Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in the world. An estimated one in five people have the condition, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. So what do you do when your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia?
At first you may feel alone and confused, or sad for your child. That’s perfectly understandable. But the good news is that there are a lot of materials to help you cope with the situation. Actively seeking knowledge and solutions will help you become a more effective teacher if your child is struggling to read.
10 Insightful Books About Dyslexia
Below are 10 informative books that can help you better understand dyslexia and how to deal with it:
1. Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz
If you are a comprehensive and practical guide on how to deal with your child’s reading problems, this is the book for you. Based on the latest research and using an evidence-based approach, you can learn the tools that you need to help someone who has dyslexia.
2. The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald David
This book is a favorite among those who want to understand how someone with dyslexia experiences life, and how their other visual strengths can help them cope with learning challenges.
3. The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock L. Eide
Although most of the literature on dyslexia focuses on the challenges that the learner faces, this book instead looks at the basic differences in the brain that causes the reading difficulties. Could this unique view of the world be why many of the most famous people with dyslexia are among the most brilliant minds in art, science, business, and music?
4. The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan by Ben Foss
One of the saddest things about a child having dyslexia is that learning and the school environment can become a burden. This book offers a roadmap to help your child learn the skills they need to rise above their learning differences.
5. Seeing What Others Cannot See by Thomas G. West
In this book, the author looks at the way dyslexics use visual thinking and shows how this can actually be a potential for success in our digital world. He uses first person accounts to show how visual thinkers experience the world differently.
6. Bigger Than Me by Jovan Haye
This memoir follows the story of Jovan Haye, who overcame the odds of poverty, domestic abuse, and undiagnosed dyslexia. But when he discovers his strength in athletics, he develops the confidence to face his biggest struggle: learning to read.
7. A Mind at a Time by Mel Levine
Dr. Mel Levine is one of the most famous pediatricians and experts in education, and in this book, he shares his belief that different minds learn differently. This poses a challenge to our current one-size-fits-all philosophy of education, and the book aims to encourage parents and teachers to identify these differences and help children soar to their full potential.
8. Fish in a Tree by Linda Hunt
This fiction book follows a middle school girl who successfully hides her learning difficulties. Through this story, you can help children with dyslexia or their siblings and peers to understand the challenges of living with this condition.
9. Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide
Could it be that part of the struggle in learning to read has to do with the illogical structure of the English language? In this book, the author shows us the order in our language, helping teachers identify rules to help others read better.
10. Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolf
Maryanne Wolf is a child development expert and cognitive neuroscientist at Tufts University who makes a controversial statement: human beings were not designed to read. She explores how we invented reading, how our brains adapted to the need, and why children with dyslexia struggle with it.
Learning About Dyslexia
Taking the time to learn more about dyslexia will be a huge stepping stone that can help you build a support system for your child or student.
And, reading some of these books can fill you with hope that, no, dyslexia is not an insurmountable hurdle, but your child or student can still rise to their full potential!
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 16 of the Best Children’s Authors that Delight All Ages
- 30 Classic Children’s Picture Books
- How to Teach Kids to Read: Tips, Resources, and Books for Getting Started
- CVC Words for Phonics Practice: Tips for Helping Young Readers
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
