Best Homeschool Curriculum for Dyslexia
Is there a suitable homeschool curriculum for dyslexia? As a homeschool mom, this is one of the many questions I asked myself when my oldest and middle children were diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia.
As you know, I have three kiddos, and we started homeschooling when my oldest was in 1st grade due to her anxiety. So when she was diagnosed, I was five years into the homeschooling journey. Both kids were reading, but their spelling was falling behind, and their writing skills were lacking. No matter what I tried, it did not seem to help. Once we received the diagnosis of dyslexia and dysgraphia, a lot of things made sense regarding why they were struggling in these areas. But I knew we had to change our curriculum for all subjects to help them.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you choose to sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link. It’s okay – I love all of these companies anyways, and you will too!
What is the Best Curriculum for Dyslexia
Once I knew I had to change the curriculum, I did a ton of research as to what they needed. I am not, nor do I have a degree as a reading specialist. So I first researched virtual tutoring, and the company that looked and turned out to be great was Lexercise. We were paired with a tutor who met with my children once a week and gave them exercises to complete the other four days a week. It was all done over Zoom. Within four months, both of my children with dyslexia had improved several grade levels in both writing, spelling, and reading.
Once the tutor was in place, I turned to the curriculum. In my research, I came across this wonderful website, Homeschooling with Dyslexia. It not only gave me the confidence and inspiration that I could homeschool my kids with a learning disability, but it also gave me the resources.
To learn more about Homeschooling with Dyslexia click the link below.
This website, along with other resources, gave me a great start. Since then, my three kids have tested and tried many different ones, and here is what I came up with as the best homeschool curriculum for a dyslexic child.
Teaching Textbooks
Overview
Teaching Textbooks is a math curriculum that starts at Math 3 or about 2nd/3rd grade and goes through Pre-Calculus. They do have books, but we prefer the online option. The online option is great for dyslexic children because its multi-sensory approach. The lesson each day and each problem are spoken out loud, so it has the audio. It is also visual as it walks through each step in both the lesson and the problems. Finally, the child has to touch the keyboard to enter the answers or steps, so it has the touch or kinetic aspect. The curriculum has a great amount of review each day before they start the new lesson's problems.
Top Features
It is online, so you can access it right away
Amazing customer service
It can play to a child's learning style because it has audio, visual, and touch.
Engaging content
Works on any device
Pricing
Teaching Textbooks online curriculum price can range, depending on the math level you are purchasing, from $45.95 to $74.95. The physical products, discs and books, range from $129.95 to $204.95.
My Take
My two sons love math, and my daughter hates it, but with Teaching Textbooks, all three enjoy the curriculum, which has made all the difference. That is a huge win in my book. It is also a program that can be done independently from the parents. So I can have more time to drink my coffee and plan the rest of the day's agenda.
All About Spelling
Overview
All About Spelling is purchased through All About Learning Press. All About Learning Press has reading and spelling. There is a lot of repetition and yet freedom at the same time to make this your own so that it works for your child's learning. It starts at Level 1 or about 1st grade and goes through Level 7 or about high school level.
Top Features
Orton Gillingham approach
Multi-sensory approach
Built-in review
Easy to teach
Pricing
There are a few items that are a one-time purchase for certain activities, so the pricing can range. For just the basic material, the levels pricing ranges from $36.95 to $47.95.
My take
We have used All About Spelling for eight of the ten years we have been homeschooling, and we all love it. It is easy to teach, easy to change per each kid's needs, and definitely has helped. It is broken into weeks/lessons, but you can go at your own pace. I even learned new tricks to spell. My only con is that there can be some religious quotes or opinions in the teaching material, and we are secular. So I just skipped over that.
All About Reading
Overview
All About Reading is purchased through All About Learning Press, just like All About Spelling, as mentioned earlier. All About Reading is a 4 level reading curriculum. They have fun stories to increase your child's reading skills and they focus on phonemic awareness. It is a great homeschool language arts curriculum. There is also a Pre-Reading level that starts teaching reading.
Top Features
Orton Gillingham approach
Multi-sensory approach
Built-in review
Easy to teach
Pricing
There are a few things that are a one-time purchase for certain activities, so the pricing can range. For just the basic material, the levels pricing ranges from $99.95 to $159.95.
