Dyslexia exists on a continuum, from mild to severe. Some individuals will be more challenged by sound/symbol relationships (phonics) than others and will take them longer to retain what they have learned.
Letters on a page, in turn, appear to take on different “configurations” to various readers – neurological explanations are continually unfolding! As parents, you’ve probably noticed “patterns” in oral reading that your children have demonstrated. Maybe they consistently reverse letters such as /b/ and /d/, /p/ and /q/ or invert letters such as /d/ and /p/, /n/ and /u/, /m/ and /w/, /d/ and /q/, /p/ and /b/, /f/ and /t/. Have you heard them transpose letters in words such as “was” and “saw” or substitute letters in similar looking words such as “these” and “there”? Mistakes such as these are common in kindergarten, as well as first and second grades. Students who have dyslexia though, will exhibit frustration around letter recognition at a younger age, and often I hear the aforementioned mistakes when the child begins reading aloud.
I have developed many strategies for overcoming letter confusion. What might work for one individual, may not help another. With consistent instruction, letter recognition improves.
Christian Boar, a graphic designer from the Netherlands and dyslexic himself, also struggled with print. With an acute understanding of his need for letters to look a certain way, he developed a font for dyslexics called DYSLEXIE. He made letters “weigh” more on the bottom and created graphic details to help distinguish between letters that look similar. I feel it is important to note that on page 15 of the hyperlink, a group of dyslexic students from the University of Twente was asked to read a passage in Dyslexie font. It was recorded that they made less errors than compared to standard font.
Parents can be inspired by the Dyslexie font. For example, if your child consistently confuses /c/ and /e/, copy (with pencil-in-hand) the “style” of Mr. Boar and show him a “new” way to see the same letter. “Exaggerate” the space in the middle of these letters and if your child is reading, put them in words. Exercises like these, will strengthen your child’s visual acuity and transfer to easier letter recognition.