Reading is often considered the single most important skill for acquiring knowledge and developing critical thinking abilities. If a child is struggling with reading, the earlier the intervention is started, the better. But how do you know if your child is struggling with reading? How do you know if your child needs reading intervention? Here are some tips to help you on this journey.
Reach out to your child’s teacher and ask: “Have you administered a dyslexic screener to my child?” If the answer is yes, ask to see the results. If the answer is no, request that a dyslexic screener is given to your child.
What are you looking for in the screener? Look at the scores for phonemic awareness. Research suggests that phonemic awareness is the critical predictor of reading success at the elementary level (better than IQ, socioeconomic status, background knowledge, language proficiency, and alphabet knowledge). If you suspect a learning disability, such as dyslexia, request a full evaluation, in writing, to your child’s school.
At home, collect data that you can use to assist in your child getting the correct interventions. Document if your child does any of the following:
- Difficulty learning common nursery rhymes.
- Difficulty learning and remembering the names of the letters in the alphabet.
- Difficulty recognizing letters in his/her own name.
- Difficulty rhyming.
- Complains about and avoids reading.
- Does not associate letters with sounds.
- Does not seem to have a strategy for reading new words.
- Avoids reading out loud.
Dyslexia often runs in families. Take note if there are family members that have a history of reading and/or spelling difficulties.
This can be an overwhelming process and is usually a marathon, not a sprint. If you need assistance for all or part of the journey, reach out to a special education advocate!
Allison Meyerson
Warwick