• Read together for a short time each day and talk about what you have read.  
• If your child makes a mistake say the word without comment to keep the flow going - you can discuss the difficult words afterwards.
• Echo reading - you read a short section of text then your child reads it to you.
• If a book is too hard then read as a ‘pair’. If a child makes mistakes with more than 1 - 2 in 10 words, the book is likely to be too challenging for them to read fluently.
• Explore technology e.g. Reading pens, screen-reading on a PC, eReader tablets, audiobooks.

Many parents first become aware of their child's dyslexia when their child starts school and they experience difficulties learning to read. Some children also experience visual difficulties which can make it appear that the text is moving or blurring on the page. If your child does complain of difficulties like these, a sight test with an optometrist is essential.

For children who have difficulties learning to read, the effort needed to concentrate can be exhausting and can often lead to frustration and a reluctance to try to learn.

The implications of slow, laboured reading are far-reaching and can impact a student throughout their education. Therefore it's crucial that difficulties are identified and appropriate support is put in place as quickly as possible to help your child.

Helping your child to read

Paired reading is a good way to help your child to read and enjoy books. Allow your child to choose a book they want to read and let them start reading. When they make a mistake give your child a few seconds to have a go, but then say the word yourself - this keeps the flow going.

If the book is too hard for your child, read the words together. Read at your child's pace. Let your child decide on a signal they can give you when they want to carry on reading on their own. If they make a mistake, say the word and then carry on reading together. You can switch from reading together to your child reading alone. Try to do this for 10 minutes every day - share the book together rather than 'hear' your child read.

At the end of a page or section, talk about what you've read together. Ask what might happen next and whether it reminds your child of another story or film.