One of the greatest advantages of homeschooling a child with dyslexia is the freedom to provide accommodations whenever your child needs them.

You don't need to wait for permission.

You don't need to follow an IEP or 504 process.

You can simply look at what is making learning unnecessarily difficult for your child and ask:

What could I change to help my child access this material and learn at their intellectual ability?

That's what accommodations are all about.

Accommodations don't mean lowering expectations or making school "easy." They remove barriers caused by dyslexia so that our kids can learn and demonstrate what they know without every subject becoming a test of their reading, writing, or spelling ability.

If you're new to accommodations or still wondering whether using them is somehow "cheating," start here:

[Read: Homeschool Accommodations for Dyslexia and ADHD: What They Are and Why They Matter]

Once you understand the why, here are 10 of the most useful accommodations I've found for homeschooling kids with dyslexia.

1. Use Audiobooks and Text-to-Speech

This is probably the accommodation I've used most often in our homeschool.

Kids with dyslexia often have a significant gap between what they can understand and what they can read independently.

A child may be perfectly capable of understanding a middle-school history book while still struggling to decode the words on the page.

Don't let reading ability limit access to information.

Use:

• Audiobooks
• Text-to-speech
• Audio-supported curriculum
• Videos and documentaries
• Parent or sibling read-alouds

This is especially helpful for content subjects such as history, science, literature, and even written directions.

Remember: If the goal of the lesson isn't reading instruction, your child doesn't necessarily need to read the material independently.

Keep explicitly teaching reading during reading instruction. Accommodate reading when the goal is learning something else.

2. Allow Oral Responses Instead of Written Answers

Many kids with dyslexia also struggle with spelling and written expression. Some also have dysgraphia.

That means a simple written response can require an enormous amount of mental effort.

Imagine asking:

What were the primary causes of the American Revolution?

Your child may be able to give you a thoughtful, detailed answer verbally but write:

"Taxes. The colonists were mad."

Which response better demonstrates what your child actually knows?

When writing isn't the skill you're trying to teach, consider allowing your child to:

• Answer questions orally
• Discuss the material with you
• Record an audio or video response
• Dictate their answer
• Use speech-to-text

There will be plenty of opportunities to work specifically on writing skills. Not every subject needs to be a writing lesson.

3. Give Extra Time

Reading, writing, spelling, processing written directions, and retrieving information can all take longer for kids with dyslexia.

Extra time is one of the simplest accommodations you can provide.

That might mean:

• Allowing more time on a test
• Extending an assignment over several days
• Removing unnecessary time limits
• Allowing a child to finish after a break
• Reducing the pressure to keep pace with siblings

Extra time isn't about allowing kids to avoid work.

It's about recognizing that speed and knowledge are not the same thing.

4. Reduce Unnecessary Writing and Copying

Copying a paragraph from a textbook, writing every math problem onto another sheet of paper, or copying a list of vocabulary definitions can require tremendous effort from a child with dyslexia or dysgraphia.

Ask yourself what the educational purpose of the copying actually is.

Often, there isn't one.

Instead, consider:

• Letting your child write directly in a workbook
• Providing printed notes
• Allowing highlighting instead of copying
• Giving partially completed outlines
• Typing instead of handwriting
• Letting your child dictate longer responses
• Reducing repetitive written work

Save your child's limited writing energy for assignments where writing is actually the skill you're trying to develop.

5. Use Assistive Technology

Assistive technology has made it easier than ever for kids with dyslexia to work at their intellectual ability—and become more independent learners.

Helpful technology can include:

• Text-to-speech
• Speech-to-text
• Audiobooks
• Spellcheck and grammar support
• Word prediction
• Digital calendars and reminders
• Visual timers
• Electronic note-taking
• Audio and video instruction

And assistive technology doesn't have to be complicated.

A simple checklist, calculator, multiplication chart, highlighter, or visual schedule can also remove barriers.

One of the biggest benefits of assistive technology is that it can gradually replace some of the help you have been providing.

Instead of Mom reading the chapter, text-to-speech can read it.

Instead of Mom writing the answer, speech-to-text can capture it.

Instead of Mom reminding your child what comes next, a digital checklist can do it.

Learn more about Teaching Kids to Use Assistive Technology here.

Accommodations can actually increase independence.

6. Shorten Assignments When Mastery Has Been Demonstrated

Does your child really need to complete 30 math problems to demonstrate that they understand the concept?

Maybe.

But maybe not.

Kids with dyslexia often expend more mental energy on schoolwork than typical learners. When an assignment contains a lot of repetitive practice, consider whether completing every problem is necessary.

