How to Support a Child with Dyslexia at Home
When your child is learning differently, the home environment can be a powerful place for skill-building and confidence. Here’s a practical plan parents can use alongside professional intervention.
1. Start by Creating a Supportive Environment
Label the difficulty — not the child. Explain that dyslexia means the brain processes written language differently, and that many successful people have dyslexia.
Encourage progress, not perfection. Praise effort when your child tries difficult reading or writing tasks. Celebrate small wins. Dyslexia doesn’t affect intelligence — your belief in them matters most.
2. Daily shared reading (no pressure)
Read aloud together and talk about the story. Let your child follow along while you read so they connect spoken language to print. Use audiobooks paired with print for practice.
3. Multisensory practice
Children with dyslexia may learn better when engaging multiple senses.
Activities that combine sight, sound and movement work well: tracing letters in sand, using letter tiles or making letters out of clay.
4. Set Short, Achievable Goals
Breaking tasks into smaller steps prevents overwhelm. Use visual checklists and timers to maintain focus.
5. Short, structured practice sessions
Five focused, supportive minutes several times a day beats one long stressful session. Use decodable texts that match the sounds they’re learning.
6. Work with school & professionals
Share assessment results with teachers and ask about classroom accommodations. In Singapore, MOE and DAS have school-based supports and MOE-subsidised literacy options where eligible.
7. Make learning meaningful
Choose books about their interests; use games, apps, and real-world tasks (eg. recipes, maps) to practise reading and sequencing.
8. Keep a progress log
Note what works, what doesn’t, and small gains. This helps your child see progress and helps professionals fine-tune the plan.
At Mind Mechanics we coach parents as part of our programmes so home practice is effective and confidence grows. Learn about our Foundations for Reading Program or check our FAQs for typical timelines and what to expect.
References:
- Child Mind Institute (parent guide) — Child Mind Institute
- Harvard Health (tools & supports) — Harvard Health