When reading is hard: dyslexia

The short version

• Dyslexia is a difference in how the brain handles the sounds in words. It is not about intelligence.
• Ask the school for an evaluation in writing.
• Structured, step-by-step phonics teaching is what research supports.

Bright, curious, full of stories, and stuck on the page. Maybe your child guesses at words, avoids reading aloud, or falls apart over homework that should take ten minutes. Maybe you were the same as a child. Dyslexia is a common difference in how the brain processes the sounds in words. It has nothing to do with intelligence, and with the right teaching, children with dyslexia learn to read.

What to know

It is common, and it runs in families

Dyslexia is the most common of the language-based learning disabilities. A parent or sibling who struggled with reading is one of the strongest signs to take a child's struggles seriously.

Early signs to notice

Trouble learning letter names and sounds, trouble rhyming, slow and effortful reading, spelling the same word different ways, and avoiding reading out loud.

Ask for an evaluation in writing

Public schools evaluate for a specific learning disability at no cost. Put your request in writing. You can ask the school to use the word dyslexia, and many states now screen young readers for it.

What works: structured literacy

Explicit, step-by-step teaching of sounds and letters, often called structured literacy, is what research supports. Ask which reading program your child will get and how many minutes a week.

Learning by ear counts

Audiobooks and text-to-speech are not cheating. They let your child keep learning while reading catches up. Bookshare offers free accessible books to qualifying U.S. students.

Protect how they see themselves

Many children with dyslexia decide they are “dumb” long before anyone names the difference. Name it for them, point out their strengths, and keep reading aloud together just for fun.

From the experts

These go straight to the source.

Dyslexia basics for parentsInternational Dyslexia AssociationFree accessible ebooks and audiobooks for qualifying studentsBooksharePlain guides to dyslexia and reading at schoolUnderstood.org

When to call someone

If reading struggles have turned into school refusal, stomachaches every morning, or your child says they are stupid or wish they were not here, talk with their doctor soon. In a crisis, call or text 988.

Keep going

On MOExDyslexia and reading differences — the full guide

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School, IEPs, and 504 plansHow to ask for an evaluation, IEP vs 504, and free help in every state.Wondering if it's you, tooYou were reading about your child, and the list described you.