What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific type of learning disability in reading. Kids and individuals with dyslexia have trouble reading accurately and fluently. Some individuals may also experience trouble with reading comprehension, spelling and writing. About 15-20% of the population has a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, writing and spelling difficulties
Dyslexia is hereditary, meaning it is not something that can be caused by poor access to reading materials, or because a child is lazy or not trying.
How can I support my child?
One of the best ways to support a child with dyslexia is to encourage activities that they like and feel good at. Whether it's joining a sports team or anything that helps build their confidence.
To help reinforce that dyslexia is not a marker of intelligence, it can also be helpful to talk about successful people who have also been diagnosed with dyslexia. Other things that may help your child with dyslexia include:
- Listening to audio books as an alternative to reading
- Typing on a computer or tablet instead of writing by hand
- Apps that can make learning fun by turning decoding into a game
What are Decodable Books?
Decodable books are books that contain only phonetic code that a child has most likely already learned. Decodable books focus on spelling patterns that the reader can decode, given their existing knowledge of letter and sound relationships.
Decodable books are important for students with dyslexia (or any struggling reader) as these books are able to provide reading practice using the knowledge of letter-sounds that they should already know. Reading decodable text helps students build fluency and gain confidence as they become proficient with word-level reading.
Browse the Library's collection of decodable books
For more resources and information, check out some of the websites listed below:
Dyslexia Canada
International Dyslexia Association Ontario Chapter
The World's Hardest to Read Website