As parents, we want the best for our children. When I first found out that my daughter was dyslexic and after my initial meltdown etc. I started focusing and researching what I could do to help. I am pretty sure this resonates with at least one more person out there. I was determined to work my way through this hurdle and make my baby comfortable reading. This is still a struggle. But I have learnt some things along the way and very excited to share. There are many, many genres of books out there waiting for the avid reader. For someone with dyslexia, a lot of this will not be appealing. Let us start small and explore 3 best book genres for dyslexics.
Do Not Rush It
Patience is key. This probably took me a lot longer to learn than it should have taken. To this day, I sometimes push too hard and too much. We must remember that dyslexics cannot process the same way as others. A novel or any book with many words can be daunting and confusing. The difficulty to connect words and sounds and blends in conjunction with hundreds of words on a page can make the act of reading overwhelming. This tends to cause a dyslexic to lose their place easily and it becomes exhausting to continuously find back the place and by then the story or the lesson is lost.
Graphic Novels
Research has shown me that this is larger than you may think. Graphic novels are one of the absolute best ways to get your non book-lover to start loving it. Some will argue that these are pictures and not words. My argument is that it does contain words. And words are words, right?! Yes, graphic novels traditionally is dominated with pictures. Great! This will keep your child’s interest. An excellent place to start. Popular graphic novels like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries are a favorite with kids, When my daughter discovered Dork Diaries it was one of the best and most relieving times for me. She thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book which was borrowed from a friend. It went so well that before we knew it she owned the entire series. And yes, she read every single one of them. Many parents may disagree with content and so forth in graphic novels but I just relished in the relief I felt that she had finally found something. Finally! It got her reading. After this it took a while to find another that captured her attention.
I encourage you to look into this. There are endless available. My absolute favorite book of all time is “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Loved it from when I first read it in school and to this day it is my top favorite. Imagine my absolute surprise and pleasure to discover that there is a graphic version to it. I found it a couple years ago and it was even better when I my daughter read and ENJOYED it. Who would have thought, “To Kill A Mockingbird” would become a good read for her. Graphic novels, in this context include comics as well. Please do not shy away from this. There are great comics out there and most libraries have a vast selection which even includes oldies like Marvel Superheroes, DC’s “Batman” and “Archie”.
Short Stories
A big, thick large book can be intimidating to a dyslexic reader. A kid or even adult can lose interest very quickly because the task is difficult. They will get bored because the act of reading is difficult. This is where a shorter story comes in. Browse your local libraries and bookshops. Start simple by looking for a smaller or thinner book. But ensure that the text is not tiny to make reading even more difficult.
Magazines can be a wonderful source of short stories.
Magazines contain biographies and autobiographies on famous people that can hold a child’s interest. Kids love learning about their favorite singer or band. Articles on clothing, makeup and styles can capture a teenager’s attention. These are all words that we can expose to our children so that they can uncover the world of reading.
Depending on the age of your child, as a parent you can and should scan over the contents before allowing them to read. What I may be comfortable with you may not be as comfortable. This is okay.
Audio Books
You may not agree with me here. That’s OK. Will appreciate if you hear me out.
In my journey with my daughter, we reached a point where I felt anything was a win. I would take the smallest win and rejoice in it. Audio Books have become wildly popular. Why not use this to your advantage? Even if your child may not be “reading” the actual word they still get exposed to it. This is a good thing. Their imagination is still engaged and vocabulary is still being added to their bank. Let them enjoy a story through a medium they are comfortable using.
Some audio books come with the text or subtitles which allows the reader to follow along. Again, great exposure to the written word. Though this medium may not be popular with all audiences it may be worth taking a look into to see if it can be beneficial to you and your child’s need.
Conclusion
Remember not everything works for everyone. Try new things and explore all that is available. The 3 book types listed above is a small snippet of what is available. I have specifically shared these because I have personally found that these are beneficial to a reluctant reader.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and your findings on this topic in the comments below. I am very interested in hearing about new avenues that can be explored. In a future blog I will share some popular titles that fall into some of these categories to further help those who may need it.
Thanks.
Dee J.