Homeschooling Children With Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a language-processing disorder that makes reading difficult. It is due to a deficit in the phonological component of language, i.e., the way a person perceives written components of language and translates them into words. Dyslexia can have many symptoms, including:
- Difficulty identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words
- Poor spelling and decoding abilities
- Mispronouncing words
- Mixing up letters that look similar
- Struggling to learn nursery rhymes or song lyrics that rhyme
Once considered rare, today it is estimated that as many as 20% of children may be affected by some form of dyslexia. While the reasons for this increased incidence of dyslexia are debated, the fact remains that dyslexia is increasingly common. Dyslexic children typically require extra effort and specialized strategies to help them learn to read.
If you are the parent of a dyslexic child, you may question whether homeschooling is the best option. This is understandable. You might be worried about the amount of time required to do a good job, or perhaps you are concerned that you might do more harm than good.
The good news is that you can homeschool your dyslexic child. They can be taught to read at home just like any other child. In fact, one-on-one instruction is a large plus in teaching them. They just need the right approach. Let’s review four strategies you can adopt if you are homeschooling a dyslexic child.
1. Take a Multisensory Structured Literacy Approach
This is really the most important part of dyslexia education. A multisensory approach goes beyond merely seeing and reading words, incorporating senses such as touch and movement. For example, tactile handwriting reinforcement has proved helpful in correcting the tendency of dyslexic readers to confuse similar letters or to transpose letter sequences. For example, if your child tends to confuse b and d, he can be taught to use consistent, different strokes in forming each letter. In printing the letter b, the child draws the vertical line before the circle; in printing the letter d, they draw the vertical line after the circle. This creates a distinct muscle memory for each letter.
Here’s a fantastic article on multisensory literacy for dyslexic students from the Learning Disabilities Association of Utah.
2. Build Phonological Awareness with Structured Literacy
The difficulty dyslexic people have in processing language sounds is related to phonological awareness. Phonemes are the building blocks of language. They are the smallest unit of sound that carries meaning in a language. For example, in the word charm, there are three phonemes: ch, ar, and m.
Phonological awareness means helping emergent readers to become aware of these phonemes and how they sound. They can start with larger units of sound through rhymes and syllable identification, then gradually work down to the individual phonemes. This is often called “Structured Literacy” (SL).
An SL approach to dyslexia uses a methodical approach to language from the ground up. For example, a child might build phonemes with letter tiles while saying the sounds aloud, engaging sight, touch, and verbalization simultaneously. The International Dyslexia Association has a great introductory article on SL if you’d like to learn more.
3. Lots of Practice and Review!
Dyslexic learners require considerably more practice and review than non-dyslexic children. If you are homeschooling a dyslexic child, prepare to set aside considerable amounts of time for reviewing new concepts and practicing intensively. It is important that you do not rush through material.
When it comes to dyslexia, it is vastly better to go at a slower pace for mastery. Remember, you are building reading skills for a lifetime, so make sure you construct a solid foundation. In terms of practice frequency, many parents of dyslexic children report that shorter, more frequent sessions are more fruitful than longer, less frequent ones.
You can use games, flashcards, and varied activities to keep practice engaging. Momentum is also important. Make sure to celebrate small successes to build your child’s confidence and motivation. There are even apps designed to help with this, notably AnkiPro, a flashcard creation that can be customized for the needs of dyslexic children.
4. Be Generous with Accommodations
While you obviously want to help remediate the difficulties arising from dyslexia, you also want to be generous in accommodating your child while he or she is learning. Accommodations are not meant to “fix” dyslexia. Instead, they level the playing field, allowing the child to understand content without being hindered by their cognitive challenges.
Some examples of accommodation include providing audiobooks, using text-to-speech software, allowing extra time on tests, reducing the amount of writing required, or using graphic organizers to help with planning and organization. (In Homeschool Connections’ learning management system, Caravel, students can opt for a dyslexic font, which has proven helpful.)
A common dyslexia strategy is to lean heavily on verbal approaches to reading comprehension, in which a parent reads the material aloud to the child and asks questions about the text.
You Can Do It!
Homeschooling a child with a learning disability can feel overwhelming, but it is important to remember that you are uniquely positioned to provide the individualized, patient, and loving support your child needs. Nobody is as influential as a parent, and by implementing the right strategies, you are forging a strong foundation for their future literacy.
What are your thoughts on this topic? I invite you to join other homeschooling parents and me in the Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group.
