Best Audiobooks and Reading Apps for Dyslexic Children

Many dyslexic children understand far more than they can read independently. Audio lets them follow bigger stories, meet new words and enjoy books at their own thinking level, instead of being limited to the books they can decode. It keeps a love of stories alive at a time when reading practice can feel tiring. Listening works best when it is paired with print. Let your child follow the words on the page or screen while they listen, and stop now and then to chat about what is happening. In our reading routines, listening to a book absolutely counts.

Your local library: BorrowBox

Irish public libraries offer free eBooks and eAudiobooks through the BorrowBox app. You need library membership (you can join online at Libraries Ireland.ie), then you sign in with your library card number and PIN. BorrowBox works on Apple and Android devices and Amazon Fire tablets, and on a computer through the BorrowBox website. • It is free with your library membership • It includes titles for children, and some Irish-language eAudiobooks • Loans usually last a few weeks and can be renewed, but check your own library's rules • Borrow the print copy from the shelves too, so your child can follow along

Bookshare Ireland (bookshare.ie) is an accessible digital library run by Vision Ireland, formerly the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, and funded by the Department of Education. It is designed for students with print disabilities, including dyslexia, and offers more than a million titles, including primary and secondary school books, in formats such as audio, PDF and Word. You may be asked to confirm a print disability when you sign up, so check bookshare.ie for the current requirements and how to apply.

Storynory offers free audio stories for children, and Oxford Owl has a free library of e-books for younger readers. They are handy for short bedtime listening when you do not have a library title to hand.

• Teach Your Monster to Read. Free phonics and reading games designed for early readers. The website version is free, so check the app store for current app pricing.

• Nessy Reading and Spelling. A multisensory program with games, videos and activities designed with dyslexic learners in mind. Some Irish teachers use it, and Nessy also makes tablet apps such as Hairy Letters, Hairy Phonics and Hairy Words. It is a paid subscription, so ask about a trial. Match the app to the teaching. Ask your child's teacher or tutor which sounds, letter names and approach they use, and choose apps that agree with them. Mixed messages can confuse a child who is still learning how the code of reading works.

Text-to-speech tools read digital text out loud, often highlighting each word as they go. They help with homework, worksheets and online reading.

• Microsoft Immersive Reader is built into tools such as Edge, Word, OneNote and Teams. It lets you change text size, spacing, font and background colour, split words into syllables and read text aloud. Many schools already use these Microsoft tools, so ask what is set up.

• Read & Write by Texthelp is a literacy toolbar with text-to-speech and word prediction. Ask your school whether they have it.

• Natural Reader, Voice Dream Reader and Speechify are text-to-speech apps with different free and paid options.

• Built-in accessibility features on phones, tablets and computers can also read text aloud, so check your device settings before you pay for anything.

Ask yourself: • Does my child enjoy it enough to use it regularly?

• Is the level right, neither too easy nor frustrating?

• Can it highlight words as it reads, and can I adjust the speed?

• Can I change the font, spacing or background colour?

• Is it free of unexpected in-app purchases and ads?

• What does the privacy policy say about children's data?

1. Choose a regular slot, such as 10 to 15 minutes at bedtime or in the car.

2. Let your child pick the story.

3. Follow along with the print where you can.

4. Talk about the story afterwards: What do you think happens next?

5. Treat screens as a tool, not a babysitter. A short, focused session is better than hours of passive use.

Audiobooks and apps are support, not treatment. If your child is still struggling to read after good teaching, speak to the school about additional support, and consider specialist structured literacy teaching.

At Lumina Neuro-Literacy Studio, we offer a free consultation to talk through your child's reading, what is working and what might help next. Book a consultation.