How to Read Homework Differently for Your Dyslexic Child

When Words Become Walls

You've seen it too many times: your child sits at the kitchen table, textbook open, eyes glazed. The lesson is right there in black and white, but it might as well be a foreign language. You read the paragraph aloud, slowly. Still, the words don't seem to stick. If your child has dyslexia, reading a lesson isn’t just hard—it can feel like an impossible mountain to climb.

Reading in the traditional sense isn't the only way to learn. In fact, for many children with dyslexia, it’s the least effective one. That doesn’t make them less capable—it just means they need a different route up that mountain. Let’s explore what some of those alternative paths look like.

A Different Way In

When my son Louis was in 3rd grade, he would cry at the dinner table over geography homework. Reading aloud made him feel ashamed; it was slow, filled with mistakes, and he always missed the big ideas. One night, I started recording myself reading the lesson and played it back the next morning while he ate breakfast. To my surprise, he remembered more from that 10-minute breakfast than from 30 minutes of struggling the night before.

This isn’t unusual. Audio is incredibly powerful for dyslexic learners. When kids can hear information instead of reading it, their brains are freed up to focus on meaning rather than decoding words. They become active listeners rather than frustrated readers.

Reading Lessons Aloud—Creative Alternatives

Of course, not every parent can record every lesson. You're busy. You're tired. But technology offers help. Some education apps now turn written lessons into audio automatically, even customizing the experience to your child's name or pace. For example, one tool we use at home lets us snap a photo of the textbook page, and it turns it into an audio adventure where Louis becomes the hero of the lesson. During car rides or while he's playing with LEGO, he listens—smiling, not squirming.

The same app can also turn that same lesson into a multiple-choice quiz with 20 tailored questions, helping solidify understanding in a playful way. That’s the kind of invisible scaffolding our children with dyslexia need—something that supports them without making them feel different.

Creating a Multi-Sensory Learning Ritual

Children with dyslexia thrive when you engage multiple senses. Reading aloud is just one piece. You can also:

• Let them draw while listening. Doodling engages motor memory, which can help ideas stick.
• Use textured flashcards for tricky vocabulary to incorporate tactile feedback.
• Act out the lesson: History and science concepts come alive when kids role-play them.

These aren't just gimmicks. They're proven ways to support dyslexic learners. And when your child starts enjoying reviewing lessons, homework becomes a moment of connection, not conflict.

What Matters Most Isn’t Cracking the Code, But Understanding the Message

Many parents of dyslexic children end up focusing so much on reading skill-building that they forget the original goal: understanding. A child who can’t fluently read a paragraph may still be able to explain it perfectly—if given the right format.

That’s why dedicated audio tools exist, and why some families swear by educational podcasts for school-age kids. Even audiobooks count as reading when the content sticks. If you’ve never explored resources like story-driven podcasts designed for dyslexic children, consider starting tonight before bed. You may notice your child’s interest sparked in areas they once found “impossible.”

Small Wins Build Big Confidence

A lesson doesn’t need to be perfectly mastered in a day. It just needs to feel possible. The moment your child realizes they’re capable—regardless of the method—it changes everything. For us, that moment came when Louis answered three quiz questions correctly in a row after listening to an audio story-version of his science lesson. He grinned. "I get this stuff, Mom!" That confidence fueled his next homework session, and the next.

One of the best gifts we can give our children is a belief in their own minds—even if their minds work differently. Dyslexia may change the path, but it doesn't change the destination.

More Help On Your Journey

If you're wondering where to go from here, we've put together more guides for the journey. Check out this article on creating a doable reading routine, or explore fun ways to teach spelling through games. You're not alone in this. And there are more tools—and paths—than you may realize.