Reading Comprehension Prompt: Leveraging GenAI to Support Children with Dyslexia
- Ryan Dunn
- Feb 28
- 6 min read
Overview
For children with dyslexia, long reading assignments can be overwhelming challenges. The cognitive effort required to decode text often leaves little mental bandwidth for comprehending plot sequences, remembering characters, and identifying themes—turning what should be an enjoyable learning experience into a frustrating obstacle. This reality became personal when someone very close to me struggled with these exact challenges, inspiring me to develop a solution.
I created a specialized prompt that transforms lengthy reading materials into easily digestible templates, highlighting key story elements in a structured format. The template presents main characters, plot points, and themes in a way that allows dyslexic readers to quickly reference important information when they lose track of narrative sequences. By externalizing these details, the cognitive load is reduced, allowing children to focus on comprehension rather than constantly struggling to piece together the story's framework.
This project has been deeply rewarding, not just for the practical support it provides, but for the insights gained about diverse learning styles. Watching someone navigate reading with newfound confidence reinforced how technology can bridge learning gaps when thoughtfully applied. By sharing this prompt, I hope to offer other families and educators a tool that transforms reading from a source of anxiety into an accessible, enjoyable journey of discovery for children with dyslexia.
The Prompt
Book Title: TITLE OF BOOK Age of Reader: AGE OF READER Summarize the book referenced above using the format below. The reader of this summary has dyslexia and struggles with keeping long reading assignments in sequence and remembering key details. The goal is to use this template as support material to improve reading comprehension and allow the reader to focus on the key details of the story since the major details are outlined here as a reference. Using the template provided below, please summarize the story.
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This prompt assumes that the book is in the public domain and the GenAI Model has been trained on it already. Most common reading assignments are, however, you can confirm that your GenAI Model has read whatever book you want to use this prompt on by simply asking it. See below.
I'd like to get a summary of the story "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe, before we start, I'd like to confirm you have read this story.
The Book Title and Age of Reader should be updated to reflect the details of how you are using the prompt, outside of those two variables, you can cut + paste the rest into your favorite GenAI Chatbot
The Output of the Prompt
I used the previously mentioned prompt updating the Book Title and Age of Reader
Book Title: The Hound of the Baskervilles
Age of Reader: 16 years old
The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Reading Support Template for Young Readers with Dyslexia
Title: The Hound of the Baskervilles
Theme of Story:
Mystery, detective work, rational thinking versus superstition, facing fears, and uncovering deception.
Main Characters:
Sherlock Holmes
Holmes is a brilliant detective with amazing powers of observation and deduction. He takes a methodical, analytical approach to solving mysteries and doesn't believe in supernatural explanations.
Dr. John Watson
Watson is Holmes's loyal friend who narrates the story. He is observant but lacks Holmes's analytical skills. Watson does much of the investigating at Baskerville Hall and reports back to Holmes.
Sir Henry Baskerville
Sir Henry is the nephew of Sir Charles Baskerville and the new heir to the Baskerville estate and fortune. He is bold, practical and straightforward, but can also be impatient and stubborn. He becomes the target of the villain after his uncle's death.
Dr. James Mortimer
Dr. Mortimer is a doctor who lives near Baskerville Hall and was a close friend of Sir Charles. He brings the case to Holmes and Watson after Sir Charles's mysterious death. Though a man of science, he is unsure about whether the family curse is real.
Jack Stapleton
Stapleton is a mysterious neighbor living on the moor near Baskerville Hall. He appears friendly but has hidden motives. He shows great knowledge of the moor and its natural history.
Sir Charles Baskerville
Sir Charles was the previous owner of Baskerville Hall who recently died under mysterious circumstances. He was a nervous but generous man who was well-liked by local people and believed in the family curse.
High Level Sequence of Events:
1 - The Mystery Begins
Holmes and Watson receive a visit from Dr. Mortimer, who brings a walking stick and an old manuscript describing the curse of the Baskervilles. Mortimer explains that Sir Charles Baskerville was recently found dead with a look of terror on his face, and footprints of a gigantic hound were found nearby1.
2 - The Legend of the Hound
Dr. Mortimer shares the ancient legend about Hugo Baskerville, who was killed by a demonic hound after kidnapping and chasing a young woman across the moor. Since Hugo's death, many Baskerville men have suffered violent and mysterious deaths, creating a family curse2.
3 - Sir Henry's Arrival
Sir Henry Baskerville arrives in London to claim his inheritance but immediately faces strange events. Someone sends him an anonymous warning note, and one of his new boots is stolen from his hotel. Holmes discovers that a bearded man is following Sir Henry around London1.
4 - Watson Goes to Baskerville Hall
Holmes claims he is too busy to leave London, so he sends Watson to accompany Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall. Watson discovers an escaped convict is hiding on the moor, and the Barrymore family who work at the hall are acting suspiciously. The gloomy mansion and howling sounds from the moor create a tense atmosphere13.
5 - Mysterious Happenings on the Moor
Watson meets the neighbors, including naturalist Jack Stapleton and his sister Beryl, who warns Sir Henry to leave the area. Watson notices strange lights on the moor at night and discovers that Barrymore has been signaling to someone outside. Watson also spots a lonely figure watching from a distance on the moor12.
6 - Holmes's Secret Presence
Watson is shocked to discover that Holmes has actually been on the moor in secret the whole time, watching events unfold from a distance. Holmes reveals he has been gathering evidence and has learned important facts about Stapleton's true identity and motives1.
7 - The Truth Revealed
Holmes explains that Stapleton is actually a Baskerville heir using a false name. He has been using a large dog painted with phosphorus to look like the legendary hound to kill off other Baskervilles so he can inherit the family fortune. The woman known as his sister is actually his wife, forced to help with his scheme2.
8 - The Final Confrontation
Holmes, Watson, and Inspector Lestrade set a trap for Stapleton using Sir Henry as bait. They encounter the terrifying hound on the misty moor and shoot it as it attacks. Stapleton escapes into the dangerous Grimpen Mire (a treacherous bog) and presumably dies there. Sir Henry is saved, though badly shaken by the experience24.
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