Dyslexia can make reading and writing a daily struggle for children, but with the right tools and support at home, real progress is possible. As a parent, your involvement plays a powerful role in helping your child grow in confidence, build foundational skills, and feel supported every step of the way.
Here are practical, research-informed ways you can help your child with dyslexia thrive at home.
Understand What Dyslexia Is
Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that affects how the brain processes written words. It’s not related to intelligence or effort. Children with dyslexia often have difficulty with phonemic awareness, decoding, and fluency—but they also tend to have strong problem-solving skills, creativity, and critical thinking abilities.
The first step in helping is understanding. Learn about how dyslexia shows up in daily life, and recognize that it can look different in each child.
Set Up a Calm, Structured Environment
Children with dyslexia benefit from routine and predictability. Create a quiet space for reading and homework that is free from distractions. Keep materials organized and in the same place each day.
Structure helps reduce anxiety. A predictable routine allows your child to focus more energy on learning and less on figuring out what comes next.
Use Multi-Sensory Learning Strategies
Children with dyslexia often do better when they can see, hear, and touch the material they are learning. Multi-sensory instruction uses more than one sense at a time to reinforce reading and spelling.
Try these strategies:
- Let your child trace letters in sand or shaving cream
- Use magnetic letters or letter tiles for spelling
- Pair spoken words with written text
- Practice skywriting with large arm movements
This type of learning activates different areas of the brain and helps make concepts stick.
Make Reading Part of Your Routine
Reading every day is one of the best things you can do, but it does not have to be a struggle. Choose books that are slightly below your child’s reading level so they can read with less frustration. Let your child pick topics they enjoy—when reading feels fun, kids are more likely to stick with it.
You can also take turns reading aloud, use audiobooks to follow along with print, and discuss stories to build comprehension and vocabulary.
Focus on Phonemic Awareness and Decoding
Children with dyslexia often struggle to break words into sounds. Practicing phonemic awareness at home helps strengthen these foundational skills.
You can:
- Play word games that focus on beginning, middle, or ending sounds
- Use flashcards to match sounds with letters
- Practice blending sounds into words out loud
- Break longer words into syllables and chunks
These small daily exercises support what your child may be learning in structured literacy instruction.
Build Confidence Through Encouragement
Confidence plays a key role in your child’s learning journey. Dyslexia can lead to frustration or self-doubt, especially when progress feels slow or comparison to peers sets in. Celebrating effort and highlighting strengths can make a meaningful difference.
Focus on what your child does well—whether it’s problem-solving, creativity, leadership, or empathy. A strength-based approach helps shift the focus from what’s hard to what’s possible.
To help identify these qualities, you can take the Mind Strengths Assessment at neurolearning.com. This tool gives insight into your child’s unique abilities and can guide how you encourage and support them every day.
Use Helpful Technology Tools
Technology can help remove some of the barriers dyslexic students face during reading and writing tasks. The right tools can make schoolwork more accessible and reduce frustration.
- Text-to-speech programs can read text aloud while your child follows along.
- Speech-to-text tools can help with writing assignments by converting spoken words into written form.
- Audiobook services like Learning Ally or Bookshare can provide access to grade-level content without the stress of decoding.
If your child completes our dyslexia screener and results indicate that dyslexia is likely contributing to their reading or spelling challenges, La Jolla Learning can help you access a free lifetime Bookshare membership. This gives students access to thousands of accessible books, supporting both academic growth and a love of reading.
Stay in Close Contact with Teachers
Your child’s teacher can be a valuable partner in your home efforts. Stay in regular communication to understand what strategies are being used at school and how you can reinforce them at home.
Ask questions like:
- What phonics patterns are you working on?
- Are there reading goals we should practice?
- How can we support writing development?
When school and home work together, children benefit from consistency and support on both sides.
Know When to Seek Additional Support
If your child continues to struggle despite consistent home support, it may be time to bring in extra help. At La Jolla Learning, we offer specialized dyslexia support using evidence-based methods tailored to how your child learns best.
Our team includes certified professionals trained in structured literacy programs such as Orton-Gillingham. These interventions target the root of reading difficulties and help students build lasting skills in decoding, fluency, and comprehension.
Early support can make a meaningful difference. We’re here to guide your child with personalized instruction that builds both skill and confidence.
Final Thoughts
Helping a child with dyslexia at home takes patience, consistency, and a willingness to try different strategies. Progress might feel slow at times, but small daily efforts truly make a difference.
At La Jolla Learning, we believe that every child has the ability to learn and grow when they receive the right kind of support. Whether you’re building daily reading routines or considering professional intervention, your role at home matters deeply.
If you’re looking for additional support, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.
