Finding out your child has dyslexia can feel like a bit of a whirlwind and the natural first thought is how to help them with reading and writing.. You’ve likely noticed them struggling with homework, or perhaps their teacher has mentioned they are falling behind their peers. In Australia, roughly 1 in 10 students have dyslexia, so you are certainly not alone in this journey.
The good news? Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence. With the right support and a few “smart” strategies at home, your child can, and will, become a confident reader and writer.
Here is how you can help your dyslexic child with reading and writing:
1. Focus on “Structured Synthetic Phonics”
Research (and Australian organisations like AUSPELD) confirms that the best way to help a dyslexic child is through Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP). This sounds technical, but it simply means teaching sounds in a specific, logical order.
· Don’t Guess: Discourage “guessing” words from the pictures. Instead, help them “sound it out” (segmenting) and “push it together” (blending).
· Decodable Books: Use “decodable” readers rather than standard “levelled” school books. Decodables only use sounds the child has already learned, which builds immediate success.
· Aussie Resources: Look into programs like Reading Doctor, Decodable Readers Australia or Little Learners Love Literacy.
2. Make Learning Multi-Sensory
Dyslexic brains often need to “feel” the language to remember it. Instead of just using a pencil and paper, try these:
· Sand or Shaving Cream: Have them trace letters in a tray of sand or shaving foam while saying the sound out loud.
· Sky Writing: Use big arm movements to “write” letters in the air.
· Magnetic Letters: Use physical letters on the fridge to build words, making spelling a tactile game rather than a chore.
3. Lean on Assistive Technology
Technology isn’t “cheating”, it’s a bridge that allows your child’s ideas to shine without being blocked by their spelling struggles.
· Audiobooks: Use apps like Libby (via your local Aussie library) or Audible. Listening to stories builds their vocabulary, exposes a student to complex sentences and keeps their love for books alive while they work on their reading skills.
· Speech-to-Text: Let them dictate their stories into a tablet or computer. This helps them realize they are actually great storytellers, even if they can’t spell the words yet.
· Reading Pens: Tools like the C-Pen can scan a word and read it aloud, giving them independence during quiet reading time.
4. Advocate at School
In Australia, schools are required to make “reasonable adjustments” for students with learning difficulties.
· IEP/ILP: Ask the school for an Individual Education Plan. This can include adjustments like extra time for tasks, not being asked to read aloud in front of the class, and access to assistive tech.
· The 90% Rule: If the school reader is so hard that they are making more than 1 mistake in every 10 words, it’s too difficult. Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher for a simpler book to build their fluency.
5. Protect Their Confidence
The most important thing you can provide is emotional “padding.” School is exhausting for a dyslexic child, it’s like running a marathon every single day.
· Praise Effort, Not Outcome: Celebrate the hard work of “sounding out” a tough word, even if the final sentence isn’t perfect.
· Keep it Short and frequent: Limit home literacy practice to 10–15 minutes. If they are tired and frustrated, stop. Pick up the practise another day in the week. You want home to be a safe space, not a second classroom.