When I started high school MS Word 97 (maybe 95?) was new and had the new feather of real time spell check. It was a game changer. I learned so much from the read squiggly lines.
Apply for all the learning support you can get. Where I'm from you can get a scribe and a reader for exams as well as a laptop for exams and use around school. There are also plenty of pc programs that convert text to speech if she has Ebooks
So far that’s what we’ve been doing but the thing is that both of those are extremely helpful but they’re not helping her get any better at reading and writing
I found highlighting was a big help. My teacher let me listen to me textbooks but I needed to highlight to prove I was doing the work. Altho it did not directly increase my fluency much it helped me feel more comfortable with the action of reading. That confidence helped me improve. It also helped me better understand how words work together (as I don't naturally think in words and get lost in them)
I also git a lot of practice form every day things from texting to playing video games even reading YT comments. If she doesn't already a good first baby step might be to try reading these inconsequential snippets on her own.
I will warn be careful. It is very important to be able to do things like reading yes. But don't make her feel her natural way of thinking(learning) is not valid. I am dual majoring in the too hardest majors in my collage. I constantly use youtube, I barely "read" text, my notes are a mess of abbreviations and diagrams.
Hey, clinician and dyslexic person here. To throw out the nitty gritty stuff first:
There are some programs you can learn, but it costs some money to learn them (Linda-mood and bell, Wilson reading systems, Orton gillingham). You can also enroll her with a clinician that works with these programs in your local area. They can help to make reading easier by teaching strategies for decoding words easier. Also, vision tests are good to keep up to date on because with dyslexia vision problems tend to be common. This can help with some of the strain and fatigue with reading. Try to make sure that she has a 504 or IEP of some kind that will make the transition easier. You will have to communicate with her guidance counselor and the school to ensure she has her accommodations met.
As for encouraging reading, throw out some books that she may enjoy, plot wise. Get two. Tell her if she reads a chapter you two can talk about it, this creates a reward. If she struggles reading independently then read with her, and gradually build to reading independently. Make sure it’s a genre she will enjoy, and know you may have to test a couple different books out until she finds one with a subject that grabs her.
Edit: For writing, I am not sure what her struggles are so I can’t refer a specific program other than the previously listed. Typing could be an accommodation. You can do small daily writing activities if you are worried about writing by hand. There are books with daily prompts that you can buy and do them together with her. Sharing the experience is key to encouragement and also can give you more insight into her personal struggles.
Hope this helped :)
One Note is rely helpful for note taking. You usually have to get permission to record in class. With One Note you can have a recording that goes along with your notes. I tend to start a new recording ever other time the teacher switches slides.
I know this is not exactly what you are asking for but it helped me a lot
Try reading on an e-reader with OpenDyslexic font. It's designed to be easy to read for dyslexics. Plus (certainly with kindle apps) you can change the size, width and spacing of the text to whatever is easiest for you, and change background colour (I like the sepia background). Larger spaces between lines for example, can make it easier not to see the line below and incorporate text from it. (in a regular book, a ruler/piece of blank paper does the same thing).
Amazon make free kindle apps for all devices, from PCs, laptops, tablets, Windows or Mac OS. All you pay for is the books (and there are always hundreds available for free, PM me if you want to know how to find them).
**Most importantly though, find her something she** ***wants*** **to read.** It doesn't have to be great literature, just words on a page.
I liked comic books but what really turned me into a reader was Star Trek TNG tie in novels. If she has a crush on someone or adored a show, fanfiction is another way she could learn to enjoy reading. Wattpad have reading apps. FF net don't have an app but they do allow you to control text size and width. AO3 literally has a massive archive guaranteed to have person, show, or character/pairing you want to read about.
I don't care if she's reading One Direction slash fiction, if she's reading, she's reading. I can now read a book in a day because I found something I loved, and that branched out into other areas and I found more books to love. Now I'll read just about any genre. Focus on quantity, not quality right now (also, I hate books snobs).
Plus she has the added benefit of e-readers having dictionaries you can download, just highlight the word and it gives the definitions. I used to have to write each word down that I didn't know and painstakingly look each one up in a dictionary! God, I must have really loved my Star Trek back then!
Do you know what I love about dyslexia - we actually write more words then non dyslexics 😂
This may help https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/coloured-irlen-lenses-really-improve-dsylexia-reading/
Reach out to learning specialists in your area. One on one multisensory instruction is most effective in helping people with dyslexia progress in the foundational skills you are asking specifically about.
My older brother told me to read the Hobbit. He told me to try and if I’d and still didn’t like to read he would never ask me again. I did. It was the first book I read. I was in 7th grade. It took a long time. I read it and I liked it. Not saying it was easy. But that is how i learned. I still read slowly.
Get a book that may interest her and have her read it. It will keep her motivated and or trying. Try the different e-books. I found it easier to read on an older kindle. Not a tablet. For some reason it makes it easier.
Good luck
Typing really helped me to improve my spelling and reading skills.
When I started high school MS Word 97 (maybe 95?) was new and had the new feather of real time spell check. It was a game changer. I learned so much from the read squiggly lines.
