The method: structured literacy, daily, one-to-one
- Explicit: every sound-spelling pattern is taught directly, not discovered.
- Systematic: in a set order from simple to complex, with nothing skipped.
- Multisensory: seeing, saying, hearing and writing (or moving tiles) every pattern.
- Cumulative with review: constant revisiting until automatic.
- Daily: twenty to forty minutes, five days a week, for as long as it takes, which is usually two to four years to solid reading.
Programs a parent can deliver
| Program | Approach | Approx. cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| All About Reading + All About Spelling | Orton-Gillingham-based, scripted, letter tiles, readers | $150–$200 per level | Most families; the most-used dyslexia-friendly program with no training needed |
| Barton Reading and Spelling System | Orton-Gillingham, video-trained parent, ten levels | $250–$350 per level | Moderate to severe dyslexia; very thorough; the parent watches training videos first |
| Logic of English (Foundations, Essentials) | Structured literacy with all 75 phonograms and spelling rules | $100–$200 per level | Families wanting spelling and handwriting integrated; strong for older children in Essentials |
| Wilson Reading System (via a tutor) | Orton-Gillingham, tutor-delivered | $50–$100 per session | When a parent wants a trained specialist; often two sessions a week |
| Reading Horizons, Nessy (app) | Structured literacy in software | $20–$40/month | Practice alongside a parent-led program; Nessy is well liked by children |
Keeping the other subjects moving
- Separate reading instruction from content learning. A dyslexic child can learn grade-level science and history by ear while reading is two years behind.
- Audiobooks for everything: Learning Ally (for diagnosed readers), Bookshare (free with documentation), Libby, Audible. Listening comprehension is not impaired by dyslexia.
- Read aloud the math word problems, the history chapter, the science text. It is not cheating; it is access.
- Writing by dictation and typing: let the ideas out without the handwriting and spelling bottleneck. Speech-to-text on a tablet from about age eight.
- Math: watch for the dyslexia-adjacent difficulties (fact retrieval, sequencing, reading problems). Manipulative-based programs and fact practice by games help.
Assistive technology that changes the day
- Text-to-speech: Speechify, ElevenLabs Reader, the built-in readers on iPad and Chromebook, and Immersive Reader in Microsoft tools, to hear any text.
- Speech-to-text: built into every phone and tablet; Google Docs voice typing.
- Audiobooks: Learning Ally and Bookshare (human-read and synthetic, with documentation), Libby free from the library.
- Dyslexia-friendly fonts and spacing: OpenDyslexic and Lexie Readable; larger type and wider spacing help some readers.
- A reading pen (C-Pen) for a child who wants independence with printed books.
Diagnosis, testing and exam accommodations
- A formal assessment by an educational psychologist or a qualified specialist costs $500–$2,500 privately and unlocks accommodations, Bookshare and Learning Ally, and clarity. In the US, public schools must evaluate homeschooled children on request in many states; in the UK, private assessment is the usual route.
- Standardized tests for homeschoolers: choose untimed versions (CAT, Stanford untimed, MAP); note accommodations in your records.
- SAT, ACT and AP: extended time and other accommodations with documentation through the College Board's SSD and ACT's process; apply months ahead.
- GCSEs and A-levels: access arrangements (extra time, a reader, a scribe, a laptop) through the exam centre with an assessor's report; arrange when you find the centre.
- Keep every report. College disability services will ask for it.
What progress really looks like
A dyslexic child starting structured literacy at seven typically reads simple books within a year, chapter books within two to three, and reads to learn by ten or eleven, with spelling lagging reading throughout. Starting later takes about the same total time. Progress is slow then sudden: months of tiles and then a week where it clicks. The parent's job is to keep the daily lesson going through the slow months without letting reading become the whole relationship. Most families who do that end up with a teenager who reads, listens to everything, writes by keyboard and knows exactly how they learn.