How to teach kids with dyslexia to read
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By Julie Rawe
Expert reviewed by Bob Cunningham, EdM
Tips to teach reading to kids with dyslexia
- Quick tip 1Make reading multisensory.Make reading multisensory.
Help connect letters and sounds by engaging the senses, like writing a word in shaving cream while sounding it out.
- Quick tip 2Tap out the syllables.Tap out the syllables.
Say a long word out loud and tap out each syllable. This can help readers focus on and remember each syllable.
- Quick tip 3“Scoop” words into phrases.“Scoop” words into phrases.
Instead of reading word by word, try pausing between short, meaningful phrases: “The gray cat / jumped / on the red ball.”
- Quick tip 4Use a whisper phone.Use a whisper phone.
Help readers hear subtle differences by making or buying a phone-shaped tube to amplify the sounds as they read aloud.
- Quick tip 5Listen to audiobooks.Listen to audiobooks.
Use free tools that read text out loud. Audiobooks and text-to-speech (TTS) can help kids become better readers.
What’s the best way to teach kids with dyslexia how to read? The most helpful approach is called structured literacy. This way of teaching reading is:
Systematic: Reading skills are taught in a logical order. Kids have to master the basics before moving on to more complex skills. Example: A teacher makes sure kids can blend two letter-sounds before asking them to find those blends in words.
Explicit: Teaching is clear and direct. There’s no guesswork. Example: A teacher points to each letter in the word sit and says, “The first sound is /s/, the next sound is /ĭ/, and the last sound is /t/.”
Diagnostic: Teachers constantly assess students to make sure they’re mastering concepts before moving on. Instruction is individualized. Example: After working on blending sounds, a teacher notices one student needs more practice.
Structured literacy helps all kids learn to read. But it’s extra helpful for kids with dyslexia, who often have trouble with the basic skills of reading. Structured literacy helps kids build a solid foundation so they can develop more advanced reading skills.
See a structured literacy lesson for grade-schoolers and middle-schoolers.
Dive deeper
6 core skills of structured literacy
Structured literacy focuses on six core skills needed for reading:
Identifying the sounds in spoken words
Connecting sounds to letters
Dividing words into syllables
Studying meaningful parts of words, like prefixes and suffixes
Understanding sentence structure and the order of words
Understanding the meaning of words and sentences
Kids with dyslexia often have trouble with the first two skills — breaking down the sounds of language (phonological awareness) and matching those sounds with written symbols (decoding).
Learn more about phonological awareness and decoding.
Orton–Gillingham and multisensory reading programs
Many structured literacy programs use sight, sound, movement, and touch to help kids connect spoken language to written words. Here are three examples:
Orton–Gillingham: Kids see the letter s, say its name, and sound it out while writing it with their finger in shaving cream.
Wilson Reading System: Kids tap out each sound in a word with their fingers and thumb.
Barton Reading Program: Kids use color-coded tiles to build words with yellow vowels and blue consonants.
Engaging different senses can help make the information “stick.”
Learn more about multisensory instruction.
For parents and caregivers: What to do next
Some schools use structured literacy as part of their regular reading program or as part of special education. Some families hire tutors to provide extra instruction.
Whatever route you take, be sure to have frequent check-ins with the school. With the right support, kids with dyslexia can learn to read.