Intro
Let’s be honest—helping dyslexic readers stay engaged can sometimes feel like trying to get a cat into a bathtub. Between frustration, fatigue, and years of feeling “less than,” many students approach reading with their guard (and anxiety) sky-high.
But here’s the truth: when students feel successful, safe, and seen, the tears start to disappear. What follows? Smiles, laughter, and yes—even joy.
Over the years, I’ve collected a list of tried-and-true ways to make reading time something students actually look forward to. These aren’t miracles—they’re manageable shifts that turn overwhelm into confidence.
Let’s start with the foundation: helping students connect, feel capable, and build trust in the process.
1. Start with Wins, Not Worries
Confidence drives engagement. Always start your session with something they can nail—an easy warm-up, a mastered sound sort, or rereading a passage they’ve already conquered. Success feeds motivation.
In Wilson, my students love coloring their bar graphs to see how many words they nailed—suddenly “boring data” becomes “Look how awesome I am!” Other ideas include sticker charts, before-and-after photos or graphs- even fluency recordings so they can hear their own growth.
Even tiny wins can matter. One student who struggled to read the word said finally pronounced it correctly after weeks of practice. When I cheered, he literally did a little fist pump and whispered, “I did it!” Moments like that build a student’s belief that they can succeed—and that confidence carries over to tougher words.
When students see (and celebrate!) their progress, they’re more open to tackling the hard stuff. Build momentum through little victories—they add up fast.
2. Tap Into Their Interests
Reading about T. Rex, TikTok trends, or Bigfoot beats another dry decodable any day. When kids care about the topic, they engage, persist, and—gasp—actually enjoy reading.
One of my students, stuck in Step 2.3, completely surprised me by explaining what rind and zest meant. Turns out he’s a little chef who loves zesting lemons for his grandma’s muffin recipe. Because he was familiar with the topic, he could read those words easily—while his classmates, who had no idea what they meant, were completely stumped. Cue me frantically printing kid-friendly recipes the next day! Suddenly, he was reading and baking, parents were joining in to help their child read, and classmates were begging for recipes too (“Mrs. SSSSSSS! Why can’t I have a recipe?!”)
Sometimes a student’s passion can be the key to unlocking a tricky step. Another student obsessed with football started reading and explaining the rules aloud, which not only improved fluency but encouraged the group to discuss words they normally would have skipped over. When students make connections to content, errors drop, confidence soars, and reading stops feeling like a chore.
Pro Tip: Keep a running list of student interests and hobbies. Rotate reading materials that match these interests so every learner sees themself as a “real reader.”
3. Keep the Brain Busy (In a Good Way)
Multisensory = magic. Let students tap, trace, sky write, and build words like little reading engineers. Hands-on learning strengthens the brain’s connections to language and memory.
I once ordered whisper phones (honestly thinking my 5th and 6th graders were too old for them). Nope! They were obsessed—pretending to take orders at a McDonald’s drive-thru while reading fluency passages. One student even whispered, “I feel like a secret spy!” Suddenly, reading became a mission, not a chore.
Other ways to keep brains engaged:
- Magnetic letters for building words on the white board or tile board
- Spelling cheers with movements to make those tricky words “stick”
- Dry-erase boards with fun colored markers and emoji erasers reduce physical AND emotional friction
- Use yarn or string to write words they’re stuck on
- Cards with clip art printed on one side helps them associate a printed word on the other (clip art of a colt with the closed syllable exception “olt” on the back)
- Rhyming raps build sound recognition and creativity (cue your best beat box- “The sad, bad lad had a big fat dad” unh, unh…) Corny and eye-rolling but it works. Have your students take a turn creating a rap for their stuck sound.
- Post it notes with letters placed on their hands & the table can help them identify b/d reversals (a, b, c, d).
- Movement games where each correct word earns a step across the room or a turn at bozo buckets for the correct answer.
When their bodies move and brains engage, focus goes up, frustration goes down, and learning becomes memorable.
4. Make Fluency Practice Fun
No more stopwatch stress. Try one-minute reads to beat your own score, partner reading with silly voices (baby, ghost, cheerleader, vampire—you name it), or record and replay sessions.
For extra fun, create a “voice box” with cards listing different silly voices. Each student draws one and must read a passage using that voice. It’s guaranteed to create giggles and lighten the mood, while students practice phrasing, expression, and pacing without fear of judgment. Get your students in on the fun and have them think of a voice or two to add to the box.
Fluency doesn’t need to be a battle; it can be laughter-filled. One student, reading in a “sick with a cold” voice, had the class laughing so hard we almost forgot we were practicing. Proceed with caution—giggles are infectious.
5. Gamify Everything
I honestly don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but seriously. Make. Everything. A. Game.
Turn drills into thrills. Add dice, cards, spinners, or sports themes. A few tweaks can turn your lessons into a game-night favorite.
Games create excitement and healthy competition. Students who groan at traditional drills suddenly become laser-focused, strategizing how to win or earn extra points. I’ve seen students who previously struggled with decoding celebrate victories with peers while reinforcing the exact skills they needed. And what kid isn’t up until the wee hours playing video games at home? So if you’re not in on the fun it’s time to start.
If you’ve read my earlier post on games, you know how obsessed my students and I can be. I’ve had kids groan when the bell rings because they don’t want to leave our reading group. That’s the magic—when learning becomes play, the “I can’t” voice disappears.
Extra Tip: You don’t need expensive materials—dice, index cards, empty containers, and small stickers are enough to gamify any lesson.
6. Celebrate Wins (Even the Tiny Ones!)
Throw confetti—figuratively or literally—whenever a student achieves a milestone. Did someone read a whole page fluently for the first time? Cheer. Did they master a tricky sound? Celebrate. Fist pumps and lots of positive verbal praise go a long way. Give little rewards for progress like candy, sticker charts or prizes from the Treasure chest (read Hack #5 about how this fun, clearance find keeps my students asking for prize day link)
Small celebrations reinforce the connection between effort and success. One student, who struggled with silent e words for weeks, literally jumped out of her seat when she read a sentence correctly. The joy was contagious; even students who struggled watched and realized “Hey, I can do that too.”
Final Thoughts
When it comes to engaging dyslexic readers, connection always comes first. The secret isn’t in a fancy program or a magic wand—it’s in helping kids feel capable, curious, and cared for.
Start each lesson with a win, tie learning to their interests, and sneak in a healthy dose of laughter (bonus points if it involves a vampire voice). Reading suddenly becomes something they want to do instead of endure.
By layering success, interest, movement, fun, and games, you create a classroom—or home reading environment—where students are motivated, confident, and ready to tackle the next challenge.
Once your students start smiling instead of sighing, you’ve laid the foundation for real growth. In Part 2, we’ll dive into how to build stamina, skill, and self-belief—because once they’re hooked, we want that progress to stick.