Reading should feel safe
A child with dyslexia is not lazy, not stupid, and not "behind." Their brain processes written language differently. With the right strategies, reading can become a source of pleasure rather than dread.
Make the page easier to see
- Dyslexia-friendly font — try OpenDyslexic, Lexie Readable, Comic Sans, or Arial. Bright Steps has a built-in toggle in your profile.
- Larger text — minimum 14pt, ideally 16–18pt
- Wider line spacing — 1.5 or double
- Off-white background — cream, pale yellow or pale blue reduces glare
- Coloured overlays — try a pack of different tints; let the child choose
- Reading rulers — a strip that isolates one line at a time
Read together, every day
- Paired reading — you read a sentence, child reads the next
- Shared reading — you read the tricky bits, child the easier ones
- Audiobook + book — listening while following the text builds fluency
- Re-read familiar favourites — confidence grows from success, not novelty
Aim for 10 enjoyable minutes over 30 stressed ones.
Build phonics gently
- Use multi-sensory methods: sand trays, letter tiles, chalk, magnetic letters
- Focus on sounds, not letter names, when decoding
- Programmes like Toe by Toe, Nessy, Reading Eggs and Reading Plus are dyslexia-aware
Use assistive technology
- Text-to-speech: Immersive Reader (free in Microsoft Word), NaturalReader, Read&Write
- Speech-to-text for writing: built into iPad, Android, Word and Google Docs
- Audiobooks: Audible, Libby (free via library), Calibre Audio (free for print-disabled)
- Spell checkers with phonetic guessing: Ghotit, Grammarly
Protect self-esteem
- Celebrate effort, not speed or accuracy. "I saw how hard you worked on that word."
- Never make them read aloud cold in front of others.
- Separate reading from punishment — never use it as a consequence
- Name the strength — many dyslexic thinkers are excellent at problem solving, creativity, big-picture thinking
Talk to school
- Ask for a dyslexia screening — many schools have free tools
- Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act may include:
- Coloured paper for worksheets
- Extra time
- Laptop for written work
- Reduced copying from the board
- Formal diagnosis (Educational Psychologist) is helpful for exam access arrangements at GCSE
Useful organisations
- British Dyslexia Association — bdadyslexia.org.uk (helpline 0333 405 4567)
- Dyslexia Action — dyslexiaaction.org.uk
- Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity — helenarkell.org.uk
- Calibre Audio — free audiobook library for print-disabled readers