How to Teach Reading for a Dyslexic Child (Without Tears or Guessing)

If you’re searching for how to teach reading for a dyslexic child, you’re probably frustrated, overwhelmed, or both.

You’ve tried sight word flashcards. You’ve followed along with online apps. You’ve been told, “Just read more at home.”
But your child is still struggling.

They might mix up letters.
They might read slowly or skip over words.
They might avoid reading altogether—even though they’re clearly bright.

Let me tell you this loud and clear:
Dyslexia doesn’t mean your child can’t learn to read. It means they need to be taught differently.

In this post, I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to teach reading to a dyslexic child using science-backed, structured methods—including the exact approach we use in our Orton-Gillingham-based reading curriculum.

What Is Dyslexia—and Why It Matters for Reading Instruction

Dyslexia is a neurological difference that affects how a person processes language. It often shows up as difficulty with:

  • Sounding out words

  • Spelling

  • Remembering letter-sound relationships

  • Reading fluently

It’s not about intelligence. It’s about instruction.

To effectively teach reading to a dyslexic child, we need to work with how their brain learns best—through explicit, sequential, and multisensory instruction.

The Science of How to Teach Reading for a Dyslexic Child

The Science of Reading shows that all readers—especially those with dyslexia—benefit from systematic instruction in five key areas:

  1. Phonemic Awareness

  2. Phonics

  3. Fluency

  4. Vocabulary

  5. Comprehension

For a dyslexic child, phonemic awareness and phonics are the non-negotiables.

Why? Because their brains don’t automatically link sounds and letters the way neurotypical readers do. That connection must be built—explicitly and repeatedly—through intentional instruction.

What Not to Do When Teaching Reading to a Dyslexic Child

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s clear up a few myths and bad habits that hold kids back.

When teaching a dyslexic child to read, avoid:

  • ❌ Asking them to guess based on pictures

  • ❌ Relying on leveled readers with words they can’t decode

  • ❌ Pushing sight word memorization without phonics

  • ❌ Using inconsistent or loosely sequenced instruction

  • ❌ Moving on too quickly before they master a concept

These are common—but ineffective. And for a dyslexic student, they do more harm than good.

How to Teach Reading for a Dyslexic Child: 7 Steps That Work

Now let’s get practical. Here's how to teach reading for a dyslexic child—based on science, not guesswork.

1. Begin With Phonemic Awareness

Before letters even come into play, dyslexic students need to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in words.

✅ Try:

  • Clapping syllables

  • Identifying beginning/middle/end sounds

  • Blending sounds into words (/c/ /a/ /t/ → cat)

2. Follow a Structured Phonics Sequence

The key to teaching a dyslexic child to read is teaching phonics—explicitly and in order.

✅ Teach one skill at a time:

  • Short vowels

  • Digraphs (sh, ch, th)

  • Consonant blends

  • Silent e

  • R-controlled vowels

  • Vowel teams

  • Multisyllabic words

3. Use Only Decodable Texts

Dyslexic children need books that match their phonics knowledge—so they can read with success and confidence.

✅ Use texts that:

  • Align with taught skills

  • Avoid patterns your child hasn’t learned

  • Include a small set of decodable sight words

4. Make It Multisensory

Dyslexic learners need to see, hear, say, and touch sounds and letters.

✅ Incorporate:

  • Writing letters in sand or shaving cream

  • Tapping out sounds with fingers

  • Using letter tiles to build words

Multisensory learning isn’t just fun—it’s effective.

5. Review, Review, Review

One exposure isn’t enough. Dyslexic students need constant repetition and review to build long-term memory.

✅ Recycle:

  • Sounds

  • Rules

  • Word types

  • Previously learned books

6. Focus on Fluency After Mastery

Don’t rush into timed passages. Wait until your child can decode a word automatically.

✅ Then:

  • Re-read familiar stories

  • Practice phrasing and expression

  • Track words per minute to celebrate progress

7. Go Slow and Celebrate Every Win

Learning to read with dyslexia takes time. It’s not a race. It’s a skill-building journey.

✅ Celebrate:

  • Every new sound learned

  • Every new story read

  • Every moment your child says, “I can do this”

That’s what matters most.

The Best Tools to Teach Reading to a Dyslexic Child

If you’re ready to ditch the guesswork and follow a proven system, here are the tools I recommend:

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