How can I best help my dyslexic child? Experts agree that best practice for teaching dyslexic learners is to teach them via all their senses (multisensory teaching). This means using visuals, body movement, hands-on, and auditory elements in their learning.
I believe it is best practice to provide explicit phonics instruction to children with dyslexia. However, I also believe it is best practice to teach them whole words first - or at least at the same time as teaching little pieces of words. Many children need the global view before making sense of parts of words.
Studies from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development have shown that for children who have difficulties learning to read, a multi-sensory teaching method is the most effective approach. This is especially crucial for children with dyslexia. But what does it mean?