October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. These resources and information can be useful year-round for people with dyslexia or parents of children with dyslexia or who think their children may be dyslexic.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. People with dyslexia often have difficulty with reading, spelling, and writing. They may also have trouble in other areas, such as in math operations. Dyslexia does not mean that someone isn’t smart. They tend to be great at comprehension and context and can be very creative. About 15-20% of people have dyslexia.
For more information, check out these websites:
- International Dyslexia Association: dyslexiaidea.org
- Decoding Dyslexia MA: decodingdyslexiama.org
- Dyslexia Foundation: dyslexiafoundation.org
- Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity: dyslexia.yale.edu
Tips and Early Signs
- Early signs of dyslexia include late talking, difficulty remembering letter names and colors, reversals in letters, and difficulty reading.
- Children with dyslexia may struggle with riding a bike, tying their shoes, and may have an unusual pencil grip.
- People with dyslexia often find it easier to read books with large fonts where the letters are widely spaced. This brochure is set to “very loose” spacing. Books written with loose spacing or with few words per section, such as in graphic novels, may be preferable to children with dyslexia.
Non-Fiction Books
- The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: a Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of Reading by Ben Foss | Book | E-book |
- Raising a Child with Dyslexia by Don M. Winn | Book |
- Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties by David A. Kilpatrick | Book |
Dyslexia in Fiction
- Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt | Book | E-Book | E-audio | CD Audiobook
- Brilliant Bea by Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich; illustrated by Fiona Lee | Book|
- If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Spell Mississippi? by Barbara Esham | Book |
Looking for more books about dyslexia or about children who have dyslexia? Ask a children’s or reference librarian and we can suggest more options! Would you prefer to read using the dyslexia font? It is available in both Libby/Overdrive and hoopla to make books more accessible!
Apps
- Learning Ally: This app reads books aloud while highlighting the words on the screen. Children who have been diagnosed with dyslexia may be able to gain access to this through their school. ∙ Bookshare: This app reads books aloud while highlighting the words on the screen. Anyone with dyslexia, as well as other reading barriers such as blindness, cerebral palsy, and more, can request