How do you help a dyslexic child improve their reading comprehension? For more information, as well as details about our online dyslexia tutoring and treatment program, visit us at http://www.dyslexiaconnect.com .

Reading comprehension can be a struggle for children, teens and adults with dyslexia. Even after a dyslexic child has made progress with reading, they may still struggle with reading comprehension. How can we help a dyslexic child improve their reading comprehension?

One of the most effective ways to help improve a dyslexic student's reading comprehension, is to help them improve their reading accuracy. Reading accuracy is often a problem for dyslexics, and a lack of accuracy leads to a lack of comprehension. To improve this, a dyslexic child should receive phonics-based instruction in reading and spelling using the Orton-Gillingham Method, or one of the methods based on it. In an effective dyslexia tutoring and treatment program, a child will learn phonics and how to segment and sound out words. They will also learn other techniques that will help them improve their reading accuracy.

Another way to improve a dyslexic child's reading comprehension is to improve their vocabulary knowledge. Many dyslexics struggle with vocabulary, because their reading difficulties prevented them from establishing a core knowledge of basic vocabulary. To help them improve this, try having them read out loud. You will probably get a good sense of the things that they are not fully comprehending, and you can then discuss them. Another way to help them master vocabulary is to have them paraphrase sentences that they just read. If they have difficulty with this, you will know that they are struggling with the meaning of the sentence and how to express it. You can also do regular vocabulary exercises with a dyslexic child. Some reading comprehension books include vocabulary exercises. There are a variety of other tools that you can also use, like vocabulary calendars, games, and specific vocabulary books. For a fun way to practice vocabulary, teach your child a new word each day, and then challenge them to use it throughout the day. This is a fun (and sometimes hilarious!) way to familiarize them with new vocabulary.

Teaching a dyslexic child to read for content is important. For dyslexics, decoding words may be so difficult, that they may have gotten in the habit of ignoring content completely. To help them break this habit, have them read out loud and then stop them regularly. When you stop them, have them describe what they just read. What are the main points? What information was given? If they don't know, you can have them go back and look for that information. Another great strategy is to stop them at the end of each paragraph and have them summarize the paragraph in their own words. Breaking comprehension down into paragraphs like this makes it less overwhelming. If they have a hard time summarizing a whole paragraph, you can even break it down into one or two sentences at a time.

These are tips that will help a dyslexic child, teen or adult improve their reading comprehension.

Peter Groth
CEO
Dyslexia Connect Online Tutoring