Last Updated on September 15, 2023 by Editorial Team
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Christmas is the moment of celebration. It is the best time to show love and concern and have gala get-togethers. We hear these thoughts about this festival most often. But, does Christmas mean the same for people with learning difficulties like Dyslexia?
Many parents confide that Christmas times become more taxing for them due to having lots to do in little time. They wish they had more things to keep their dyslexic children engaged. How about presenting gifts to your Dyslexic child that offers a source of engagement and make their lives easier in some way? If this idea sounds good, first, let’s understand some considerations useful in selecting Christmas gifts.
Things to consider while selecting Christmas gifts for dyslexics
Christmas in the present pandemic time is certainly going to be different. When it has been deemed risky to host parties at home, as guests may bring the threat along, the safest way is to have a private Christmas with people living with you. But, it cannot stop you from making gifts! So, if you are struggling with what to consider while selecting a Christmas gift, you can keep the following things in mind.
- Make purpose a priority: Let Christmas be the pretext to buy that important thing for your dyslexic child which you had kept on hold for quite long. If it has a purpose attached, better it is! Thus, you can have a plan realized by choosing a purpose-driven gift.
- Keep ease of use in mind: Dyslexics find it difficult to do many things on their own. So, ensure that your gift helps them become independent in some way.
- Choose something close to their passion: Dyslexics have enormous abilities. Thus, your gift will bring a smile to their face if it helps them do things they are passionate about.
- Pick something that helps stay engaged: Pandemic or no pandemic, the need for staying engaged is always prominent. So, choose a gift that helps do an engaging activity.
I am sure you must have got some thoughts rolling in your mind about the gifts with virtues mentioned above. So, let me help you quicken the selection by suggesting gift ideas for Christmas that will work great for dyslexics.
Gift ideas for people with dyslexia for a memorable christmas
1. C-Pen Reader
How about providing handy hearing support that reads out loud what is written in that book? This gift can be no less than a blessing for a person with Dyslexia. A gift from technology, this digital pen scans the words, reads them aloud, and also offers in-built dictionaries that can help find the meaning of difficult words.
Moreover, the user can record audio for referencing later, in case working memory is a problem too. The digital reader can scan in other languages and chosen accents, and also offers the flexibility to transfer the text to a PC or Mac.
2. Daily Word Ladders
Word Ladder is an interesting book useful for developing word-building skills. The best part is they develop these skills independently. It means, the kids take a look at the clue at each rung of the ladder and rearrange letters to form words. So, the process of making spellings become more like puzzle decoding.
This process continues till the time the kid reaches the top of the ladder. It is an interesting resource to learn word-making and can help a child improve reading fluency the same way board games make it possible to build exceptional vocabulary, spellings’ knowledge, and clue-decoding skills. Engaging learning and playing support wrapped into one! This can be used along with spelling programs for kids with dyslexia to boost spelling and phonics skills.
3. Osmo Genuis Starter Kit for iPad
Make your iPad your children’s learning support but without exposing them to the screen too much. It is a wholesome learning game kit. You can find word and number tiles. tangram pieces. and an iPad bar. Kids can interact with the iPad screen to take clues and do activities in front of it.
All results and processes are reflected on the screen. Scrabble supported by clues, math operations, Physics puzzles, tangram building, and drawing figures, can keep your child engaged in doing something meaningful for hours. No Wi-Fi is needed!
4. My Dyslexia – Audiobook
It is a Pulitzer award-winning memoir. Research on Dyslexia was not so strong in yesteryears. So, such children were simply regarded as dumb and faced many challenges. Philip Schultz, a noted poet, did not know he had this condition all his life until his son was diagnosed with the same.
It led him to document all the struggles he faced in childhood and explained how his determination helped him overcome learning obstacles. Thus, this audiobook is an amazing source of inspiration and morale-boosting that your child needs. It can make a beautiful Christmas gift that can turn the course of his journey with Dyslexia in a positive direction.
5. Plugo Letters by PlayShifu – Word Building with Phonics, Stories, Puzzles
Word building need not be a challenge to your dyslexic child always. This game takes the stress out of the process of learning spelling and vocabulary. A picture appears on the screen and children make corresponding words using the word tiles. It is a powerful reinforcement tool that can make an engaging gift to make this Christmas.
Both children and adults can have a dose of fun by throwing word-building challenges at each other. So, if you are looking for some activity to do this Christmas that boosts the ability to associate pictures with words in addition to boosting vocabulary, this gift offers an intriguing solution.
6. Luigi’s 10 x Dyslexia Reading Strips with Coloured Overlays
Reading is a taxing exercise for dyslexics. It is not what they do not want to do, but they actually cannot do owing to the neurological makeup[1] of the learning portions of their brains. The natural outcome is reading fatigue. Overlays and strips have proved to be quite effective in keeping the words from jumbling up.
Reduced glare, and the ability to draw readers to focus better make these overlays amazing reading support. That is why, if you find your children to be quite interested in literature and stories, gift these colored overlays this Christmas. They will be thankful to you, forever!
7. Spirograph Original Deluxe Spirograph Art Set
Making spatially symmetric, colorful, and detailed designs called ‘mandala drawing’ is found to have a calming effect on the mind. Dyslexic people of all age groups, including young children, can make spirographs to put their minds away from their daily struggles.
They can increase focus, divert their energy into something creative, and have a sense of achievement at the end of the activity. Spirograph pieces and drawing sets provide suitable tools for bringing interesting design ideas into form. That is why it will be a thoughtful Christmas gift that you can make to family members with dyslexia, who love drawing and expressing ideas creatively.
8. Sam is Stuck: Decodable Chapter Book
Yes, we know reading is one of the biggest challenges for people struggling with dyslexia. But in order to mitigate their challenges and foster a love for reading, you can gift them this awesome book by Cigdem Knebel this Christmas. Sam is Stuck is an easy-to-read book curated specifically for those with reading difficulties.
The book is printed in Dyslexie font, an award-winning typeface designed for the dyslexic community. The font allows readers to decode words easily and builds confidence in their reading and comprehension skills. Short sentences and small paragraphs further enhance the reading experience. The book is totally worth its cost, with six long chapters and more than 4000 words to give readers good practice and improve on their shortcomings.
Wrapping up,
Life is a collection of beautiful moments when all loved ones stay together through thick and thin. Gifts add a zingy flavor to all those moments of celebration. So, spice up this Christmas with these little surprises, and capture those smiles they flash on seeing such beautiful gifts!
Merry Christmas to All!
Reference
[1] Hudson, R.F., High, L. Al Otaiba, S. Dyslexia and the brain: What does current research tell us? The Reading Teacher, 60(6), 506-515.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,