Dyslexia

Dyslexic disorders: what tools and educational resources can facilitate reading and comprehension?

Dyslexia is a long-lasting learning disorder affecting reading and spelling acquisition. It manifests as difficulties with fluency and accurate word reading: reading is often slow and choppy because the child struggles to distinguish or break down syllables and phonemes within sentences.

How can you tell if a child is dyslexic?

The first signs suggesting a dyslexic disorder include:

• confusion between similar sounds or letters with similar shapes (b/d, p/q);
• difficulty with language;
• poor understanding of a text that has been read;
• difficulty memorizing words and their spelling.

However, not all children learn to read at the same pace; some may need more time, so there is no need to rush. During the second year of primary school, if difficulties persist and in consultation with the teacher, assessments may be requested from qualified healthcare professionals. Indeed, only a comprehensive evaluation carried out by professionals (such as speech therapists) can confirm a diagnosis of dyslexia.

What teaching methods or tools can help my dyslexic child in their learning?

To support a dyslexic child in learning to read, the following approaches are commonly used:

• Strengthening phonological awareness: working on identifying sounds and syllables is crucial. Books that highlight certain letters or syllables in color help the child better break down words.
• Visual reading aids: using reading rulers or tracking windows helps isolate the current line, preventing skipped words or lines and reducing visual fatigue.
• Sensory-based teaching: for a dyslexic child, the visual channel alone is often overloaded. The kinesthetic approach involves learning through movement and touch to create new neural connections. Handling movable, magnetic, or textured letters helps anchor the shape of graphemes in memory by simultaneously engaging touch, movement, and sight. By physically “tracing” a letter with a finger or manipulating it, the child retains its shape more effectively and for longer.

The Wesco selection to support dyslexic children

In the classroom, at home, or as part of professional support, the Wesco product range adapts to each dyslexic child’s progress:

• Books and learning methods for DYS learners: Alpha kits, early reading materials with progressive difficulty, etc.;
• Language and phonology games: specially designed for DYS disorders, these games allow children to practice manipulating syllables, develop auditory discrimination, and play with words to visualize and better memorize them;
• Tools to visually guide the eye during reading: highlighting reading guides and finger reading guides are very practical tools to help children stabilize their gaze and focus on one line at a time;
• Tactile and manipulative materials: textured letters are important for helping children memorize letters, their shapes and outlines. They support the development of visual and kinesthetic memory. Tactile letters also prepare children for writing skills.