How to Create a Reading Routine That Works for a Dyslexic Child

Understanding What Your Child Really Needs

If you're reading this late at night, eyes heavy from the day, it's probably because you're trying to figure out how to support your child who's struggling with reading. Maybe they’ve cried over homework again. Maybe you’ve both felt that helpless mix of stress, guilt, and frustration that comes with dyslexia. Creating a reading routine sounds simple until you're living it. But here's the important part: you don’t need a perfect plan. You need a compassionate one that respects their pace and strengths.

Why Traditional Routines Don’t Always Work

Most school reading routines are built for neurotypical children. Sit still. Read aloud. Sound out the words. For a child with dyslexia, this can feel like an exhausting uphill battle. Instead of encouraging fluency or comprehension, it often builds a cycle of shame and fatigue.

The good news? You’re allowed to reimagine what reading means for your family. It doesn’t have to look like 30 minutes of silent reading with a chapter book. For a child with dyslexia, reading can be multisensory, movement-based, auditory, and—most importantly—joyful.

Start With Connection, Not Correction

Any routine that’s going to last has to start with something your child enjoys. Before introducing a new routine, ask yourself: When does my child feel most confident? What kind of stories draw them in, even if they’re not reading the words on a page?

It might be a superhero cartoon series. A folktale you’ve told at bedtime. A joke book full of puns. Let those preferences guide the structure of your reading routine, because when a child feels safe and curious, they’re far more likely to engage willingly.

Designing a Routine That Honors Their Learning Style

Instead of rigid blocks of reading time, think of your reading routine like a playlist—diverse, customized, and sometimes surprising. Here’s how one parent might structure a dyslexia-friendly evening:

• 5 minutes: Reviewing sight words or a favorite phrase using magnetic letters
• 10 minutes: Listening to an audiobook and following along in the printed book
• Short break: Drawing a character from the story or acting out a scene
• 5-10 minutes: Co-reading, where the parent and child alternate sentences or pages

And if one night your child is just too tired, that’s okay. Flexibility within the routine matters more than consistency at any cost.

Use Tools That Empower Rather Than Frustrate

Technology can be a powerful ally for kids with dyslexia when chosen thoughtfully. Audiobooks, for instance, allow children to access language-rich stories without becoming overwhelmed by decoding challenges. If you’re curious about how listening supports literacy skills, this guide on audiobooks and dyslexia covers it in depth.

A valuable tool many parents have found helpful is the LISN Kids App, which offers original audiobooks and immersive audio series crafted specifically for children ages 3 to 12. Instead of screen time, your child gets story time—with characters, emotions, and language that captivate young imaginations. It’s available on both iOS and Android, and works beautifully as part of a calming bedtime routine or a quiet afternoon break.

Build In Time to Pause and Celebrate Progress

One of the biggest challenges dyslexic children face is a lack of confidence. Progress can be slow and invisible, especially compared to peers. That’s why your reading routine must include room for celebration. Did they listen to a whole story from beginning to end? Did they read three more sight words than last week? Noticed they even wanted to open a book?

Recognition helps fuel motivation, which is critical for long-term growth. This article about motivating dyslexic children offers even more ways to build encouragement into the learning process.

When It Feels Like Nothing Is Working...

Some days, your child will resist, no matter what. That doesn’t mean the plan has failed—it means they’re human. Reading shouldn’t become the enemy in your relationship. If emotions run high, allow space and try again tomorrow. And remember, reading is just one form of literacy. Storytelling, drawing, listening, and imaginative play also nurture language skills in invisible, powerful ways. You might find inspiration in these creative activity ideas for dyslexic children that embed literacy in play.

Let Routine Serve the Child—Not the Other Way Around

Routines are tools, not mandates. They serve best when they are led by empathy, flexibility, and deep knowledge of your child’s unique rhythm. Over time, that evening audiobook, those silly sticky-note sight words, those quiet co-reading moments—they begin to weave a story. A story in which your child, with all their challenges and brilliance, learns to love language on their own terms.

And that kind of story is worth telling.

Want to understand more about how dyslexia shows up in early childhood? You can explore symptoms and early signs in this guide for parents.