How God Sees Our Children

Written by Holly Jo Hightchew

Dyslexia can be hard for a child to understand. Kids don’t want to feel different. Yet they do when they compare themselves to the student sitting next to them or the student who is always the first to raise their hand to answer the teacher’s questions. It’s important that we tell children with dyslexia how special they are, despite how they feel. I know of no easier way to do this than to point out what God has to say on the matter.

The book of Psalms tells us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (New International Version, 2011, Psalm 139:14). This verse speaks to every individual, not just those who academically perform, read 200 words per minute, or answer all the questions correctly. Yes, every child is wonderfully made.

In the New Testament, we see that Jesus Himself says, “Let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14). In fact, in the book of Mark, we read that Jesus became indignant when the disciples tried to turn the children away, saying “do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14).

Jesus spoke stronger words when he said it would be better for a person “to be thrown into the depths of the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble” (Luke 17:2). Why is this near and dear to our hearts at Lighthouse to Literacy? Because we have personally seen broken children weighed down by hurtful words. Sometimes, it’s peers in the classroom who say, “Why can’t you read? You’re in third grade. You should know how to read.” Other times, it’s a teacher who says, “You’re not trying hard enough,” or a parent who says, “You’re just being lazy.”

Something every parent and educator should know is that children with dyslexia “use nearly five times the brain area as normal children while performing a simple language task” (The Science Teacher, 1999, p. 13). These children are not lazy, stupid, or worthless, yet sadly, these are often the words they use to describe themselves.

One question that I’ve been asked by several dyslexic students over the years is: Why would God give me dyslexia? When I first heard these words, it was from my own daughter, Becca. She was about eight years old, and her question was: “Why would God give me dyslexia if He wants me to read His Word?” I remember thinking that it was a poignant and insightful question. At the time, I didn’t quite know how to answer her. What I said was that we would find the answer together.

As I’ve studied God’s Word, it is clear that God gave some individuals special gifts. We first read about this in Genesis 4. There we find that one man was gifted with husbandry, another with metalworking, and yet another with music. I find this interesting because, when you look at the strengths of dyslexic individuals, two of the areas are art and music. I have also witnessed dyslexic children who have a strong connection with animals, caring for them very deeply. They also demonstrate an early love of building models out of Legos, blocks, or magnetic tiles. In Exodus, the Lord tells Moses that he has gifted Bezalel “with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts” (Exodus 31:3-5).

As I’ve worked with children with dyslexia, I cannot help but think that God designed 20 percent of the population to be dyslexic on purpose - to be our architects, artists, engineers, musicians, and scientists.

By the time Becca had turned 11, if you had asked her why God had given her dyslexia, she would have told you, “so that my mommy can help other kids just like me.” Her dyslexia has helped pave the way for hundreds of other children to receive the help they deserve. She would tell you that God created her with dyslexia on purpose.

Knowing this still did not make reading God’s Word easy at first. It took effort on both my part and hers. Initially, I would read to her. As her reading skills grew, she could read easier Bible versions on her own. Quite a bit has changed since then. Technology has been a friend to dyslexic children.

Technology Has Made It Easier

Today, students with dyslexia have lots of options for reading God’s Word. Technology provides students with opportunities to hear God’s Word read to them. One of my favorite resources is the YouVersion Bible application (Life Church, 2026). A student can pick which version of the Bible they wish to listen to. Also, YouVersion offers a Bible app created especially for elementary students, titled the Bible App for Kids, which includes videos children can watch.

As with any technology, supervision is highly suggested. You are the guardian of your child’s heart. It is not always an easy task because we live in such a rich technology world, but it is nevertheless an important one that every Christian parent should take seriously.

Bible Resources For Kids

There are also print Bibles geared to dyslexic readers. The first is the CSB Grace Bible for Kids (Lifeway, 2024). Features include dyslexic font, intentional spacing between letters, lines, and paragraphs, and colored overlays. When text is spaced appropriately, it can reduce anxiety for struggling readers. Another feature that makes it easier for students is the absence of hyphenated words. In partnership with Cambridge University, colored overlays were developed that allow students to choose a color that works best for them and to place it over the print as they read.

Graphic-novel illustrations bring the pages of Bible stories to life in The NIV Action Study Bible. For students with dyslexia who find reading the Bible difficult, these colorful graphics depict the stories found within its pages. In addition to the colorful graphics by comic book artist Sergio Cariello, text boxes throughout the Scripture highlight essential information. These textbooks have enlarged print with intentional spacing, making it easier for dyslexic students to read. If a child with dyslexia feels too overwhelmed reading the entire page, they can read only the text boxes. This Bible also contains a colorful map section.

References

Cook, D. C. (2025). The NIV Action Study Bible. David C. Cook.

Lifeway. (2024). CSB Grace Bible for Kids. Holman Bible Publishers.

New International Version. (2011). BibleGateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139%3A14&version=NIV

New International Version. (2011). BibleGateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2019%3A14&version=NIV

New International Version. (2011). BibleGateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010%3A14&version=NIV

New International Version. (2011). BibleGateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2017%3A%202&version=NIV

New International Version. (2011). BibleGateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2031%3A3-5&version=NIV

The Science Teacher. (1999, December). Dyslexic children work harder. https://www.proquest.com/docview/214620230?pq-origsite=summon&accountid=12085&RAO=true&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals

YouVersion Bible App. (2026). Life Church. https://www.youversion.com/bible-app