As parents of dyslexic children, we want to create a dyslexia-friendly learning environment. Homeschooling offers a unique opportunity to tailor the learning environment to meet our children’s specific needs. In fact, that is why many of us chose to homeschool in the first place.
It’s incredibly overwhelming after seeing our children struggle, seeking out evaluations, obtaining a diagnosis, only to be left thinking, “Now, what?”. That was my experience when my child was diagnosed with dyslexia.
I’ve learned a lot since then, and I am here to share with you the ten best ways you can create a dyslexia friendly environment in your homeschool.
This post contains affiliate links to products and services that might help you when homeschooling.
#1 Educate Yourself on All Things Dyslexia
The first way to create a welcoming and accepting learning space for your child is by educating yourself on all things dyslexia. This might also include learning about dysgraphia and dyscalculia, as these things often occur in conjunction with one another.
According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”
I didn’t really know anything about dyslexia before my child was diagnosed. All I knew was that dyslexic people have a hard time reading and mix up b’s and d’s. But I soon learned it is so much more complex than that!
My best advice is to seek out groups about dyslexia on social media, watch YouTube videos of experts and dyslexic people describing their experiences, and talk to other homeschooling moms.
Discovering as much first-person knowledge about this learning disability has been the most beneficial and impactful in my quest to understand my child.
#2 Ask for Help
The second way to create a supportive learning environment for your child is to seek out help from others. As I mentioned, I didn’t know much about dyslexia, which meant that I didn’t know how to help my child.
The Orton-Gillingham method is the gold standard in dyslexia tutoring. You might be able to find a certified tutor in your area. A tutor can work one-on-one with your child and address their specific needs.
However, there are online options for tutoring as well. My child enjoys Lexercise. We’ve been using this program off and on for a couple of years, and I can definitely attest to great results. My younger child enjoys playing the game, too, even though he is hyperlexic (we have zero typical learners in this house, ha!)!
#3 Seek Out Dyslexia Friendly Curriculums
This is the question I see the most often from parents. What curriculum should I use? Well, I have the answers for you to get you started! While every child is unique in their needs, there are some key characteristics you can look out for. They are multi-sensory and mastery approaches.
People with dyslexia need concepts presented in a variety of ways and multiple times before fully grasping something new. Here are a few favorites recommended by parents:
- Logic of English Foundations
- All About Reading
- All About Spelling
- Math U See
- Spelling U See
- History Quest
- Essentials in Writing
- Right Start Math
- Khan Academy
- Explode the Code
- Math with Confidence
- Handwriting Without Tears
- Times Tales
- Rooted in Language Pinwheels
- The Good and the Beautiful*
*I want to make a special note about The Good and the Beautiful. This is a very popular curriculum, and many families successfully use it with their dyslexic child (including me). However, The Good and the Beautiful states on their website that they may not be the best fit for children with dyslexia.
#4 Set the Scene
Having a comfortable and fun place to do school benefits everyone, but it’s especially true for someone with dyslexia. Our kids’ brains are working extra hard, so the more we can do to make them comfy, cozy, and relaxed, the more dyslexia friendly learning environment our homeschool becomes.
Furthermore, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Throw some pillows and blankets on the floor under a table with the underside decorated in space or underwater themes. Tape some battery-powered fairy lights up there, and you’ve created a magical and creative space for your child to work in. Or, when the weather is nice, pitch a tent in your backyard and bring out all the stuffed animals for an adventure. The possibilities are endless!
#5 Allow for More Time
Another way to create a dyslexia friendly learning environment is to allow extra time. We’ve talked about how hard dyslexic brains work during school. Building breaks into your homeschool day is a game changer!
We like to do our more difficult subjects (math and language arts) first, then take a significant break for a snack and play. I’ll even let the kids watch a video because sometimes we all need to zone out.
Additionally, we take a long break for lunch. It’s usually about an hour. Again, I’ll typically let the kids choose how they spend this time.
Having long breaks built into our routine makes our school day longer than others. However, I find that this setup works much better than trying to power through and get everything done as quickly as possible.
#6 Throw Out the Expectations of Grade Levels
Grade levels are already wishy-washy in the homeschool community. And I encourage you to really lean into that when your child has a learning disability.
Additionally, have open and honest conversations with them as to why their textbook level might not match up with their actual grade. We talk a lot about how everyone has strengths and challenges. It is very normal for kids to be working in various grade levels all at the same time. And that is one of the most beautiful things about homeschooling. It is individualized education in the best way.
#7 Embrace Accommodations
Learning differently is still learning. There are so many tools and resources available to accommodate your dyslexic learner.
Did you know that listening to audiobooks activates the same part of the brain as reading with your eyes? I often hear that audiobooks don’t count as reading, and that simply isn’t based in fact.
Eyes see. Ears hear. Fingers feel. The brain reads. Can you imagine someone saying a person who uses braille is only feeling books? No, because that’s ridiculous. Here are some great audiobook resources:
Additionally, Amazon Alexa will read you any book from your Kindle, even if it’s not an audiobook. Simply open your Alexa app and type or voice activate the command, “Alexa, read xyz book from my Kindle.”
#8 Celebrate the Wins (Big and Small)
Celebrating all the things is a fantastic way to create a dyslexia friendly learning environment! Finish a chapter book for the first time? Cheers! You remembered your math facts during your lesson? Hip, hip, hooray! Got half your spelling words correct? Three cheers to you!
Seriously. Celebrate and instill pride in your child in all these little things because they aren’t actually little. These small things are actually a big deal that they’ve worked hard to achieve.
#9 Lean into the Strengths of Dyslexia
Did you know that people with dyslexia often have strong visual-spatial skills. They can literally think in 3D pictures and can look at things from multiple angles.
Once, my child told me that when she’s trying to make a decision, she sees herself in various scenarios, like a scene from a movie. She looks at each scene from all sides; then she is able to make a choice.
I was stunned when she told me this! No wonder it takes her so long to make a decision or choice. She is literally creating movies in her head!
Some other strengths of dyslexia are creativity, problem-solving skills, a high level of empathy, making connections and picture thinkers, being observant, and the list goes on!
#10 Check In With Your Child
Lastly, I encourage you to check in with your child often and have ongoing conversations about how they feel about school and life in general.
Knowledge is power. Therefore, the more your child understands their own brain, the more confident they will be in how it works and have the ability to advocate for themselves. So often, our neurodivergent children are forced to conform to a neurotypical world, much to their detriment.
Fostering a homeschool environment that celebrates dyslexia and neurodiversity can make all the difference in your child’s self-esteem. I hope these tips empower you in your homeschooling journey!
