Dyslexia and Reading: National Reading Day

January 23 is National Reading Day, so I thought I would offer a few resources and suggestions for you and your struggling reader.

Here are links to some wonderful places to look for appropriate book titles:

U.K. publisher Barrington Stoke offers an extensive list of books targeted to the dyslexic reader.

Capstone Press publishes non-fiction books for beginning, struggling, and reluctant readers, including graphic novels.

Here is Sally Gardner’s top-ten list of print and audio titles suitable for kids with dyslexia.

The International Literacy Association each year invites elementary-age school children and young adults, grades 7-12, to select their favorite books. Here’s the link to their more recent lists.

Learning Ally offers some 75,000 audiobook titles for all ages and all reading levels, including fiction, non-fiction, and curriculum texts.

Saddleback Educational Publishing targets its catalog to struggling learners and their list includes fiction, history, sci-fi, classics, poetry, reference, and more.

See a list of Young People’s books focusing on dyslexia from the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity.

As you may know, I am a huge fan of reading aloud — not just for parents and children, but for families, friends, couples, and groups of every age! But reading aloud has special benefits for children with dyslexia. It allows them to focus on words, sounds, and meaning together and sets the stage for shared inquiry.

But what will you read? Let your child be part of the selection process. Perhaps the most important step in developing a reader-for-life is to look for books on a topic that interests your child. (Don’t forget to look at non-fiction titles!) Look for rich vocabulary and great illustrations that appeal to your child’s social and intellectual development, not just his or her reading skills.

The Importance of Reading Aloud

When you read aloud with your child, talk about the book’s words, pictures, characters, and storyline. Ask questions about what’s happening in the story and encourage your child to ask about words and meanings and to speculate on what might happen further along in the book. Combine books and audio: get the same book in printed and audio format; spend time reading together and then let your child listen to the story before picking up where you left off. For more on reading aloud, see my recent post on shared inquiry.

Lexercise’s online services for struggling readers, writers, and spellers are a motivating blend of high-touch and high-tech. If you have questions or to learn more contact us at Info@Lexercise.com or 1-919-747-4557.