Ann Edwards, a reading specialist for over 15 years, adjunct professor at St. John’s University, author and mother of six says that 20 percent of children need a more hands-on method to learn how to read.

Traditional teaching gets children to recognize whole words or link letters with sounds, but its lack of tactile components can deter children with conditions like dyslexia. For such children, Edwards recommends making letters out of materials so that children can feel the letters as they learn.

Edwards wrote “Bumpy Books: Feel It, See It, Hear It, Say It,” an alphabet book with colorful letters covered with raised bumps.

“You don’t know how your child will learn, so be an advocate for your child,” says Edwards.

Click here to see NY1 Parenting Consultant Shelley Goldberg's interview with Edwards.