Buying Gifts for Kids With Dyslexia

One of the most important parts of the holiday season is getting your hands on some presents.

Yes, there’s the whole seasonal cheer and goodwill to all thing too, but let’s face it: it’s pretty much about the presents for a lot of us, especially when we’re younger. And it’s a wonderful feeling on the 25th to unwrap something that was chosen with care, especially for you – the most expensive and fancy presents in the world can’t really compare to the buzz you get when there’s a gift sitting in your lap that someone’s put real time and thought into, to make sure that you have the best Christmas morning ever.

But sometimes, if you’re dyslexic, some Christmas gifts might not feel like they were really chosen with you in mind, especially if you’re young. Compilations of classic stories might look fab on your shelf – but is long-winded Victorian prose something you’re going to enjoy reading? What about this year’s must-have gadgets and gizmos – do the instructions come in video form on YouTube, too? And fun, colourful picture books might be an absolute blast to look at, but do the funky fonts and crowded panels make the reading experience a pain?

Some kids with dyslexia love reading, and they’re strong and confident readers when they’ve got the support they need; but dyslexia is a scale— no two cases manifest in the same way. So it’s important to make sure that when you’re buying a gift for a child or a young person who has dyslexia that you’re catering to what they feel comfortable with and will enjoy the most. If not, there is the risk of making them feel a little sad or put out on Christmas morning, which is a morning that should be reserved for feeling joyous and eating inordinately large amounts of chocolate on.

So read on for a guide to buying gifts for kids with dyslexia— let's make sure that Christmas Day is one where they can relax and enjoy themselves, especially if you choose to go down the reading route with your gifts.

🎁 Check in with people in the know. If you’re an uncle or an auntie or a friend of the family, it’s a great idea to work with parents to see what a child is comfortable reading; if you’re a parent, chat to your children and find out where they are and what they’re feeling. There are tons of options out there, from books published in dyslexia-friendly formats to High/Low fiction and classic comics. Broaden your idea of reading – this year’s kid’s bestseller certainly isn’t your only option.

🎁 Give the gift of reading. If you really want to win at being Santa, you can also help out by giving them something that’ll help them out when it comes to reading in general, like an audiobook platform or a text-to-speech (TTS) scanning device. These portable tech options make reading accessible whether they’re in the home or on the go, and they can support reading development at any stage of the curriculum. They’re also great for helping learners feel more independent when it comes to the text media that they consume, which can come with a real confidence boost too.

🎁 When buying books, lean into interests and hobbies. Buying for somebody who happens to be really into dinosaurs? Buy them something to do with dinosaurs. Somebody who’s really into baking? Buy them something to do with baking! If you’re interested in something, you’re more likely to engage with the material, even if it might take a little effort or require some support.

🎁 Crafting is Caring. Some people with dyslexia are actually pretty arty, and there are even some that say that they have amazing spatial and aesthetic skills as part and parcel of having the condition. Craft kits are a Christmas gift that most kids will enjoy, as they allow them to express themselves and indulge in something creative and a bit messy – which is what craft is all about, really! Make sure to pick ones that come with easy-read instructions or YouTube tutorials though. Instruction manuals can be tricky for some people who have dyslexia, as they’re often printed on white paper and have very small text sizes, which makes both reading alone and using TTS support devices a little tricky.

🎁 Get out and about! Gifts don’t have to fit under the tree – sometimes the best gift you can give is some quality time together. Plan anything from days out at theme parks to fun museum trips together. Bonus points if they’re educational too – people who have dyslexia often feel that they learn better as part of a group that discusses things as opposed to sitting alone and writing things down, so a trip to a science exhibit or a historical site could actually be a great way of supporting schoolwork too.

🎁 Personalised study supports. Nobody wants to think about heading back into class or the January exams... but they are on the horizon whether we like it or not. And going into revision prepared is just as important as going in refreshed – that’s why study supports actually make fantastic gifts. Chat to kids about what they need and what works for them – from low-tech supports like reading windows and progress monitor bookmarks to simple stuff like highlighters and off-white paper, they can all make a difference when it comes to learning and re-learning their way. You probably won’t be winning parent of the year for this one, but it’s important nonetheless.

🎁 Game on!  Word games can support literacy if they're at the right level for the learners involved. Games like Boggle, Bananagrams and UpWords can actually really help with word recognition and spelling. Try to steer clear of overly complex word games that might put a strain on developing reading skills, or ones that require a lot of planning and plotting, which could disadvantage children and young people who struggle with their memory, or executive dysfunction, and always check with parents or guardians first— you don't want to accidentally gift somebody something that might alienate them.

And there we go!

Sometimes, festive fun is all about going the extra mile and making the effort. Kids with dyslexia will, in general, love things that most kids love – fun toys, piles of candy, fuzzy cosy clothes and gadgetry- but sometimes, thinking about the way that they read and interact with the world is important too. Dyslexia isn’t something that they can switch off during the holiday season, even though they’re not in school – it’s something that actually has an effect on most of the things they’ll find themselves doing, whether it’s work or play. So it’s important to make sure that gifts are chosen with a some care, too, and cater towards comfort, fun and building skills rather than making them feel perhaps a little bit frozen out.

It’s a great time of year to start up a conversation with somebody young and dyslexic that you care about and really start thinking about what they’d love to unwrap on Christmas morning.

...And it’s definitely time to start clicking add to basket, if you haven’t already.