You might:

• Assign the odd-numbered problems
• Complete every other problem
• Stop after mastery is demonstrated
• Divide a long worksheet over several days
• Choose representative problems rather than completing every one

The goal isn't to eliminate necessary practice.

The goal is to eliminate unnecessary repetition that causes fatigue without adding meaningful learning.

7. Give Directions One Step at a Time

Multi-step directions can be difficult for kids with dyslexia, particularly when working memory or executive function weaknesses are also present.

Instead of:

"Get your math book, turn to page 42, do problems 1–15, check the odd answers, correct anything you missed, and then put it in the basket."

Break it down.

Or better yet, put the steps somewhere your child can refer back to them.

Try:

• A written checklist
• A visual schedule
• Numbered instructions
• One direction at a time
• An example of a completed problem
• A consistent routine

This is another accommodation that can build independence because your child no longer has to rely on you to remember every step.

8. Preview and Review New Information

Kids with dyslexia often benefit from having a framework for new information before they're expected to learn it.

Before beginning a lesson, spend a few minutes previewing:

What are we going to learn?

What do we already know about this?

What should we pay attention to?

Afterward, briefly review:

What were the most important ideas?

How does this connect to something we've already learned?

Making those connections gives new information somewhere to "land."

This is especially useful in content-heavy subjects such as history and science.

9. Provide Helpful Reference Tools

There is no prize for keeping every piece of information in your head.

Give your child tools they can refer to when needed.

Depending on the child's age and needs, these might include:

• Alphabet charts
• Multiplication charts
• Number lines
• Spelling reference sheets
• Math formula cards
• Vocabulary lists
• Graphic organizers
• Checklists
• Writing templates
• Samples of completed work

Parents sometimes worry that kids will become dependent on these tools.

In reality, frequently referring to information in a meaningful context often helps kids learn and remember it over time.

And even when a child continues to need a particular tool, ask yourself:

Is memorizing this information actually the goal of today's lesson?

If not, let them use the tool.

10. Adjust the Learning Environment

Sometimes the problem isn't the curriculum.

It's the environment in which we're asking the child to use it.

Homeschooling gives us tremendous flexibility here.

Your child might learn better:

• Standing instead of sitting
• On the floor
• In a quiet room
• With headphones
• With fewer visual distractions
• After physical activity
• With frequent movement breaks
• Earlier or later in the day
• With shorter lessons spread throughout the day

Pay attention to when and where your child learns best.

There's no educational advantage to making a child sit at a desk simply because that's what school is "supposed" to look like.

Are Accommodations for Dyslexia Unfair?

This is one of the biggest concerns parents have about accommodations.

If my child gets extra time, uses an audiobook, dictates an answer, or uses a multiplication chart...

Isn't that unfair?

No.

Fair doesn't mean that every child gets exactly the same thing.

Fair means that each child has access to what they need in order to learn.

A child who cannot yet decode a history textbook but can understand the information when listening isn't gaining an unfair advantage by using an audiobook.

They're gaining access.

A child whose spelling difficulties prevent them from expressing complex ideas isn't cheating by using speech-to-text.

They're removing a barrier between what they know and their ability to demonstrate that knowledge.

Balancing Accommodations With Remediation

Accommodations don't replace instruction.

This is an important distinction.

If your child has dyslexia, you still want to provide explicit, systematic reading instruction designed for dyslexic learners.

At the same time, your child shouldn't have to wait until their reading catches up before they're allowed to learn history, science, literature, or anything else they're intellectually capable of understanding.

That's where remediation and accommodation work together.

Remediation strengthens the area of weakness.

Accommodation provides access while the weakness still exists.

A child can receive explicit reading instruction and listen to an audiobook for history.

They can work on spelling and use spellcheck when writing a science report.

They can practice handwriting and use speech-to-text for a longer essay.

Our kids need opportunities to strengthen their weaker skills while continuing to grow and learn through their strengths.

The Goal: Greater Access and Greater Independence

Ultimately, accommodations aren't about making things easier for our kids.

They're about helping our kids become successful, capable learners.

And over time, many accommodations actually allow kids with dyslexia to become more independent.

Instead of depending on Mom to read, remind, write, organize, or explain everything, they begin learning how to use the tools and strategies that work for their own brains.

That's a skill they'll use far beyond your homeschool.

More Help for Homeschooling With Dyslexia

Homeschool Accommodations for Dyslexia and ADHD: What They Are and Why They Matter]

[How to Help Kids With Dyslexia and ADHD Become More Independent Learners]

[Assistive Technology for Students With Dyslexia]

[Understanding Accommodation and Remediation]

What accommodations have made the biggest difference in your homeschool? Share them in the comments below!