How Dyslexia Affects Your Child’s Ability to Learn French

When French Feels Like a Foreign Language—Even to Native Speakers

Imagine watching your child wrestle with their French assignment, pencil frozen mid-air, eyes darting over the same sentence again and again. "C’est trop dur," they whisper, frustrated and ashamed. French might be their native language, but for a child with dyslexia, spelling rules, silent letters, and grammar quirks can make it feel utterly alien.

You’re not alone if you’ve tried everything—flashcards, tutoring, even rewards—to no avail. Dyslexia affects roughly 5 to 10% of children, and while it doesn’t touch intelligence, it often deeply complicates how kids perceive written language, especially a language as complex as French.

How Dyslexia Interferes with French Learning

French is notoriously difficult to decode, even for typical learners. Now imagine facing it with a brain wired differently. Children with dyslexia often struggle with:

• Letter-sound correspondence: Unlike in more phonetically consistent languages, French has many silent letters and irregular pronunciations. “eau” sounds like “o”, and “ent” on a verb ending is silent. For a dyslexic learner, this inconsistency is confusing and discouraging.
• Working memory overload: French grammar often requires juggling multiple elements—gender, number, verb tense. A simple sentence like “Elle est allée à l’école” involves understanding subject-verb agreement, passé composé, and gendered past participles. Children with dyslexia may lose track mid-sentence.
• Spelling and writing anxiety: French spelling is packed with traps. Homophones like "ver" (worm), "vert" (green), and "vers" (toward) are indistinguishable when spoken. For dyslexic children, choosing the right word becomes a dreaded guessing game.

It’s no wonder so many dyslexic kids associate French homework with failure and fatigue. If you’re seeing meltdowns before even opening the book, this article on school fatigue and dyslexia may offer deeper insight into what your child is experiencing.

Learning French Differently—and with Compassion

Not all brains read the same way. That’s why the traditional sit-down, paper-based method doesn’t work for every child. And truthfully, it wasn't designed with dyslexic learners in mind. The good news is that there are alternative paths to mastering French—ones tailored to how your child learns best.

Take Clément’s story, a bright 9-year-old who used to dread dictations. His teacher reported that he was disengaged, even though he spoke French fluently. Clément’s mother began reading aloud his assignments to him, and something changed. He wasn’t less capable—he needed auditory input to process written language. That’s the power of adapting the medium to the learner. In fact, some tools now offer ways to transform written lessons into audio, even into audio adventures where your child becomes the hero of the story. Using your child’s first name, these stories can bring French grammar and vocabulary to life, turning passive learning into imaginative engagement. One such example is found in the Skuli app, which makes this type of deeply personalized, auditory learning easily accessible—even on the go.

If your child is more visual, turning hard French lessons into a personalized quiz—simply by snapping a photo—can help reinforce learning in a low-pressure format. It’s not about drilling. It’s about giving them back some control—and some confidence.

The Emotional Side of French Struggles

Academic struggles often hide something more tender underneath—shame, self-doubt, and fear of being “different.” Maybe your child has started calling themselves “stupid” or avoiding reading altogether. These are emotional bruises, and they tend to deepen with every failed French test or harsh correction.

This is why it’s not just about how your child learns—but how they feel about learning. Rebuilding a child’s confidence is as important as teaching the conjugation of être. And yes, children can rediscover joy in reading, with the right support and pacing.

What If the School Isn’t Helping?

Many parents ask: Shouldn’t school catch this? The truth is, support across schools varies widely. Some offer accommodations like extra time or oral exams, while others lag behind. Understanding legal and institutional supports can help you advocate for your child at school. Our in-depth guide on how schools can support dyslexic learners breaks this down.

If your child is still without formal help and you suspect a learning disorder, trust your gut and seek evaluation. Writing difficulties are often early markers of dyslexia, and a diagnosis can bring not just clarity—but more access to adapted materials and classroom support.

Yes, Children with Dyslexia Can Learn to Read and Write in French

Let’s end with some reassurance: Just because it’s harder doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Children with dyslexia can learn to read and write in French—it just may take a different route.

Don’t wait for school to catch up. Be that bridge between struggle and success. Your belief in your child is more powerful than any red mark on a spelling test. With understanding, emotional support, and the right tools (including technology that respects how your child learns), you can give them not just literacy—but dignity and joy in learning.