Dyslexia Awareness Week: Supporting Dyslexic Readers with Audiobooks
Dyslexia is estimated to affect around 10% of people in the UK. For many children and adults, reading print can be a daily concern – but with the right support and mediums, stories can become a joy again.
This Dyslexia Awareness Week, we’re sharing practical ways that teachers and parents can use audiobooks to help dyslexic readers thrive and rediscover their love of reading, along with our top audiobook picks.
Audiobook tips for dyslexic students:
Pair Audio with Print
Listening while following along with a printed book can help boost word recognition, improve spelling, and maintain the narrative flow - making reading more accessible and enjoyable.
Adjust the Speed
Most audiobook apps, including Libby, allow users to slow down or speed up narration. Finding a comfortable pace for individuals genuinely helps to make comprehension easier and sustain focus and attention.
Encourage Choice and Variety
Letting children and young people choose what they want to listen to – whether it's fantasy, football, or the current BookTok obsession – is incredibly important.
Enjoyment is the biggest motivator for encouraging and building a reading habit, and it certainly helps when individuals actually enjoy what they’re reading!
Use for Study and Revision
From non-fiction to school set texts, many educational materials are available as audiobooks.
Listening can help support understanding, retention, and exam preparation – making it way less daunting for students who lack confidence with traditional reading.
Top Recommendations for Schools and Families
We’ve pulled together some brilliant and diverse titles which celebrate individuals’ differences and strengths, whilst sparking imaginations - perfect for schools and families:
Dyslexia Representation in Stories
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan – the iconic YA fantasy series featuring the main character Percy, a demigod hero with dyslexia and ADHD, at the heart of the action. Packed with Greek heroes and villains, monsters and quests, there’s plenty to delve into with this series.
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt – a heartfelt YA story. Struggling sixth-grader Ally Nickerson has always found school challenging - but her new teacher, Mr. Daniels, begins to uncover the reason behind her difficulties, and everything starts to change. As Ally learns she’s been masking her dyslexia, Mr. Daniels helps her understand her learning difference and discover how to thrive.
Everything is Going to Be K.O. by Kaiya Stone – A honest, funny, and empowering memoir on neurodiversity. Kaiya Stone writes about her own experiences of living with specific learning difficulties: from struggling at school to being diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia while at university, to performing her own one-woman stand-up show inspired by her journey
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson - Poetic and powerful - a memoir told in verse as author Jacqueline Woodson reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading and writing as a child.
Pages & Co Book 1: Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James - A whimsical adventure about the magic of books and the power of the imagination. Tilly lives with her grandparents above their bookshop Pages & Co, and one of the characters - her friend Oskar - has dyslexia.
Dyslexia Is My Superpower (most of the Time) by Margaret Rooke - In more than 100 interviews, children and young adults reveal their personal tips and tactics for honing the creative benefits of dyslexia, enabling them to thrive in school and beyond.
Books by Authors with Dyslexia
The Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey - Dav Pilkey, cartoonist and author of the award-winning Captain Underpants series, has spoken openly about how dyslexia shaped his storytelling: “It helped me to write stories that were not boring, and my dyslexia helped me too. It helped me to choose my words very, very carefully.” His books are a brilliant example of how creativity and humour can help spark a love of reading.
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner - A bold dystopian story told through a dyslexic lens, Maggot Moon features Standish Treadwell, a dyslexic protagonist whose “off-key” perspective mirrors Gardner’s own experiences of being labelled “unteachable.” Diagnosed at age 12, Gardner faced significant academic challenges and poured her experience into Standish’s voice - capturing the frustration, creativity, and resilience of seeing the world differently.
Wider Than the Sea by Serena Molloy - Inspired by Serena Molloy’s own childhood experiences with dyslexia, this uplifting novel celebrates inclusivity and resilience. At its heart is Ro, a young girl who finds comfort and connection through an unexpected friendship with a dolphin named Sunny.
"Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid." - Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Fish in a Tree
How Listening Books Can Help
At Listening Books, we provide thousands of audiobooks for schools, families, and individuals – available online and offline. Membership is just £25 a year, or free if cost is a barrier.
Every learner deserves the chance to enjoy books in the way that works best for them. Audiobooks give dyslexic readers the freedom to access stories without barriers, whether that’s for school, study, or pure enjoyment.
Click here to browse our collection, discover school memberships, or join today – and help us keep stories accessible for everyone.