Fatigue, Frustration, and Discouragement: How to Motivate a Dyslexic Child to Read

Understanding the Emotional Cost of Reading for a Dyslexic Child

Reading isn't just challenging for a child with dyslexia—it can be exhausting. Words blur, letters flip, and the anxiety of getting it wrong takes over. As a parent watching these struggles unfold at homework time, it’s heartbreaking—and it’s easy to feel powerless, too.

But motivation is not a lost cause. It simply looks different for every child. Rather than pushing harder, what often helps is taking a step back, recognizing the emotional experience of your child, and reframing what it means to 'read.'

Meet Them Where They Are

When your child shows resistance to reading, it might not be laziness or stubbornness—it could be self-protection. If every attempt at reading leads to fatigue, frustration, and feelings of failure, avoidance becomes a coping mechanism.

One helpful shift? Redefining reading success. Reading isn’t just decoding print on a page—it’s understanding stories, absorbing information, and experiencing language. Fortunately, there are alternative pathways to reaching this goal—some of which can offer a fresh sense of success that traditional reading has never provided.

Use Audio to Restore Confidence

One powerful way to re-engage a child who dreads reading is to bring stories to life through sound. Audiobooks don’t just deliver stories—they allow children to experience language fluently, immersively, and without the stress of decoding. Listening supports vocabulary growth, builds comprehension, and can reignite a love for stories that may have been lost.

This is where tools like the LISN Kids App for iOS and Android can be a gentle game-changer. Designed for children aged 3 to 12, LISN Kids offers a library of original audiobooks and serialized stories that let your child enjoy reading in a format that feels relaxing, not exhausting.

Let Curiosity Guide the Way

Children with dyslexia aren’t against learning—they’re often curious, observant, and eager to engage with the world, just in different ways. Instead of enforcing structured reading time, try tapping into their natural interests. Does your child love dinosaurs? Space? Cooking? Use engaging materials tailored to those passions, even if it’s through comic books, graphic novels, interactive apps, or videos with captions turned on.

By connecting reading with something they already love, you sidestep some of the mental resistance and open space for genuine engagement. These seemingly small wins can build the trust and confidence they need to approach more traditional reading later on.

Reimagine What Practice Looks Like

For children who struggle with decoding, repeated failure can wear them down. That’s why it’s important to design reading sessions that feel like safe spaces to explore, not traps of inadequacy. For example, short passages with clear audio support, buddy reading (where the parent reads aloud with the child), or echo reading (repeating after the parent) can reduce pressure and promote fluency.

Turn reading into play when you can. Games and multi-sensory activities can reinforce reading skills through movement and fun. Letter tiles, storytelling dice, and phonics-based puzzles are all effective—and feel a whole lot less like homework.

Build a Supportive Emotional Environment

When a child hears, “You just need to try harder,” it unintentionally reinforces the idea that they are the problem. But dyslexia is not a lack of effort—it’s a learning difference that requires different strategies.

Create a home environment where struggle is safe, effort is praised, and self-worth isn’t tied to reading level. Use phrases like, “I love how hard you're working,” or “I can see you're finding your own way to understand this.” Encourage your child to talk about how they feel when reading and listen without rushing to fix it. These small changes affirm their value and often lead to more willingness to try.

If your child is ready, consider explaining dyslexia in age-appropriate ways, so they understand that their brain works differently—not wrongly.

Stay Patient, Even When Progress is Slow

Reading progress for dyslexic children often comes in unpredictable waves. Some days will feel like breakthroughs; others, like setbacks. But every effort plants a seed. Stay consistent, offer choices, and affirm their resilience—not for getting things right, but for showing up and trying again.

You’re not alone on this path. If you suspect undiagnosed difficulties, look for early signs and reach out to school support teams or learning specialists.

And above all, keep reminding your child—and yourself—that reading is only one form of intelligence. Their creativity, empathy, and individuality matter just as much.

For more ideas, check out our fun stimulation activities tailored for dyslexic children aged 3 to 12, or learn more about how dyslexia affects school life and what you can do to support your child.