Traditional schools have special education departments, reading specialists, and teams of professionals to help struggling readers. So when you're homeschooling and notice your child reversing letters or struggling with basic words, the question hits hard: Are you in over your head?

We have good news: You don't have to become a reading specialist to guide a struggling reader to confidence. The uncomfortable truth is that many schools still fail to produce confident readers – dyslexic or otherwise – even with all of the resources available.

Whether you're homeschooling, considering it, or just exploring a more open approach, you are starting from a position of strength for at least 3 reasons:

1. Self-paced learning. Classrooms move at the speed of the average student, leaving struggling readers perpetually behind. At home, you can provide extra time without the social stigma.
2. Customized instruction. A parent-led approach allows you to tailor your approach to your child's specific needs. You can combine elements from different methods, adjust pacing, and incorporate your child's interests—all while still using structured literacy techniques proven effective by neuroscience research.
3. Emotional safety. Large classrooms can be brutal for dyslexic children—daily humiliation from reading aloud, falling behind in every subject, watching classmates master skills effortlessly. At home, you can control the environment and build confidence and skills simultaneously.

However, none of these advantages matter if you aren't equipped with the right tools and knowledge.

"Reading is very complex, and teaching reading really is rocket science," explains Kris Vassel, a seasoned reading interventionist and founder of Vasselight Tutoring. "It's not something you can just do naturally. You have to be trained on how to do it."

You don't need to become a certified reading specialist yourself, but you do need to recognize the boundaries of your expertise and know when to call in reinforcements.

What You Can Do Yourself

Let's start with the obvious: You know your child better than any teacher or specialist. If something feels off about their reading development, trust your instincts. The key is to distinguish between normal developmental variation and genuine red flags.

And the most reliable early indicator isn't what you might expect:

"The inability to rhyme is one of the most reliable indicators of dyslexia," Vassel explains. "It shows a deficit in phonological awareness—a core skill that all dyslexic individuals struggle with."

Other red flags include persistent difficulty learning letter names and sounds, trouble with multi-syllable words ("pasghetti" instead of "spaghetti"), and a family history of reading struggles (dyslexia is highly hereditary)

Basic screening tools from Savvy Learning, the International Dyslexia Association and Reading Rockets can’t give you a formal diagnosis, but they're a good first step to decide whether professional evaluation is warranted.

Once you've made this assessment, you can start to change your approach.

Perhaps the biggest advantage you have as a homeschool parent is that you control the emotional atmosphere around reading.

Forget everything you think you know about how reading instruction should look. Forget grade levels, peer comparisons, and anxiety-inducing reading logs that turn every book into homework. Your job is to make reading feel safe and achievable.

Start with the 20-minute rule. "Reading daily at home—at least 20 minutes—is crucial," Vassel emphasizes. And it doesn't have to be your child doing all the reading. Read aloud to them. Listen to audiobooks together. Let them follow along in a physical book while hearing the story.

Choose books at your child's instructional level—where they can read with 90-95% accuracy. If they're missing more than one or two words per page, the book is too hard. Use AR BookFinder to check reading levels, and don't be afraid to start easier than necessary.

Leverage technology strategically. Text-to-speech software like Voice Dream Reader helps children access grade-level content while building underlying skills. Learning Ally provides audio textbooks for students with documented learning disabilities, while Bookshare offers accessible digital books.

Even with this approach, your dyslexic child will make errors. As Kris Vassel advises, "When your child is reading aloud and makes an error, encourage them to self-correct. If they finish the sentence and go back to fix it, praise them for self-correcting. Train yourself to wait before jumping in. Good readers self-correct."

Wait three to five seconds before offering help. If they self-correct, celebrate it: "I love how you went back to make that make sense!" If they don't self-correct, Vassel recommends helping them figure out the word rather than telling them what it is. 

"Depending on the error, help them sound out or chunk the word, but don't turn it into a phonics lesson—keep the focus on reading."

What You Should Outsource

Even with the most supportive home environment in the world, some children will need systematic phonics instruction delivered through multi-sensory methods with precise progress monitoring.

