OnTrack Reading

The content of the OnTrack Reading website, A Guide to Overcoming Your Child’s Reading Problems, is listed on the Table of Contents on the adjacent sidebar. (Note: The Search Box on the sidebar searches this website only.)

Feel free to e-mail Rod at OnTrack Reading (everson.rodney@gmail.com) with any questions, comments or suggestions you have after visiting the website.

Overcoming Dyslexia-The Short Version

On this website you will find a wealth of information regarding dyslexia, including extensive information on teaching phonics using the OnTrack Reading Phonics Program, information on vision problems, on nutrition studies and on various therapies used to address other auditory and physical deficits that are often common to dyslexia.

Here on this page, though, you get the short version. This is what I would do if I had a child who either was dyslexic, or was at risk of being dyslexic. (The links will take you to the extended discussions of the topics on this site.)

Dyslexia is Genetic, So Start in the Womb

If reading problems, or other signs of dyslexia, run in your family, ensure that your baby is not malnourished in the womb. Tell your OB doctor that you want to be certain that you have sufficient levels of nutrients through pregnancy, including especially the levels of Vitamin D3 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids. See The Diet Piece (of the Dyslexia Puzzle).

Nutrients Remain Important After Birth

Ensure that your child is getting a well-balanced diet including fruits and vegetables, or consider vitamin supplementation, and discuss with your child’s pediatrician the need to maintain optimal levels of Vitamin D3 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids, both of which are likely to require supplementation during at least part of the year.

Provide Exercise Opportunities Every Day

Dyslexia is characterized by developmental delays in both gross motor and fine motor skills so ensure that your child, from birth on, gets plenty of exercise to encourage the development of those skills. Take advantage of swimming programs, make sure he spends plenty of time outdoors and that he is physically active each day, rather than parked in front of a computer or television most of his day. See The Exercise Piece (of the Dyslexia Puzzle).

Read Daily to Your Child from Birth

In the event that your child does struggle learning to read, by reading daily to him you will ensure that he builds comprehension skills and good listening skills that he will have to rely upon later. Your child will also be smarter and better prepared as a result. This is discussed further on the page Can Intelligence be Changed?

Find a Local Developmental Optometrist

You want to know if your child’s visual efficiency skills are in place when he starts school (and also, obviously, whether he has 20/20 vision.) For reading, the visual efficiency skills are key, and can be trained with vision therapy if they are not fully developed. It generally takes a developmental optometrist to perform the required assessment. See The Vision Piece (of the Dyslexia Puzzle).

Use an Excellent Phonics Program

A dyslexic child can learn phonics, but it usually takes a no-nonsense, very direct approach that is consistent throughout in presentation, or he will become confused about how print is supposed to work and his reading skills will suffer. There are several good methods, including the OnTrack Reading Phonics Program I use with my clients. See The Phonics Program Piece (of the Dyslexia Puzzle).

Auditory Issues Might Also Need Consideration

Although I have not used any of the various therapies offered to deal with auditory issues (partly because the auditory processing lessons in the OnTrack Reading Phonics Curriculum seem to address some of the auditory confusion) they are out there and should be investigated if something is still bothering your child after the above issues have been addressed. See The Auditory Piece (of the Dyslexia Puzzle).

In Conclusion, Many Symptoms of Dyslexia Can Be Overcome

I see many children who would be considered dyslexic who learn to read appropriately, and begin to enjoy reading, when they receive some combination of vision therapy and phonics instruction. I also see some for whom this isn’t enough. Nutrition, exercise and auditory therapies might conceivably be of some help in those cases. It’s also possible that we will find that proper nutrition and exercise from the womb on might even encourage development on schedule and keep the dyslexia gene (or genes) from manifesting themselves.

Dyslexia is characterized by a pattern of developmental delay across several fronts often including gross and fine motor skills, speech skills, visual skills and auditory skills. Addressing each of these in turn, as needed, offers a chance to either keep dyslexia at bay or to remedy symptoms as they occur. However, dyslexia is a condition that is not fully understood so, unfortunately, outcomes will be uncertain.