), I go to my phone and type it in. Then I highlight it and press “speak” to hear how my phone says it.  When I got my first phone with text-to-speech, it was life-saving. I’ve been using that feature ever since.  ## 4. Get into the right mental space. Each night before we start reading, I think about how grateful I am to have this time with my son because I didn’t have this time with my father.  I also forgive myself right at the outset. I say to myself, *It’s OK to make a mistake. You’ll be all right. Your son is not going to think less of you. Don’t think less of yourself. * ## 5. Have fun. The more I’m having fun, the more my child is having fun. It’s not about the book at that moment. It’s more about the time we’re spending and the relationship I’m creating with my son.  For parents, reading together may be a moment. For kids, it may become a memory. It’s a moment of connection. *This article was scribed by Julie Rawe.* ## Keep reading - [7 ways to support your child’s reading when you don’t like to read](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/7-ways-to-support-your-childs-reading-when-you-dont-like-to-read) - [No time to read to your child? 6 ideas to try](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/no-time-to-read-to-your-child-6-ideas-to-try) - [10 places to find free books for your child](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/10-places-to-find-free-books-for-your-child) --- ## Explore related topics and articles - [When my son with dyslexia wouldn’t read with me, we found another way to connect](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/when-my-son-with-dyslexia-wouldnt-read-with-me-we-found-another-way-to-connect) - When my son was 9, we did our own version of the read-before-bedtime ritual. It was a nightmare. While other parents cuddled with their children and took turns reading aloud from Harry Potter or Treasure Island, we battled over books that were babyish and boring. My son has dyslexia, and in fourth g - [5 things not to say to your child about dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/things-not-to-say-to-your-child-about-dyslexia) - Even the best-intended comments can make a child with dyslexia feel discouraged or inadequate. We talked to dyslexia advocate Ben Foss, author of The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan. He shared tips about what words can hurt and what to say instead. 1. If you try harder, youll read better. Imagine asking a - [My daughter’s dyslexia showed me I was doing parent-teacher conferences all wrong ](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/parent-teacher-conferences-asking-tough-questions) - Parent-teacher conferences used to leave Suzie feeling overwhelmed. So much so that she almost missed signs of her daughter’s trouble with reading. 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