Seeking professional help doesn't make you a failure—it makes you smart. Jamie Lesko, OpenEd's Associate Director of Student Success, offers another perspective on why outside support can be invaluable: "Sometimes you need a second person in your child's life who can say the same things you've been saying, and suddenly it clicks. I call it the 'second person theory.' Sometimes, just having a tutor or another adult say it makes all the difference. It's okay to swallow your pride and let someone else help your child."

This isn't about your inadequacy as a parent—it's about the unique dynamic that a fresh voice can bring to the learning process. Children often respond differently to instruction from someone outside the family, free from the emotional complexities of the parent-child relationship.

Formal Assessment

While you can spot warning signs and use basic screening tools by yourself, a comprehensive evaluation provides crucial insights into your child's specific challenges and strengths. According to the Dyslexia Center of Utah, "There is no single test for dyslexia. A 'diagnosis' is simply the professional opinion of a qualified expert, and this opinion can vary depending on the individual conducting the evaluation."

Most homeschool families have more flexibility in choosing providers but fewer built-in supports for navigating the process. OpenEd families get the best of both worlds: flexibility and support.

But before investing in a costly formal evaluation, consider what you hope to gain. For example, documentation necessary for college accommodations and workplace protections under ADA; detailed insights about your child's specific profile; or targeted recommendations offering practical guidance for effective teaching approaches.

Some tutoring services provide free assessments as part of their intake process. Services like Savvy Learning offer complimentary reading and math assessments to determine your child's current level and identify specific areas of need—often providing valuable insights without the cost of formal testing.

If you're an OpenEd family, our special education team can guide you through both private and school-based evaluation processes, help you understand what different assessments measure, and assist with documentation for future accommodations. Email sped@opened.co‍ for more information, or check the Special Education page within your state's Parent Link guide.

Specialized Reading Intervention

Don't assume that buying a research-based reading program and following the manual will deliver the same results as working with a trained specialist. Kris learned this lesson while consulting with a classroom that had invested thousands in Wilson Reading System materials. 

"They purchased all the materials, they had the students, they had the time blocked out," she recalls. "But after months of implementation, their students weren't making the progress they thought they would, and they were about to throw it in the trash and say it wasn't effective."

The teachers had followed the manual, completed the activities, and checked all the boxes—but they lacked the nuanced understanding of how to adjust pacing, recognize error patterns, and modify instruction based on individual student responses.

The program wasn't the problem; the implementation was. "That's when they realized they needed actual training," Vassel explains. "The materials are just tools. Without proper training, even the best program becomes ineffective."

Wilson and Barton Reading & Spelling System are evidence-based curricula that can be implemented by either trained tutors or parents who complete intensive certification. 

Wilson tutors typically require 60+ hours of professional training and work in clinical or school settings, though some offer private tutoring. Barton was specifically designed for parent implementation but still requires 20+ hours of initial training plus ongoing support to ensure proper delivery.

All About Reading offers a more accessible parent-friendly approach but may lack sufficient intensity for severe dyslexia.

Last but not least, beyond their free assessment, Savvy Learning provides high-dosage tutoring designed specifically for families who want expertise without sacrificing homeschool flexibility.

"High dosage tutoring is up to 20 times more effective than standard tutoring," explains Savvy's CMO Tony Mickelsen. "What child is going to have fun while learning to read or do math for 60 minutes? It's really tough. That's tough for me as an adult, let alone for the little kids."

Their approach breaks traditional hour-long sessions into 25-minute sessions, four days per week. "The kids at the end of a session with Savvy, they are hyped. They are having so much fun that they want to come back for the next session," Mickelsen notes. 

Certified instructors create individualized learning plans, provide regular progress monitoring, and coordinate with existing school programs when beneficial. For OpenEd families, this eliminates the need for parent training while ensuring coordination with your overall educational approach. 

Monitoring Progress

After 3-4 months of consistent intervention, you should see measurable improvements in fluency, accuracy, or confidence. Professional providers use standardized measures to track progress and make data-driven adjustments. Parents doing intervention themselves often struggle to distinguish between genuine progress and wishful thinking. Parents note that it can feel slow, but over time, these methods work.

Bottom line: Professional instruction typically produces faster results with less family stress. When you're already managing a full homeschool curriculum, outsourcing the most technical subject to qualified specialists isn't a compromise—it's strategic thinking.

We're witnessing a shift where more parents are combining a homeschool-first approach with professional resources when needed. Parents can take comfort knowing that they don't need to have all the answers—or the expertise—to get started.

