At Manning’s Tutors, we believe every child deserves to feel confident, capable, and supported in their learning journey—especially those with learning differences like dyslexia. If your child has dyslexia, you’ve likely seen firsthand just how creative and intelligent they are, even if reading and writing can sometimes feel like an uphill struggle. The good news is that with the right tutoring strategies, children with dyslexia can make fantastic progress and begin to feel a sense of pride in their learning.

In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most effective, child-friendly approaches we use when tutoring children with dyslexia. Whether you’re a parent, carer, or tutor, we hope this gives you the tools and confidence to help your learner thrive.

What Is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mainly affects skills involved in reading and spelling. It’s important to remember that it’s not a reflection of intelligence—many children with dyslexia are incredibly bright, imaginative, and quick-thinking. They may just find it harder to process written language in the same way as their peers.

Some children with dyslexia struggle to decode words, others may find spelling consistently difficult, and some have trouble with reading fluency or organising their ideas in writing. Because dyslexia looks different from one child to the next, it’s essential that tutoring is flexible, personalised, and patient.

Embracing Multi-Sensory Learning

One of the most powerful tools in our tutoring toolbox is multi-sensory learning. Rather than relying solely on written text, we encourage pupils to learn through a mix of sight, sound, touch, and movement. For instance, when teaching new spellings, we might say the word aloud together, trace it with a finger in sand or on a textured surface, clap out syllables, or build the word using letter tiles.

These kinds of activities help reinforce learning by engaging different parts of the brain. Over time, this can help children not only retain what they’ve learned but begin to apply it more confidently across different contexts.

Structure and Small Steps

Children with dyslexia often benefit from a structured approach that breaks learning into manageable, logical steps. At Manning’s Tutors, we draw from methods like the Orton-Gillingham approach and similar structured literacy programmes. These methods are cumulative—meaning that new concepts build on existing knowledge, and nothing is rushed or skipped.

The idea is to create a steady, reassuring rhythm to learning where there’s always time for review and revision. It might feel slow at times, but this careful layering helps secure long-term understanding rather than quick fixes.

The Importance of Phonics

Strong phonics teaching is essential for most learners with dyslexia. This means helping children tune into the individual sounds in words (known as phonemes) and learn how those sounds link to letters and spelling patterns. For some pupils, this can feel quite abstract at first, so we use lots of real-life examples, games, and repetition to make it stick.

Rather than memorising whole words, which can be overwhelming, we help children break words down into chunks they can decode and blend. Over time, their reading fluency improves, and their confidence in tackling unfamiliar words grows too.

Gentle Repetition and Building Confidence

Repetition is vital, but it doesn’t have to mean boring worksheets or endless drills. Instead, we revisit concepts regularly through playful revision games, low-pressure quizzes, or weaving old learning into new tasks.

We’re also mindful of energy and mood. Children with dyslexia often experience learning fatigue more quickly than their peers, so our sessions include movement breaks, opportunities for creativity, and time to celebrate what’s going well. Even small wins—like spelling a tricky word correctly or reading a sentence with ease—are recognised and praised.

Harnessing the Power of Technology

Today’s technology can make a world of difference for children with dyslexia. Tools like text-to-speech apps, dictation software, and coloured screen overlays can remove barriers to learning and give children greater independence.

We often introduce these tools gradually during tutoring sessions, helping pupils learn how to use them effectively. For example, a child might use dictation software to get their thoughts down for a story, then listen to it read back aloud to spot errors and revise it. It’s all about making learning accessible, not easier—and showing children that there’s more than one way to succeed.

Supporting Writing with Visual Tools

Writing can be especially challenging for children with dyslexia, not only because of spelling but also because of working memory difficulties. Planning out what to write and holding that plan in their head can be tough.

That’s where visual aids come in. We use mind maps, storyboards, and sentence frames to help children organise their thoughts and structure their writing. Rather than asking them to start with a blank page, we build a framework together so they feel supported from the start. As confidence grows, we gently reduce the scaffolding, always moving at a pace that suits them.

Reading for Enjoyment—and Talking About Books

It’s not uncommon for children with dyslexia to feel anxious about reading, especially if it’s been linked to feelings of failure in the past. That’s why we make a big effort to rebuild that relationship and show them that reading can be enjoyable—even fun.

We often read aloud together, using high-interest, age-appropriate texts that spark curiosity. Discussing what’s happening in the story, predicting endings, and exploring characters all build comprehension skills, even if the child isn’t reading the words themselves. And audiobooks can be a brilliant option too, helping to expand vocabulary and foster a love of storytelling.

Supporting Teenagers with Dyslexia – Especially Around Exams

As children move into secondary school, dyslexia can feel even more challenging. With more complex texts, independent study, and formal exams, the pressure builds—and many teenagers need targeted support to cope.

Tutoring for older pupils focuses on revision strategies, time management, and breaking down content into digestible parts. We help teens create realistic study plans, use memory aids like mind maps and mnemonics, and develop the confidence to tackle extended writing tasks. We also provide support with coursework planning, proofreading, and understanding how to interpret exam questions clearly.

Just as importantly, we can help families work with schools to ensure exam access arrangements are in place—whether that’s extra time, a reader, a scribe, or using a laptop. Knowing that support is available can make a huge difference to a student’s confidence and performance.

Encouragement Above All Else

Dyslexia can take a toll on a child’s self-esteem. Many of the pupils we work with have experienced moments of frustration, comparison, or even shame about their difficulties. That’s why, at Manning’s Tutors, we always focus on encouragement, patience, and celebrating effort—not just outcomes.

A kind word at the right time, a moment of shared laughter, or a genuine “well done” can go a long way in helping a child feel safe, supported and motivated to keep going.

Final Thoughts

With the right support, children with dyslexia can not only overcome their learning challenges but discover strengths they didn’t even know they had. Tutoring that’s flexible, multi-sensory, and rooted in kindness can make all the difference—whether it’s helping a child crack phonics, build writing stamina, or prepare for exams.

At Manning’s Tutors, we’re proud to work closely with families to find what works best for each individual learner. If you’re looking for tutoring that supports children with dyslexia in a caring, evidence-based way, we’d love to hear from you.

Looking for support for your child?
Contact Manning’s Tutors today for a friendly chat about how we can help.