Reading Programs that Work

Quick Facts

• Students with dyslexia require specific kinds of reading instruction
• Many reading programs are ineffective for dyslexic students
  
• The Orton Gillingham approach is the oldest and best researched for teaching those with dyslexia
  
• Explicit, intensive and multisensory methods work best
• Content should include phonemic awareness, fluency and explicit instruction of spelling rules
• Assistive technology is opening the door to more efficient and effective methods for teaching reading
• Software based reading programs hold many advantages over traditional programs but have not been widely adopted—yet
  

How do you Teach a Child with Dyslexia to Read?

The research on dyslexia treatment clearly shows that children with dyslexia need special kinds of instruction in terms of both content and method. Below is a summary of what we know works. 

2018-19 Reading Well Parent Guide now on sale.

Dyslexia Treatment: Content

According to the prominent dyslexia researcher Dr. Sally Shaywitz, in her book Overcoming Dyslexia, the key ingredients of effective early intervention programs are:

1) Systematic and direct instruction in:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Sounding out words
• Spelling
• Reading sight words
• Vocabulary and concepts
• Reading comprehension strategies

2) Practice applying these skills in reading and writing: Practice means using them everyday from reading comic strips to writing e-mail.

3) Fluency training: Fluency is the ability to read quickly, smoothly, accurately and with good comprehension. When reading is slow and tough, kids spend all their energy to just sound out the words, often missing the meaning entirely.

4) Enriched language experiences: Interactive dialogue involving listening, speaking and story telling. 

Dyslexia Treatment: Method

In terms of a successful method, the Orton Gillingham (OG) approach to reading that was developed in the 1930s by Samuel Torrey Orton and Anna Gillingham is still believed to be the most effective dyslexia treatment. It is based on the following process elements:

Personalized: Teaching begins with recognizing the differing needs of learners.

Multisensory: The simultaneous use of multiple senses including auditory, visual, and kinesthetic (touch).  For example, a dyslexic learner is taught to see the letter A, say its name and sound and write it in the air—all at the same time. The use of multisensory input is thought to enhance memory storage and retrieval. Multisensory approaches can even be used for math.

Structured, Systematic, Sequential, and Cumulative: Language elements and rules are introduced in a linguistically logical, understandable order. Students go back to the very beginning of their language learning, to lay a proper foundation.

Beginning by reading and writing sounds in isolation (phonemes), then blending sounds into syllables and words. Elements of language—consonants, vowels, digraph blends, and diphthongs are introduced in an orderly fashion. Only later, learners proceed to advanced structural elements such as syllable types, roots, prefixes and suffixes.

Cognitive: Students study the many generalizations and rules that govern the structure of language.

Flexible:  Instructors ensure the learner is not simply recognizing a pattern and applying it without understanding. When confusion of a previously taught rule is discovered, it is re-taught from the beginning.

Personal and Direct: Building a close teacher-student relationship with continuous feedback and positive reinforcement leading to success and self confidence. 

Another Approach

There are other approaches that are not considered OG but offer comparable benefit through somewhat different methods. The Lindamood-Bell learning centers are one of the best examples.

Where to Begin

With your school

If your child is in a special education program and/or has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), you will be part of the planning for that program. Be sure to attend the meeting where your child's plan is discussed.  Ask if the school is using a reading program that has been shown to work for students with dyslexia, one that meets the content and method criteria above. For more detailed information and advice on the IEP process (U.S. perspective), try this site on Special Education. 

Unfortunately, sadly, and remarkably, most public schools will fail you at this point.  They either don't have the right tools for dyslexia treatment, resource teachers, time or money to provide the kind of support your child may need. I hope your school is an exception.

What are the Actual Reading Programs?

Below is a list of reading programs that incorporate Orton Gillingham or equivalent approaches and which include emphasis on phonemic awareness, fluency, and strategies for spelling and comprehension. Your school and tutor should be using one of them or an equivalent. Updated August, 2018. 

Programs Continued....

Software Based Systems Rising

The migration of reading programs into the digital realm has been strikingly slow.  While you can find countless apps to help with spelling or vocabulary, there are relatively few comprehensive software based reading programs suitable for dyslexic students. But consider the inherent advantages that software has over paper book, flashcard and tile type reading systems:

• Much lower cost for tutoring (very good for parents on a budget)
• Easy to incorporate almost all Orton Gillingham elements right into the software itself
• Immediate and continuous feedback
• Automatic adjustment of difficulty based on progress
• Infinite patience and the ability for students to work more independently
• Effortless and detailed progress tracking built right into the software
  
• Dramatically lowers the bar for the amount of training required to deliver a program
• Develops keyboarding skills and computer literacy 
• Fun! Software is often game based, making reading fun—exactly what it should be.

Because of these advantages we believe that software based systems are the future of reading instruction for both home and the classroom. 

Dyslexia Treatment: What Won't Work??

Any reading program that doesn't incorporate the Orton Gillingham approach and the type of content noted earlier is less likely to work. The programs and interventions listed below may offer benefits to your child, but they will not likely help them make the kind of progress necessary to close the reading gap with their peers.

• Kumon
• Sylvan Learning
• Hooked on Phonics
• Reading Recovery
• Accelerated Reader
• Brain Gym
  
• Special Diets
  
  

Don't be afraid to experiment, but stick to proven programs for the core of your interventions

Where can I find a good reading program?

Explore links to local schools and tutoring centers that offer these kinds of dyslexia treatment programs.

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