Dyslexia - What Has Worked So Far (Fall 2023)

 All five kids and I have signs of dyslexia, but the 8 year-old is the only one with an official assessment done by a doctor.  He has severe dyslexia.  In three of the categories, he had the lowest scores you could have.  According to the assessment, he has phonological issues (hearing the letter sounds) and visual attention issues (difficulty remembering symbols and their meanings).

I just wanted to record my thoughts on what has worked up until this point.  Each person is different, so what works for us may not work for others and vice versa (that goes without saying, I think).

What we have been successful with so far:

All About Spelling

• I am only using the Teacher's Guide.  I did not buy all the extras for it, but if I could afford it, I would've bought all the bells and whistles for this program.  But even only using the Teacher's Guide and a dry erase board, this is really making a difference with his reading abilities.
• All About Spelling

Explode the Code

• This has really helped him so much.  We're going to do this series of workbooks until we finish all of them.
• We are only using the workbooks, not the online version
• Explode the Code

Handwriting using the whiteboard app on iPad

• This app was free.  It's called Whiteboard.  We use our fingers or a stylus to form the letters - lowercase, capital, cursive and print.  You can make the letters different colors and the ink can be thick or thin.
• I work on motor memory and forming the letters correctly, instead of drawing them differently every time.

Dog on a Log Readers

• These are priceless.  Written by a lady who's daughter is dyslexic.  
• Dog on a Log Books

Sonlight Readers

• He really likes these, but any readers are fine.
• He especially likes the Frog and Toad books.
• This is the link for just the Readers.

Read-alouds

• I spend about an hour a day (or more if you count bedtime readings) reading aloud to him.  Sometimes, we sit on the couch and he listens.  Sometimes, he plays on the floor with cars, etc, while I read.
• I think hearing me read aloud is very, very important.  He's hearing correct pronunciations, speech patterns, sentence patterns, vocabulary we don't use every day, etc.
• We use Sonlight, so this includes read-alouds.

Dyslexia-Friendly Font

• He needs large simple font, white space on the page and very little clutter.  That's just the way it is.
• It doesn't have to be Dyslexie Font, but he likes that, too.  (So do I)
• Dyslexie Font

My Back-up Plan in case he stops progressing with reading:

• He is about a grade level behind in reading, but he is continually making progress, so I am not going to change anything.
• If he hits a wall with reading, my back-up plan is:
• Toe by Toe reading program
• Barton Reading

Other kids may need different resources, but this is what has worked for us!