How Dyslexia Impacts Your Child’s School Life—and What You Can Do to Help
Understanding the School Challenges of a Dyslexic Child
If you’re parenting a child aged 6 to 12 who has been diagnosed with dyslexia, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. You see your child trying hard, yet struggling with basic tasks like reading aloud, spelling, or finishing homework. The school system, with its rigid structure and constant focus on written tasks, can sometimes seem like a poor fit for how your child learns best. You're not alone in this journey—and more importantly, your child can thrive with the right support.
Why Dyslexia Affects School Performance—and How It Doesn’t
Dyslexia is a specific learning difference, not a sign of low intelligence, lack of motivation, or laziness. Children with dyslexia often have average or above-average intelligence, but their brains process language in a way that makes traditional reading and writing more difficult. This can affect:
- Reading fluency – reading slowly or skipping words
- Spelling – frequent mistakes, even in familiar words
- Written expression – difficulty organizing ideas or using punctuation properly
- Memory and processing speed – needing more time to understand or recall information
However, it’s essential to remember what dyslexia doesn’t affect. Creativity, problem-solving, oral communication skills, and empathy are often strengths in dyslexic children. School struggles do not define their potential—though they can shape a child’s self-image if not addressed with care.
Looking for a way to explain dyslexia to your child? This gentle guide can help foster understanding without shame.
Creating a Supportive Home Environment
Daily homework time can quickly turn into a stress point. Exhaustion, tears, or avoidance behaviors may be signs that your child is not just tired—but mentally overloaded. Supporting a dyslexic child at home means rethinking the role homework plays. Here are some ways to make it more manageable:
Turn off the pressure. If an assignment leads to 90 minutes of frustration, it’s okay to stop and let the teacher know why. Your child’s mental health is more important than finishing every page.
Offer multisensory options. Reading and writing aren't always the best gateways to learning for dyslexic kids. Try using audiobooks, hands-on activities, or drawing instead of writing when possible. For example, your child could listen to a story on the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) via the LISN Kids App, which offers engaging, age-appropriate original audiobooks and series designed to build language skills in an enjoyable way.
Lean on routines. Kids with dyslexia often feel more secure with predictable structure. Create a consistent, calm study routine—same time, same space, limited distractions.
Looking for homework-time strategies? Read our article on how to support your 10-year-old with dyslexia.
Partnering With School
One of the most valuable things you can do is open a channel of communication with your child's teacher or school support team. Don't wait for problems to arise. Share the diagnosis, talk about what's working at home, and ask what support is available at school. This might include:
- Extra reading help with a specialized teacher
- Time accommodations for tests and assignments
- Use of assistive technology like speech-to-text
- Alternatives to written assignments
Sometimes, teachers need guidance in how to support a dyslexic child in their classroom. You can share resources with them, and you might find useful ideas in this article focused on daily strategies at school.
Finding Encouragement in Everyday Wins
Living with dyslexia is a journey for both the child and the parent. Some days will feel like uphill battles. Others will quietly reveal the brilliance that often hides behind learning difficulties—a creative story told out loud, a puzzle solved in a unique way, a new word remembered after weeks of practice.
Celebrate these small (but mighty) victories. Let your child know they are more than their school performance. Draw attention to their talents, not just their challenges. And don’t forget to have fun together—it’s just as important as homework.
If You’re Just Starting This Journey
Perhaps you’re reading this because your child is newly diagnosed. This is the first chapter—not the end of the story. If you have younger children and wonder if similar signs are appearing, this overview of early signs of dyslexia in a 4-year-old may give more clarity.
You are not failing your child by not having all the answers. The fact that you’re reading this—searching, learning, trying—is a powerful act of advocacy. You don’t need to become a dyslexia expert overnight. You do need to stay open, ask questions, and be the steady, loving adult your child can count on, day after day.
And remember: with the right support, children with dyslexia can—and do—succeed.