Reading and Learning at Home
At Home Resources
At School Resources
While it is the school’s responsibility to provide robust structured literacy instruction to ensure every student becomes a skilled reader and writer, there are specific things families can do to support this process.
Why these practices matter:
- Children with dyslexia benefit from structured literacy instruction—explicit, systematic, and aligned with how we develop reading.
- Decodable books give children practice with the specific sounds and spelling patterns they’ve been taught, helping them build skill and confidence.
- Audiobooks and reading aloud books with your child let children access age-appropriate vocabulary, information, and stories, even if their decoding skills are limited. Listening to complex texts builds oral language skills and background knowledge.
- Reading with your child and supporting them while they read can strengthen language skills and inspire interest and motivation for reading.
Learn More
Find resources below to learn more about literacy at home
Supporting Reading at Home: Practical Tips for Parents
Inside the Reading Brain with Dr. Carolyn Strom
Decodable Books
The most efficient way to learn a word so that it can be instantly recognized in the future is by “decoding” it. Decoding means using knowledge of letter sounds and English spelling patterns to read words.
Decodable books help beginning and emerging readers master decoding and gain confidence through practice of skills.
Decodable books typically come as a series intended to be read in order. Each text in the series will introduce new letter-sound correspondences and spelling patterns.
Most decodable book series will include a scope and sequence chart to show the order the letter-sounds and spelling patterns are introduced in the text series.
Ask your child’s teacher about accessing decodable books and/or materials for home. Your local library may also have these books available.
Audiobooks and Read-Alouds
Structured Literacy
Beyond the Buzzwords: Choosing the Right Dyslexia Support for Your Child
Practical Steps To Try At Home
When choosing books:
- Ask: Does this book match the letter sounds and spelling patterns my child has already been taught?
- Look for a decodable series recommended by your child’s teacher or literacy specialist. Check out your local public library.
- Read books about things your child is already interested in, as well as books about new things to learn about.
When reading together:
- Use the IDA bookmark strategies—point to words, encourage your child to sound out what they can, and step in with support when needed.
- Keep reading fun—celebrate effort and progress, not just accuracy.
When using audiobooks:
- Pair listening with following along in the book (audio-assisted reading).
- Pause to discuss new words or ideas - build vocabulary and comprehension.
Questions for your child’s teacher or school:
- Which texts or activities would you recommend for work at home?
- What do classroom assessments tell us about my child's decoding and spelling skills?
- How can I support fluency and comprehension at home without creating frustration?
Benefits Of Reading Aloud to Your Child
- Read alouds expand both the quality and quantity of childrens’ vocabulary.
- Read alouds demonstrate how syntax (sentence structures) and semantics (meaning of words) convey meaning in texts.
- Reading aloud to your child provides an opportunity to model reading fluency through intonation, expression, with appropriate pacing and phrasing. Older students benefit from listening to text read aloud by an expert reader too.