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Top 10 Tips for Parents of Kids with Dyslexia & ADHD
Small changes in routine, instruction, and language can make reading practice calmer and more productive. Download the printable version and I will send a few follow-up ideas to help your child build confidence.
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The 10 tips
Use a predictable routine
Children with ADHD often benefit from knowing what will happen next, while struggling readers benefit from systematic practice.
Try this: Practice at the same time and place using the same short sequence each day.
Keep practice short and focused
A brief successful session is usually more useful than a long session filled with fatigue, frustration, or conflict.
Try this: Set a 10-minute timer and choose one small reading goal.
Teach reading explicitly
Children with dyslexia need clear, systematic instruction that connects speech sounds with letters and spelling patterns.
Try this: Say the sound, show the letters, blend the word, and write it from memory.
Reduce visual and auditory distractions
Extra materials, noise, and movement can compete with the reading task for a child's attention.
Try this: Clear the table and display only the word or sentence being practiced.
Build movement into learning
Movement breaks can support regulation and make it easier for some children with ADHD to return to a focused task.
Try this: Let your child stand, tap sounds, or take a 60-second movement break.
Use supportive, specific feedback
Specific feedback shows a child what improved and what to try next without attaching shame to mistakes.
Try this: Say, "You matched the first three sounds. Let's check the ending."
Connect sound, sight, meaning, and writing
Using several purposeful pathways helps make word learning more complete and memorable.
Try this: Hear the word, discuss its meaning, picture it, spell it, and use it in a sentence.
Protect confidence and motivation
Children are more willing to persist when adults notice effort, strategy, and growth rather than speed alone.
Try this: End every session by naming one real success you observed.
Track patterns, not perfection
Simple notes can show which skills are improving, which conditions help attention, and where more support is needed.
Try this: Record accuracy, time, and one observation after each session.
Work with qualified professionals
Persistent reading difficulty or significant attention concerns deserve appropriate evaluation and coordinated support.
Try this: Share your notes with the teacher, school team, pediatrician, or qualified evaluator.
Want the daily practice that makes these tips work?
Flashcardread turns these ideas into a ten-minute routine: hear the word, see it flash, write it from memory, and play a quick game. First week free.
Important: FlashcardRead provides educational practice and does not diagnose or treat dyslexia or ADHD. Seek professional guidance when concerns are persistent, severe, or affecting your child's wellbeing.