What to Do While Waiting for a Dyslexia Evaluation

If your child is on a waitlist or you are still trying to get school testing scheduled, the waiting can feel like its own kind of stress. You know your child is struggling. You want to help. But you may also be worried about doing the wrong thing, pushing too hard, or missing something important.

If you are wondering what to do while waiting for a dyslexia evaluation, the good news is that you do not have to sit still. You may not have formal answers yet, but there are still useful, low-pressure steps you can take right now.

Start by lowering the pressure around reading

Many kids who may have dyslexia already feel like reading is where they disappoint people. By the time an evaluation is even being discussed, a child may already be bracing for correction, avoiding books, or acting silly to hide that reading feels hard.

This is a good time to shift the goal. Instead of trying to make your child catch up fast, focus on making reading feel safer.

That can look like:

• reading together instead of always asking your child to read alone
• letting your child listen to audiobooks while following along in print
• keeping practice short
• praising effort, not speed
• stopping before frustration turns into a full meltdown

Your child does not need more pressure right now. They need support that helps them stay open to learning.

What should you track before the evaluation?

You do not need to become an expert, but it helps to notice patterns. A simple notebook on your phone or a few bullet points on paper is enough.

Try tracking things like:

• which kinds of words trip your child up
• whether they guess based on the first letter
• whether reading gets much worse when they are tired
• how long homework takes compared with what seems typical
• whether spelling and reading weaknesses show up together
• what your child says about reading, such as “the words move” or “I just can’t remember them”

This kind of detail can help during the evaluation, especially if your child performs differently on different days. It also gives you clearer examples to share with teachers.

Support the skill gaps you can already see

You do not need to wait for a report to support basic reading skills. If your child struggles to sound out words, skips small words, or reads in a slow and choppy way, those are useful clues.

For now, focus on simple support, not complicated home instruction.

A few helpful options:

Read decodable text when possible

If a book is full of patterns your child has not mastered, it can turn into guessing practice. Decodable text gives kids a better chance to apply phonics skills instead of memorizing or avoiding.

Reread short passages

Rereading a short, manageable passage can help with accuracy and fluency. Keep it brief so it feels achievable.

Practice one small thing at a time

If your child mixes up vowel teams, drops endings, or cannot read longer words smoothly, choose one pattern to notice and practice. Too many corrections at once usually backfire.

Keep oral language strong

Reading struggles do not mean your child is not learning. Talk about science, history, stories, and new vocabulary out loud. Strong language knowledge still matters, even when reading is hard.

What should you ask the school while you wait?

If the evaluation is happening through school, the waiting period is also a good time to ask practical questions.

You might ask:

• What is the expected timeline for testing?
• Who will complete the evaluation?
• Are there classroom supports we can start now?
• Can we document the reading concerns in writing?
• What data is the school already collecting?

Even before formal results, some teachers can make helpful changes such as reducing the amount of unsupported reading, checking for understanding another way, or allowing access to audio support.

A real-world example

Mia was in 4th grade and had started saying she hated reading. Her mom had already requested a school evaluation, but the process was moving slowly. In the meantime, homework turned into tears almost every night.

Instead of adding more worksheets, her mom made three changes. She switched independent reading to short decodable passages, started keeping notes on the kinds of mistakes Mia made, and let Mia listen to her science chapter before trying to read parts of it.

Nothing changed overnight, but the stress came down. Mia still needed the evaluation, but by the time it happened, her mom had better information to share and reading at home was less of a fight.

Simple things you can do this week

If you want a place to start, keep it small.

1. Set a 10-minute limit for reading practice.
2. Write down three reading behaviors you keep noticing.
3. Swap one frustrating text for something more controlled or easier to decode.
4. Ask your child’s teacher one specific question about what they are seeing in class.

Small steps count. You do not need a perfect plan to make this week better.

You are not powerless while you wait

Waiting for answers can make parents feel stuck, but this in-between stage still matters. The goal is not to diagnose your child on your own. The goal is to reduce stress, notice patterns, and give your child steady support until the evaluation gives you a clearer roadmap.

You might also find this helpful: How to Prepare for a Dyslexia Evaluation at School

If your child needs extra reading practice while you wait, ReadGenie offers structured, supportive practice based on Orton-Gillingham principles, the Science of Reading, and decodable text. It is a simple way to keep building skills at home without adding more overwhelm. You can check it out on the App Store or Google Play.