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Need help choosing books for kids with Dyslexia? My youngest daughter that was diagnosed with Dyslexia struggled with learning how to read. Once she learned how to connect sounds with letters and combine those sounds to form words, she was eager to learn how to read.
Read on for 3 tips that turned her into a reader…
As a mom, I wanted to encourage this by finding the right books for kids with Dyslexia. I found out that three things helped me do this: find a text with Dyslexie font, use graphic novels, and allow her to use audiobooks.
#1 Choose Books with Dyslexie Font for Your Kids
My first tip for choosing books for kids with Dyslexia is to find books with Dyslexie font. Dyslexie font is a font created by a college student that was also diagnosed with Dyslexia. For his project, he created the Dyslexie font that provides less 3D movements of letters on the screen or printed in a book.
Many, but not all, children with dyslexia will say that it looks like some of the fonts are moving. The Dyslexie font also has a font with letters that have wider bottoms, different shapes, and longer letters. These different visual cues help kids with Dyslexia read. Several book publishers have started to use the Dyslexie font in their books.
I learned to check in with my public library and if they didn’t have any books with this font, I would ask them if they could order them or borrow them from another library (many libraries big and small have an interlibrary loan with other libraries in their state and/or nearby states). My daughter was so excited to read a “real” book with Dyslexie font.
#2 Try Graphic Novels or Illustrated Books for Kids with Dislexia
My second tip for choosing books for kids with Dyslexia is to use graphic novels. Graphic novels are books with less text and more visuals that resemble a comic book. This type of book is another way to make reading seem less overwhelming.
My youngest daughter, who now loves going to the library, will always look for graphic novels. There is a wide array of them for younger children up through teenagers. I love how more publishers are creating nonfiction books and classical literature.
This makes all forms of reading more available to them without having to worry about having to read a lot of pages in smaller font. The visuals with this type of book also help kids with Dyslexia to remember what they have read. It allows them to make a connection between the characters, story plot, a problem in the story, and how it was resolved due to this visualization.
#3 Use Audio Books for Kids with Dyslexia
My third and final tip for choosing books for kids with Dyslexia is to allow them to use audiobooks. Many parents might think that this is cheating because they are listening, not “reading” the book. They are reading a book, just with their ears.
There are audiobooks for young children through adults. Many libraries allow you to check out audiobooks from within the building and/or online on their website. Our private library does both. If you have an Audible account through Amazon, that is another way to access audiobooks.
When my daughter was reading books with Dyslexie font or in graphic novel form, she wanted to read books like her older siblings (she’s the youngest of four). Audiobooks provided another opportunity to allow her to read all books, even the super thick ones (i.e Harry Potter).
If you are hesitant about using audiobooks solely, another option is to find an audiobook and its physical form in a book. Your child can follow along with their eyes while listening to it. Then ask your child what the book was about, what happened, who were the main characters, etc. If they are unable to answer the questions, have them only listen to the audiobook and see if they can answer your comprehension questions. This will give you a great indicator of which approach is better for your child.
Final Thoughts…
These three tips for choosing books for kids with Dyslexia should provide opportunities to encourage your child to read.
My 12-year-old daughter with Dyslexia is the only one out of my four children that once she had access to books in Dyslexie font, graphic novels, and audiobook forms, her inner drive to read more increased. She went from becoming frustrated at reading a couple of sentences of a page to reading thousands of pages in a year.
My daughter worked so hard to gain those skills of putting sounds to letters, combining sounds to form words, reading the words, and comprehending what she read. All of that hard work paid off. Now the problem is telling her that she will have to wait for her books to come into the library that she requested!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tracy is a mother of four (ages 11 to 17), former special education teacher for nine years, and currently an Extended School Year teacher for children with disabilities and freelance writer.
Find Tracy’s tips for choosing a reading program for Dyslexia.
Ashley helps parents who want to homeschool find the resources they need to successfully teach their children. Ashley is a former teacher, current homeschooler, published author, and designer behind Circle Time with Miss Fox printables as well as the found of this website, The Homeschool Resource Room.