About Dyslexia Steps
Dyslexia Steps is a read-only MCP server providing English phonics and sight-word lists organized by grade, plus lists in German, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Brazilian Portuguese. It returns sourced word-list data, not learning-difficulty advice or child assessments.
Key features
- 01Filter lists by language, grade, and section
- 02Retrieve full lists and word groups
- 03Find words matching spelling patterns
- 04Inspect the basis for grade placement
- 05Get citations, licenses, and data downloads
Use cases
- 01Find phonics words for a grade level
- 02Filter practice words by letter patterns
- 03Check the sources behind grade placement
- 04Retrieve citations and downloadable word lists
MCP support
The read-only MCP server exposes Dyslexia Steps word-list data through tools for listing, searching, grade-based word retrieval, and citation lookup. It can run locally or be self-hosted with HTTP transport.
Configuration
Remote servers need no local install. Pick your client, then copy the config or install in one click.
https://mcp.dyslexiasteps.com/mcpclaude mcp add --transport http com-dyslexiasteps-dyslexia-steps https://mcp.dyslexiasteps.com/mcp{"mcpServers":{"com-dyslexiasteps-dyslexia-steps":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.dyslexiasteps.com/mcp"}}}Open in Cursor{"servers":{"com-dyslexiasteps-dyslexia-steps":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.dyslexiasteps.com/mcp"}}}Open in VS Code{"mcpServers":{"com-dyslexiasteps-dyslexia-steps":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.dyslexiasteps.com/mcp"}}}{"mcpServers":{"com-dyslexiasteps-dyslexia-steps":{"serverUrl":"https://mcp.dyslexiasteps.com/mcp"}}}Run commands in a terminal; paste JSON into the client’s MCP config and restart. Servers that need sign-in will prompt on first connect.
Tools
Details
From the project READMEdyslexiasteps-mcp
MCP server for the free word lists on Dyslexia Steps: 38 English phonics and sight word lists placed by grade (Pre-K to Grade 3) with the source of each placement, plus 216 lists in German, Spanish, French, Dutch and Brazilian Portuguese. Ask an assistant for "20 words with sh for a first grader" and it answers from sourced lists. Read-only.
Tools
| Tool | What it returns |
|---|---|
list_word_lists | The lists (id, title, language, section, grade range, placement basis, word count); filter by language, grade or section |
get_word_list | One list in full: words, groups (for example -at, -an, -ap families), basis, URL, license |
get_words_for_grade | Every different English word from the lists that cover a grade, with the lists each word comes from |
find_words | Words that start with, end with or contain a pattern such as sh, ck or ight, with their list and grade |
get_placement_basis | How grades were assigned: Dolch (public domain), a Common Core Foundational Skills item, or a typical sequence |
get_citation | License (compilation CC BY 4.0, Dolch words public domain), citation text and CSV/JSON downloads |
Use
Local:
{ "mcpServers": { "dyslexiasteps": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "dyslexiasteps-mcp"] } } }
Claude Code: claude mcp add --scope user dyslexiasteps -- npx -y dyslexiasteps-mcp.
Self-host the HTTP transport: npm run build && PORT=8787 npm run start:http (POST /mcp, stateless).
Honest limits
A grade is a typical guide, not a rule: programs and standards differ, and a placement is not an assessment of any child. The lists in other languages follow each language's own reading curriculum and have no grade. The server only returns word lists; it gives no advice about a learning difficulty. Source of the placements: https://dyslexiasteps.com/word-lists-by-grade
Data CC BY 4.0, code MIT.
Comments
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