Nurturing growth, building confidence, and inspiring the joy of learning by helping kids to read.
How can I tell if my child needs help with reading?
This is such an important and complex question! Whatever it is that caused you to wonder, please know that you are doing the right thing by asking. Screening for reading problems is as simple and quick as screening for vision or hearing problems. Screening helps identify kids that should be watched more closely, possibly evaluated, and given extra learning help.
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Here is a helpful list of reading skills at different ages as kids grow.
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While reading skills look different from person to person and at different ages, some general red flags for possible reading problems include:
-family history of reading and/or spelling difficulties
-history of early childhood speech therapy for delayed speech or language
-has trouble pronouncing words or remembering the right names for familiar things or people, might use general words like “that thing” more often than others
-avoids reading in general, reading aloud sounds slow and awkward, guesses at words
-messy handwriting and poor spelling
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If you see warning signs or sense that something is not working for your child, I encourage you to act rather than wait. Reading problems are much easier to address before kids struggle and I have yet to meet a family that feels they acted too soon.
