Keep Reading: Useful Tips for Reading for Teens with Dyslexia

Dyslexia affects one in five people in the United States, making it one of the most common learning disabilities. Although often called a reading disability, dyslexia is really a language disability. While children with dyslexia have difficulties translating language into thought, they additionally have difficulties translating thought into language. This is why those with dyslexia experience problems with reading or listening, as well as writing or speaking. Children and teens with dyslexia have challenges learning to reading and difficulties with making connections between letters and sounds, reading comprehension, expressing spoken or written words, and spelling or writing skills.

As students graduate from one grade to the next, reading obviously becomes more complex and comprehension becomes more important. Teens with dyslexia should try these tips for reading.

• Sign up for access to recorded books and other written materials. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic makes tens of thousands of audio recordings of literature, textbooks, reference materials, magazines, and newspapers available on CD or by audio download to individuals who have challenges reading print. Log onto their website for more information.
• Listen to assigned books on tape or CD while reading along with a written copy. This strategy will also give students confidence and better prepare them if they have to read aloud in class.
• Read books superficially before trying to master them. Look for material in the book that is easy to grasp quickly and do not become frustrated by difficult passages. Read past more difficult paragraphs, footnotes, arguments, and references. Even if the reader can only immediately grasp half the material or less, part of the book will be understood.
• Break down long, difficult reading assignments. If students have twenty pages to read one night, break them into two 10-page assignments or even four or five page assignments. Then, students should take a break after completing each one. In addition, allow the reader enough time to work slowly and carefully, not hurrying or skipping any part of the reading. The strategy takes longer, but it improves reading comprehension.

In implementing these reading tips for dyslexia with teens, realize that the most important factor is getting students to read. . . and keep reading. The more practice students have with reading and trying these strategies to make it a little easier, the better prepared they will be for whatever they want to do.