For parents of children who have dyslexia, it can be an absolute nightmare trying to get your little ones to gain an interest in reading.
When at school they have to pick up books and practise reading. My daughter went through the whole of Key Stage 1 and 2 hating reading before we finally got her a diagnosis for dyslexia.
So how can we encourage our kids to engage in stories and enjoy books when they have dyslexia?
This blog seeks to put some pointers in place....
1) Get books with fantastic illustrations.
There are some stunningly beautiful books out there that not only have great stories but are also cleverly illustrated giving the reader not only a written account of the story but visual clues too.
Some great examples of writers that have been very popular with kids because of the illustrations present are as follows;
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Everyone knows the story of Charlie, but all of Roald Dahl's books are so well illustrated and can engage readers of any age. My favourite was the BFG.
Jacqueline Wilson
As a father of two daughters it seemed that for a while their favourite author was the celebrated Jacqueline Wilson. She is an amazing woman that just seems to fully understand the hearts and mind of children which is probably what has made her so successful. That said the illustrations by Nick Sharratt really make her books special in a vibrant, colourful and easy to understand way.
Other Authors To Note...
Barrington Stoke specifically publishes age-appropriate and accessible titles for dyslexic readers from aged eight to adult. Recent teen titles include Sita Brahmachari’s Brace Mouth, False Teeth, a warm hearted and funny story about Zeni’s work experience in a care home and Mary Hoffman’s dramatic and romantic historical drama, Angel of Venice.
2)If they won't read then get them listening to books!
With the rise of technology there are many ways to access books without necessarily reading them.
For example, a great way to enjoy a story is to listen to an audio book. Most kids love being read to, but sometimes you can't always have the time to read to them so an audio book is a great alternative. One good source is Audible from Amazon.
If you have a tablet, phone etc then you are able to download pretty much any novel or book and simply listen to the book being read out.
It may be that by listening to audio books a child might ignite a thirst for more stories and then start to put strategies in place to read books.
I hope that this post is helpful. What are your experiences of getting kids to read? Please comment and share.
When at school they have to pick up books and practise reading. My daughter went through the whole of Key Stage 1 and 2 hating reading before we finally got her a diagnosis for dyslexia.
So how can we encourage our kids to engage in stories and enjoy books when they have dyslexia?
This blog seeks to put some pointers in place....
1) Get books with fantastic illustrations.
There are some stunningly beautiful books out there that not only have great stories but are also cleverly illustrated giving the reader not only a written account of the story but visual clues too.
Some great examples of writers that have been very popular with kids because of the illustrations present are as follows;
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Everyone knows the story of Charlie, but all of Roald Dahl's books are so well illustrated and can engage readers of any age. My favourite was the BFG.
Jacqueline Wilson
As a father of two daughters it seemed that for a while their favourite author was the celebrated Jacqueline Wilson. She is an amazing woman that just seems to fully understand the hearts and mind of children which is probably what has made her so successful. That said the illustrations by Nick Sharratt really make her books special in a vibrant, colourful and easy to understand way.
Other Authors To Note...
Barrington Stoke specifically publishes age-appropriate and accessible titles for dyslexic readers from aged eight to adult. Recent teen titles include Sita Brahmachari’s Brace Mouth, False Teeth, a warm hearted and funny story about Zeni’s work experience in a care home and Mary Hoffman’s dramatic and romantic historical drama, Angel of Venice.
2)If they won't read then get them listening to books!
With the rise of technology there are many ways to access books without necessarily reading them.
For example, a great way to enjoy a story is to listen to an audio book. Most kids love being read to, but sometimes you can't always have the time to read to them so an audio book is a great alternative. One good source is Audible from Amazon.
If you have a tablet, phone etc then you are able to download pretty much any novel or book and simply listen to the book being read out.
It may be that by listening to audio books a child might ignite a thirst for more stories and then start to put strategies in place to read books.
I hope that this post is helpful. What are your experiences of getting kids to read? Please comment and share.