SIDEBAR: Sometimes the Problem Might Actually Be Vision:

Consider that what looks like dyslexia might actually be a treatable vision issue called convergence insufficiency. Vision Reading Academy founder Krystle Cordingley shares some of the signs:

• Can read small words but struggles with longer ones
• Recognizes a word on one line but can't recognize the same word a few lines later
• Guesses at word endings
• Works hard to read but can't remember what they just read
• Shows physical signs of frustration when reading

Cordingley discovered this with her own daughter: "She was 10 years old, almost 11, and reading at a beginning first-grade level. I tried everything - all the Orton-Gillingham programs for dyslexia. Nothing was working."

After addressing the vision issue? "She's 13 years old now, reading at college level at over 800 words per minute."

The assessment is simple: Often takes just 5 minutes over Zoom, watching how eye muscles control movement and convergence. Learn more here.

OpenEd Families' Favorite Resources

Based on recommendations from OpenEd families who have successfully navigated dyslexia intervention, here are the tools and resources that make the biggest difference:

Reading Programs and Curricula

Barton Reading & Spelling System - The most frequently recommended Orton-Gillingham program designed for parent implementation. Requires 20+ hours of training but provides systematic, step-by-step instruction that builds confidence through small successes.

All About Reading & Spelling - A gentler entry point for families new to structured literacy. Multi-sensory approach with hands-on activities, though may need supplementation for severe dyslexia.

Wilson Reading System - Intensive program typically delivered by trained professionals, though some tutors offer it privately. Highly effective but requires significant expertise to implement properly.

Professional Services

Vasselight Tutoring - One-on-one evidence-based literacy instruction from Kris Vassel, with years of experience helping students with dyslexia. Provides explicit, systematic, multisensory reading instruction with assessment-informed, individualized lesson plans.

Savvy Learning - Nationally available Orton-Gillingham instruction specifically designed for homeschool families. Eliminates parent training requirements while maintaining flexibility.

Scottish Rite Learning Center (Millcreek) - Free tutoring program with waitlist. Excellent for families needing financial assistance.

Gab Gains - At-home support option for students struggling with dyslexia.

Technology and Digital Tools

Learning Ally - Over 80,000 audiobooks including textbooks. Gold standard for dyslexic students needing alternative format materials.

Voice Dream Reader - Text-to-speech app that reads digital content aloud. Essential for accessing grade-level content.

Bookshare - Free accessible books for qualified students with reading barriers.

ST Math - Visual math program that helps dyslexic students excel in their strength area.

Teaching Textbooks - Math program with word-for-word DVD lectures matching the textbook, perfect for auditory learners.

Assessment and Screening Tools

International Dyslexia Association Screening Tools - Research-based checklists for identifying early warning signs.

AR BookFinder: arbookfind.com - find books appropriate to your child's reading level.

Reading Rockets - Comprehensive information about reading development and intervention strategies.

Vision Reading Academy - Specialized programs targeting visual processing issues that may present like dyslexia. Offers free 5-minute screenings to determine if convergence insufficiency might be the underlying cause of reading struggles.

Books and Educational Resources

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz - The definitive guide for understanding dyslexia from a neuroscientific perspective.

The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock & Fernette Eide - Focuses on strengths and positive aspects of dyslexic thinking.

What to Do About Dyslexia by Richard Selznick - Practical next steps without overwhelming jargon.

Homeschooling with Dyslexia - Website with curriculum ideas and teaching strategies specifically for homeschool families.

Math Programs for Dyslexic Learners

Math-U-See - Hands-on math program that leverages visual-spatial strengths common in dyslexic students.

RightStart Mathematics - Multi-sensory approach with manipulatives and card games.

Utah-Specific Resources

Utah Parent Information Center - Connects families with local resources and support networks throughout Utah.

Dyslexia Center of Utah - Premier Utah resource offering evaluation, intervention, and parent training with sliding scale fees and multiple locations.

Nanci Ross, Dyslexia Specialist - Murray-based specialist offering $30/hour tutoring (801-259-7005, rossnanci@yahoo.com).

OpenEd Support

OpenEd Special Education Team - Email SPED@Opened.co to coordinate support for evaluation, intervention, and service integration. 

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