How To Support Children With Dyslexia

Supporting a dyslexic child at home: practical strategies for parents

For a child with dyslexia, learning can require significant concentration and emotional energy. Home can therefore play an important role in providing a safe, supportive environment where learning feels manageable, enjoyable and free from unnecessary pressure. Small, consistent strategies can make a meaningful difference. From shared reading and multisensory activities to predictable routines and positive encouragement, parents and carers can help children build confidence alongside their literacy skills.

Keep the pressure low

One of the most important things parents can offer is reassurance and understanding. Children with dyslexia may use a great deal of emotional and mental energy navigating learning at school. At home, it can help to create an environment where they can relax, feel safe, and learn without feeling judged. Try to make learning enjoyable rather than focusing solely on getting the right answer. Short, positive activities are often more effective than long sessions that leave your child feeling frustrated.

Praise effort, not just results

Celebrate persistence, creativity and problem-solving, as well as successful outcomes. Let your child know that you notice how they approach challenges and keep going when something is difficult.

Help your child understand dyslexia

Talk openly and positively about dyslexia. Help your child understand that their brain works differently – it is not ‘broken’. You can also talk about strengths often associated with dyslexic thinking, such as creativity, seeing the bigger picture, and finding different ways to solve problems. Positive self-talk can be encouraged through simple messages such as:

“Reading and spelling are hard for you, just like maths is hard for me. Finding something hard doesn’t mean you aren’t brilliant.”

It can also be helpful to introduce your child to successful people with dyslexia. Learning about well-known dyslexic individuals can help children develop positive associations with dyslexia and see that it does not prevent them from achieving their goals.

Supporting reading at home

Regular, enjoyable reading opportunities can help children build confidence and develop their skills. Reading aloud provides valuable practice and repetition. Choose books and topics that genuinely interest your child, rather than reading simply for the sake of completing a reading activity.

Combine audio and printed books

Using audiobooks alongside printed books can make reading more accessible and enjoyable. Encourage your child to follow the printed words while listening to the audio. This can provide additional support for developing fluency.

Take turns reading

Shared reading can take some of the pressure away. Take turns reading a sentence, paragraph or page, depending on what feels manageable for your child. Start small and gradually build up. Most importantly, make reading a shared and enjoyable experience.

Keep sessions short and regular

Consistency matters. Ten minutes of reading each day is likely to be more manageable and useful than one long session once a week.

Use helpful tools

Simple tools can make reading easier. For example, a ruler can help a child keep their place on the page, while a coloured overlay may make text more comfortable to read for some children.

Supporting writing and spelling

Writing can feel particularly demanding for a child with dyslexia, so building confidence is an important first step.

Encourage putting pen to paper

Getting started can be a challenge in itself. Focus initially on encouraging your child to have a go and recognise their effort, rather than concentrating immediately on mistakes.

Practise little and often

Short spelling practice can be more manageable than trying to learn a large number of words at once. For example, focusing on three words a day can provide regular practice without becoming overwhelming.

Make spelling multisensory

Use activities that involve seeing, hearing and physically forming letters and words. For example, children could:

• Write letters or words in the air.

• Write in sand or water.

• Say the sounds aloud while writing them.

• Use flashcards to practise familiar words.

These approaches can make learning more engaging and provide different ways for children to remember information.

Make learning multisensory

Multisensory learning is a particularly useful approach for supporting children with dyslexia. It involves using several senses at the same time, helping children engage with information in different ways.

Try using:

• Magnetic letters to build words.

• Playdough to form letters and words.

• Colour coding to highlight spelling patterns or word families, such as using one colour consistently for vowels.

• Tracing letters while saying the corresponding sounds aloud.

• Writing and saying sounds at the same time to reinforce the connection between what a child hears, sees and does.

• The aim is to make learning active, memorable and enjoyable.

Set your child up for success

The environment in which learning takes place can significantly affect how manageable it feels.

Create a calm learning space

Where possible, choose a quiet, well-lit area with minimal noise, distractions and clutter. A consistent space can help your child recognise that it is time to focus.

Reduce the memory load

Visual timetables, checklists and other prompts can help children keep track of what they need to do without having to hold everything in their working memory. Colour-coded folders can also help organise materials and create visual associations that support recall.

Keep routines consistent

A predictable daily routine can provide an important anchor for a child. Knowing what to expect can help reduce uncertainty and make learning activities feel more manageable.

Work together with school

The strongest support comes when home and school work together. Share with your child's school the strategies that are proving helpful at home. This might include using a particular colour overlay, allowing additional time or breaking tasks into smaller steps. It can also help to understand what skills and themes are being taught at school so you can reinforce them at home consistently. When children encounter similar approaches in both settings, it can reduce confusion and support ongoing learning. Most importantly, keep communication open and positive. Regular conversations between home and school can help everyone understand what is working well, identify areas where additional support may be needed and ensure that the child remains at the centre of the approach.