My Take
All About Reading is a great resource and language arts curriculum for struggling readers. My three kids and I liked it, and it made all the difference in helping my children learn and want to read. There is a small amount of religious talk, but again we just skipped over that.
WriteShop
Overview
WriteShop is another great homeschooling curriculum. Writing can be a struggle in general, especially when your child has dysgraphia. This homeschool curriculum takes the struggle out of it. There are many levels so it can grow with your child, teaching more and more advanced information.
Top Features
Curriculum for all ages
Teaches from Kindergarten through high school
Multi-sensory approach
Hands-on activities
Great teaching tips
Pricing
Depending on the level you are buying and whether it is ebooks or physical products, the prices can range. The lowest is $37.00 to the highest at $187.00
My Take
WriteShop has been a game changer in our house to help my children learn to like writing, even with their learning disabilities. There is no pressure for both the teacher and the student in their approach. They allow you to go at your own pace and give you loads of learning tools for the child.
Explode The Code
Overview
Explode The Code is a Kindergarten through 4th-grade language arts and math curriculum. It is now available in physical products as well as your tablet. It has a proven track record, and it can be adjusted for struggling readers.
Top Features
Multi-sensory approach
Online products readjust the curriculum as your student uses them to meet their needs
Loads of review
Consistency in each lesson structure
Pricing
Explode the Code's online pricing is $33.00. If you want to buy the physical products, they range from $110 for the teacher's manual to $9.09 for individual student workbooks.
My Take
Like I have said before, every kid is different, and my kids love things to be new and different. That being said, Explode the Code was too similar day after day and year after year. It only goes through 4th grade as well.
Pride Reading Program
Overview
When two of my three kids were diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia, I was completely overwhelmed. I was also very grateful to be able to hire and pay for an outside tutor, as mentioned earlier, who could teach my kids the Orton Gillingham approach. But if I had been unable to do that, then Pride Reading Program would have been my go-to curriculum. For homeschool parents and/or school teachers, Pride trains them to teach their kids as part of this program. I feel like education and training are what is needed to help the overwhelming feelings subside.
Top Features
Training for the homeschooling parent
Easy to use
Orton Gillingham approach
Amazing Reviews
Pricing
The teaching training guide can be an online or physical product. The online guides range from $35.00 to $55.00. The physical products range from $55.95 to 149.95. The student workbooks are only in physical form, and they range from $35.99 to whole kits of $159.95.
My Take
I have not used this program, so I can't give specifics, but the reviews and the fact that it teaches the parent how to teach their child the Orton Gillingham approach makes this program a winner.
Touch-type Read and Spell
Overview
In my research I learned that when a person has dyslexia, many other things outside of reading and spelling can be affected, like tying shoe laces, remembering math facts, and learning keyboard placement. In today's technology age, typing is a requirement for life, so finding a program that helps a child learn to type at their own pace is a must. Touch-type Read and Spell is great in this regard. Not only does it help them learn to type, but they start to type words and see the spelling as they are typing.
Top Features
Recommended by the British Dyslexia Association
Multi-sensory Approach
Students can have their own account, which is great for multiples in families
Uses repetition to cement learning
Positive Enforcement
Pricing
Touch-type Read and Spell's pricing is straightforward. Per month it is $14.99, and for an annual subscription, it is $149, which saves you two months of subscription costs.
My Take
There are a bunch of typing programs out there. Some are free, and some you pay for, but they tend to all be about the same. I would say try a bunch of them and see what your kids like best. We liked this program because it has the Orton Gillingham approach, which helped my dyslexic children a ton.
What is the Best Homeschool Curriculum for Dyslexia
The above options are just the ones my family and I have tried, but there are many other options. What I have learned in my 10 years as a homeschool mom is that each child learns differently, and thus different curriculums will gel more with some kids than with others. Even year to year it changes. Sometimes the curriculum needs to change because your child is older and needs something more challenging and/or appropriate or your child is bored of the current curriculum. So keep trying different ones and talking to other homeschool parents about what they use.
Wrap Up
My biggest advice would be to have patience and remember homeschooling and learning in general, is a marathon or lifelong pursuit. It is
