Meet Dr. Mike Assel from the Dan L Duncan Children’s Neurodevelopmental Clinic at the Children’s Learning Institute. Learn how reading difficulties and dyslexia impact children and families, and explore ways to provide support! Download the transcript.
Learn More About Dyslexia
Find out more about what dyslexia is and how it is diagnosed:
- Dyslexia Basics from the International Dyslexia Association
- Complete Guide to Dyslexia from Child Mind Institute
- Understanding Dyslexia from Nemours Children’s Health
JUMP TO:
- Learn More About Reading Difficulties/Dyslexia
- Videos
- Articles and Websites
- Putting Into Practice
- Community Resources
EXPLORE AND LEARN:
Videos
What Is Dyslexia?
Learn what dyslexia is, how it affects reading and writing, and why understanding it helps families and educators better support a child’s learning needs in this TED-Ed video by Kelli Sandman-Hurley.
Dyslexia and the Fear of Reading
Dr. Jerry Schultz discusses the fight-or-flight response that can be triggered in children with dyslexia during reading tasks. In this video, he offers strategies for educators and families to help build reading confidence.
Phonics Fun!
Ideal for young learners beginning their reading journey, this animated episode helps children understand letter sounds and word formation through engaging songs and adventures. Alphablocks characters bring the alphabet to life.
Instructional Videos from the Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies (TALA)
Looking for research-based strategies to support middle school students’ reading skills? The Vaughn Gross Center at the University of Texas at Austin provides videos educators can use to support their students.
Articles and Websites
How to Teach Kids with Dyslexia to Read
From the Child Mind Institute, this article explains how phonics-based instruction helps children with dyslexia learn to read. It identifies elements of effective reading programs and highlights strategies for building reading skills.
8 Tips for Introducing Dyslexia to Your Child
This article from Understood offers practical tips for explaining dyslexia to a child and positive ways for families to talk about it.
10 Things to Help Your Struggling Reader
From the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, this article by Joshua Jenkins offers 10 strategies to support struggling readers, build their confidence, and enable them to grow as self-advocates for their unique learning style.
Accommodations for Students with Dyslexia
The International Dyslexia Association describes specific accommodations that help students with dyslexia demonstrate their knowledge. This article emphasizes that accommodations do not change academic standards or expectations.
Social and Emotional Problems Related to Dyslexia
Frustration, anxiety, and low self-esteem may arise in individuals with dyslexia. In this LD OnLine article, Dr. Michael Ryan of the International Dyslexia Association explores these challenges and offers support strategies for families and educators.
Structured Literacy: An Introductory Guide for Educators
Discover evidence-based reading instruction in this educator brief from the International Dyslexia Association. Learn how a Structured Literacy approach supports decoding, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing—especially for students with reading disabilities.
Putting into Practice
These literacy activities provide learning experiences that support children as they learn to read and spell. You can also find strategies to help children with reading difficulties, both at home and at school. Share the link to an activity you like with friends, family members, or other parents!
Quick Tips from Neuhaus
Using these videos from Neuhaus Education Center, educators and families can broaden their toolkit of evidence-based reading strategies and activities.
Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home
Support your child’s growth as a reader with family activities (K-3) from the Institute of Education Sciences. Each includes a short video demonstration of a reading strategy, a practice activity, and printables to build foundational reading skills at home.
Reading Comprehension Strategies & Tips for Parents
Using specific reading comprehension strategies from Begin, families can help a child understand what they read and how to connect to information they already know.
FCRR Student Center Activities
Explore this classroom activity collection for prekindergarten through 5th grade from the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR), accompanied by a Teacher Resource Guide. Students can complete the activities in small groups, in pairs, or individually.
Hop and Slide
In this movement activity for ages 5 to 8, families can help their children blend letter sounds to read words. Select the Related Resources to explore more activities from the Circle Activity Collection: Family by the Children’s Learning Institute.
Follow the Eye
Help children practice blending letter sounds to read words. Log in to a free account at cliengage.org to view this and more classroom activities in the Circle Activity Collection from the Children’s Learning Institute.
Community Resources
Family Support Events and Classes
Neuhaus Education Center offers virtual monthly information sessions for families, with resources available at Neuhaus and within the Houston-area community. Go to neuhaus.org/calendar for additional events and professional development classes.
Supporting Your Child’s Literacy Development
A 30-minute online tutorial and toolkit from the National Center on Improving Literacy provide strategies, tips, and activities to support your child’s development as a reader from preschool through adolescence.
Literacy for All! Designing Inclusive Literacy Learning Environments
How can teachers support students who struggle to read on grade level? This free, self-paced course from the Inclusion in Texas Network and the Texas Education Agency covers the science of teaching reading, how the brain learns to read, dyslexia, and effective instruction and accommodations.
High Impact Tutoring: Family and Caregiver Toolkit
Research shows frequent, high-quality tutoring is one of the most effective academic interventions. This toolkit from the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA), a program of the SCALE Initiative at Stanford University, empowers families to advocate and partner with schools for high-impact tutoring in their community.