How these activities help

Dyslexia affects reading words accurately and fluently. It often involves trouble with the sounds inside words. These activities practise sounds, letters and word reading. They also keep stories and books fun.

These activities support school help. They do not replace it.

Ground rules

• Keep each session short, 5 to 15 minutes
• Stop while your child still enjoys it
• Praise effort, not speed
• Do a little most days
• Let your child pick the next game

Part 1: Sounds

1. Rhyme time

1. Say a word, such as "cat."
2. Take turns saying words that rhyme.
3. Silly made-up words count.

2. Clap the parts

1. Say a long word, such as "butterfly."
2. Clap once for each part: but-ter-fly.
3. Count the claps together.

3. First sound I Spy

1. Say "I spy something that starts with /m/."
2. Use the sound, not the letter name.
3. Swap turns.

4. Sound swap

1. Say "mat."
2. Ask, "Change /m/ to /s/. What word now?"
3. Try the end sound next: "mat" to "map."

Part 2: Letters and decoding

5. Sound boxes

1. Draw 3 boxes in a row.
2. Say a short word, such as "sun."
3. Your child pushes a coin into a box for each sound.
4. Then write a letter in each box.

6. Magnetic letter build

1. Build "pin" with letters.
2. Ask your child to read it.
3. Change one letter to make "pan," then "pat."

7. Word hunt

1. Pick a sound pattern from school, such as "sh."
2. Hunt for it on cereal boxes and signs.
3. Keep a tally on the fridge.

8. Read it, write it, check it

1. Show a word from this week's school list.
2. Your child reads it, then hides it and writes it.
3. Check together and fix one letter at a time.

Part 3: Stories and fluency

9. Read aloud every day

1. Read books above your child's reading level.
2. Stop to talk about the story and new words.
3. This builds vocabulary and love of books.

10. Echo reading

1. Read one sentence with expression.
2. Your child reads the same sentence back.
3. Move to the next sentence.

11. Audiobook and print together

1. Get the audiobook and the print book from your library.
2. Your child follows the words while listening.
3. Listening builds vocabulary and understanding.

12. Repeat a favourite

1. Pick a short passage your child likes.
2. Read it 3 times over a few days.
3. Notice how it gets smoother. Celebrate.

Weekly plan

Ask the school

• Which sounds and patterns is my child learning now?
• Which words should we practise at home?
• Are these activities a good match for my child?