For kids with dyslexia, we want reading at home to be fun and easy. Starting reading intervention with an Orton-Gillingham based tutoring method is the first step toward helping them to improve their reading skills. While doing this, we recommend a 3 pronged approach to reading at home so that they can build their confidence and independence in reading. This approach provides a feeling of relief to parents and children around daily reading practice.

For decoding: Initially, it can be helpful to 'outsource' this to a professional. Explicit, direct, and systematic instruction on building phonological processing and orthographic skills. This is best facilitated by a certified reading specialist. This is hard work for the child, and it is sometimes helpful to have someone other than a parent working with the child. 

For fluency: Given your child opportunities to get some traction by experiencing success in their reading at home. Encourage the child to read easy passages aloud at home. Start with the current point of mastery and gradually move on from there. Emphasize fluency with easy accuracy. Choose passages that the child can read with >95% accuracy. As parents, your mantra for this is "short, easy, and perfect." Use decodable books (e.g., Heggerty). Start with just 2-3 minutes at a time. Start with a passage that they can read without any guesses or errors. Give your child plenty of opportunities to read aloud successfully at home by changing the content they are asked to read. Because this reading practice will be below their level of age-appropriate interest, an external reward system (e.g., a sticker chart) can be helpful.

For access to content, comprehension, and opportunities for enrichment: Provide alternative access to content via audiobooks and/or parents reading aloud to the child at a level that is appropriate for their intellectual aptitude. Provide a space for high-level conversations and creative thinking about the material. The child should not be required to read along during this portion of reading practice because the reading level of this material will be above their current decoding mastery level, and reading along will pull their attention away from the main goal, which is understanding and following along with the story.