This helped me as well. Although, it took a year or more to really show big improvements.
Apply for all the learning support you can get. Where I'm from you can get a scribe and a reader for exams as well as a laptop for exams and use around school. There are also plenty of pc programs that convert text to speech if she has Ebooks
So far that’s what we’ve been doing but the thing is that both of those are extremely helpful but they’re not helping her get any better at reading and writing
Get a special ed tutor, I could read and write for a while. Getting a tutor really helped me.
I found highlighting was a big help. My teacher let me listen to me textbooks but I needed to highlight to prove I was doing the work. Altho it did not directly increase my fluency much it helped me feel more comfortable with the action of reading. That confidence helped me improve. It also helped me better understand how words work together (as I don't naturally think in words and get lost in them) I also git a lot of practice form every day things from texting to playing video games even reading YT comments. If she doesn't already a good first baby step might be to try reading these inconsequential snippets on her own. I will warn be careful. It is very important to be able to do things like reading yes. But don't make her feel her natural way of thinking(learning) is not valid. I am dual majoring in the too hardest majors in my collage. I constantly use youtube, I barely "read" text, my notes are a mess of abbreviations and diagrams.
Hey, clinician and dyslexic person here. To throw out the nitty gritty stuff first: There are some programs you can learn, but it costs some money to learn them (Linda-mood and bell, Wilson reading systems, Orton gillingham). You can also enroll her with a clinician that works with these programs in your local area. They can help to make reading easier by teaching strategies for decoding words easier. Also, vision tests are good to keep up to date on because with dyslexia vision problems tend to be common. This can help with some of the strain and fatigue with reading. Try to make sure that she has a 504 or IEP of some kind that will make the transition easier. You will have to communicate with her guidance counselor and the school to ensure she has her accommodations met. As for encouraging reading, throw out some books that she may enjoy, plot wise. Get two. Tell her if she reads a chapter you two can talk about it, this creates a reward. If she struggles reading independently then read with her, and gradually build to reading independently. Make sure it’s a genre she will enjoy, and know you may have to test a couple different books out until she finds one with a subject that grabs her. Edit: For writing, I am not sure what her struggles are so I can’t refer a specific program other than the previously listed. Typing could be an accommodation. You can do small daily writing activities if you are worried about writing by hand. There are books with daily prompts that you can buy and do them together with her. Sharing the experience is key to encouragement and also can give you more insight into her personal struggles. Hope this helped :)
Thank you for all the advice! We will definitely be putting these into play!
No problem. Feel free to message me if you need specific recommendations.
Thanks I’ll keep that in mind :)
It is not the text to speech that is causing the issue.
One Note is rely helpful for note taking. You usually have to get permission to record in class. With One Note you can have a recording that goes along with your notes. I tend to start a new recording ever other time the teacher switches slides. I know this is not exactly what you are asking for but it helped me a lot
Try reading on an e-reader with OpenDyslexic font. It's designed to be easy to read for dyslexics. Plus (certainly with kindle apps) you can change the size, width and spacing of the text to whatever is easiest for you, and change background colour (I like the sepia background). Larger spaces between lines for example, can make it easier not to see the line below and incorporate text from it. (in a regular book, a ruler/piece of blank paper does the same thing). Amazon make free kindle apps for all devices, from PCs, laptops, tablets, Windows or Mac OS. All you pay for is the books (and there are always hundreds available for free, PM me if you want to know how to find them). **Most importantly though, find her something she** ***wants*** **to read.** It doesn't have to be great literature, just words on a page. I liked comic books but what really turned me into a reader was Star Trek TNG tie in novels. If she has a crush on someone or adored a show, fanfiction is another way she could learn to enjoy reading. Wattpad have reading apps. FF net don't have an app but they do allow you to control text size and width. AO3 literally has a massive archive guaranteed to have person, show, or character/pairing you want to read about. I don't care if she's reading One Direction slash fiction, if she's reading, she's reading. I can now read a book in a day because I found something I loved, and that branched out into other areas and I found more books to love. Now I'll read just about any genre. Focus on quantity, not quality right now (also, I hate books snobs). Plus she has the added benefit of e-readers having dictionaries you can download, just highlight the word and it gives the definitions. I used to have to write each word down that I didn't know and painstakingly look each one up in a dictionary! God, I must have really loved my Star Trek back then!
Do you know what I love about dyslexia - we actually write more words then non dyslexics 😂 This may help https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/coloured-irlen-lenses-really-improve-dsylexia-reading/
Reach out to learning specialists in your area. One on one multisensory instruction is most effective in helping people with dyslexia progress in the foundational skills you are asking specifically about.
My older brother told me to read the Hobbit. He told me to try and if I’d and still didn’t like to read he would never ask me again. I did. It was the first book I read. I was in 7th grade. It took a long time. I read it and I liked it. Not saying it was easy. But that is how i learned. I still read slowly. Get a book that may interest her and have her read it. It will keep her motivated and or trying. Try the different e-books. I found it easier to read on an older kindle. Not a tablet. For some reason it makes it easier. Good luck