Dyslexia is a learning disability that impairs a person's ability to interpret written symbols, such as written language. A child with dyslexia also may have problems interpreting verbal language, although most have normal speech and vision. Dyslexia also can lead to difficulties with spelling, handwriting (dysgraphia) and translating numbers and mathematical symbols. Dyslexia does not in any way indicate a lack of intelligence.
One-on-one attention and the feasibility of letting a child learn at his own pace make homeschooling an attractive alternative for people seeking to help a dyslexic child. According to an article by the International Dyslexia Association and Michael Minsky, a clinical teacher at The Greenwood School, "Dyslexic children require direct, systematic, and individualized instruction in reading and spelling. Public schools cannot always provide an adequate level of service. ...Homeschooling can provide solid remediation...and can allow the parent to see directly the progress of the child."
Reading programs based on the Orton-Gillingham approach are developed specifically for children with dyslexia. The Orton-Gillingham method is used in special education programs, not in a typical classroom. Reading Horizons offers the Orton-Gillingham-based program Reading Horizons at Home for use in home schools. Other programs based on the Orton-Gillingham approach include the S.P.I.R.E. reading program by Sheila Clark-Edmands and Cheryl Orlassino's "A Workbook for Dyslexics." Other reading programs developed for children with dyslexia include Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level by Sally Shaywitz, M.D., and Houghton Mifflin's Saxon Phonics Intervention, a program for older children (grades four and up) with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. Still other reading programs are adaptable for use with dyslexic children. A few of these are Explode the Code for grades kindergarten through four; The Big Collection of Phonics Flipbooks by Lynn Gordon; Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Phyllis Haddox; Read, Write, and Type from Talking Fingers Inc.; Reading Reflex by Crmen and Geoffrey McGuinness; and ABeCeDarian, developed by Michael Bend, Ph.D.
In addition to reading programs and curricula, a variety of books are available for parents and teachers of dyslexic children. Two of these are "The Gift of Dyslexia" by Ronald D. Davis, a teacher who is dyslexic, and "How to Reach and Teach Children and Teens With Dyslexia" by Cynthia Stowe, M.Ed.
Dyslexia can affect other areas of a student's learning besides reading and spelling. A few books that address other academic areas are "Dyslexia and Mathematics" by T.R. Miles; "Dyslexia and Foreign Language Learning" by Elke Schneider; and "Instrumental Music for Dyslexics: A Teaching Handbook" by Sheila Ogelthorpe.
Parents seeking to educate a dyslexic child at home have a wide variety of resources and curricula from which to choose. Parents should take the child's learning style, motivation level and other individual traits into account when selecting a program. It is also important to remain tuned in to the dyslexic child's level of frustration and to make adjustments and changes accordingly.