How to support a child with dyslexia:
A parent's guide
If your child has been identified with dyslexia, you are not alone — and there is a great deal you can do at home to support their learning. The strategies below are drawn from peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines in reading science and literacy.
Disclaimer: The strategies on this page are drawn from peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines. Always consult your child's school or a qualified specialist for personalised advice.
What is dyslexia?
• Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that affects reading, spelling, and decoding — not intelligence
• It stems from difficulty processing the sounds of language (phonological processing), making it harder to connect letters to sounds
• Early identification and evidence-based intervention lead to significantly better outcomes
Reading and phonics at home
• Use structured literacy approaches — explicitly teach phoneme awareness (breaking words into sounds) before and alongside reading
• Practice blending sounds daily using simple word lists (e.g., cat → c-a-t), starting with short vowel sounds
• Read aloud to your child every day — this builds vocabulary and comprehension even when decoding is hard
• Use audiobooks alongside print so your child follows along — this supports fluency development
• Play rhyming games, tongue twisters, and sound-sorting activities to build phonological awareness
• Avoid asking your child to read aloud in stressful situations — silent or paired reading reduces anxiety
Building confidence and reducing frustration
• Praise effort and persistence specifically ("You sounded out every word in that sentence") rather than general praise
• Keep reading sessions short (10–15 minutes) and positive — stop before frustration builds
• Acknowledge that dyslexia is not laziness or lack of effort — validate their experience openly
• Celebrate strengths: many children with dyslexia excel in creativity, problem-solving, and big-picture thinking
Helpful tools and accommodations
• Request a formal assessment through your school or a clinical psychologist to access accommodations (extra time, oral responses, assistive technology)
• Use free, built-in text-to-speech software for schoolwork and pleasure reading
• Try dyslexia-friendly fonts (OpenDyslexic, Arial) and increase font size and line spacing on screens
• Coloured overlays or paper can reduce visual stress for some children — try different pastel shades
• Use lined paper with wide spacing and a pencil grip to reduce writing demands while reading
Working with your child's school
• Ask for an Individual Education Plan (IEP), Personalised Learning Plan (PLP), or learning support plan with measurable literacy goals
• Request that your child's teacher use multi-sensory instruction (seeing, saying, hearing, and writing simultaneously)
• Evidence-based reading programmes include Orton-Gillingham or Sounds-Write
• Ask for regular progress monitoring data — how many words per minute can they accurately read each term?
RESEARCH AND FURTHER READING
Shaywitz, S. & Shaywitz, B. (2020). Overcoming Dyslexia. Knopf.
International Dyslexia Association (2020). Dyslexia Basics. dyslexiaida.org
National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching Children to Read. NICHD.
Galuschka, K. et al. (2014). Effectiveness of treatment approaches for children with reading disabilities. PLOS ONE.
SPELD Australia — speld.org.au