Educators and parents know that students with a learning disability can often find learning to read a true struggle that can hinder their learning process as well as their confidence.

Some ways to help a student with a learning disability or dyslexia to learn to read are:

• Read with them – Reading with your child can help them learn and also gain confidence in their reading. Allow them to make errors and show them that you also make errors with reading sometimes as well. Showing them that you enjoy reading as well can help them learn to enjoy reading on their own.
• Make reading fun – Make reading fun by using apps and online programs that incorporate fun activities and games into reading. Another way to make reading fun is to read together and then discuss the readings. This can help your child be engaged and invested in reading.
• Read consistently – Reading takes practice and reading consistently helps them build skills regularly. Consistent reading will help your student with a learning disability or dyslexia to recognize their progress and improvements.
• Use online resources to help – As mentioned, apps and online resources that incorporate fun activities and games can help children be invested in their reading progress. Using online resources can help keep things engaging.

There are plenty of free reading programs online that help new readers to practice and enjoy reading. However, not all of them consider accessibility and diverse learning. Here are reading programs that can help your child build their reading skills and confidence: 

Readability 

Readability is an app that utilizes AI technology to help your child improve their reading skills. It is essentially a private tutor that your child can access immediately. The app has original content updated constantly that your child can access any time.

This app is particularly beneficial for students with learning disabilities because it recognizes your child’s speech as your child reads the passages aloud. It provides real-time pronunciation correction and guidance while reading.

Instant auditory feedback is a unique feature that can help learners gain confidence and be engaged in learning. The app also reads passages aloud so students can follow along as they read. 

Learning Ally

Learning Ally is one of the most popular and effective reading programs designed specifically for students with dyslexia. The program has been around for about 70 years and continues to be a top-rated program that helps students with learning to read.

The longstanding and innovative program provides assistance to educators but is particularly helpful for their materials that students can use at home. They possess a large collection of audiobooks that can be accessed at home to provide practice with reading outside of the classroom. 

Reading Rockets

There is an abundant amount of resources online for reading guidance and materials. There is so much online that it can be overwhelming to sift through and find the right materials for your reader. However, a great resource that also has plenty of exercises and materials to use at home is Reading Rockets.

The PBS featured website includes lessons, activities, and reading materials to help give struggling readers guidance and endless practice. The website also provides information and guidance for parents to help their child with a learning disability.

The Exploratorium

While The Exploratorium is meant for students who are interested in science, it is a great resource to use as a free reading program for students with a learning disability or dyslexia. They provide a large library of science articles for kids and accompanying comprehension activities. This is a great alternative free reading program that can help students learn to read fluently and also learn about science at the same time. 

The Free Reading Program 

The Free Reading Program is a globally used reading program in classrooms but is a great resource for parents to integrate at home to help students with learning disabilities. This free reading program provides a large library of reading materials as well as reading activities to help with comprehension, phonics, and fluency. The program is set up so that readers are able to make progress at their own pace. This gives them the ability to build confidence and learn to enjoy reading.

Students with learning disabilities can benefit from all of these free reading programs. Utilizing even just one of these free reading programs can help your child improve their reading skills and also gain confidence in their reading ability.