Should my child be assessed for reading difficulties?
When a child is struggling with reading or spelling, many parents wait before they get the problem assessed.
Often parents feel that their child’s problems in learning to read are just temporary, that their child will ‘catch up’ with their peers, or that they are being overly concerned parents.
Even when they have arranged for their child to complete an educational assessment, many parents still question the need for such an assessment.
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Studies, however, show that 3 out of 4 children who have been identified as having poor reading skills in Year 3 and who did not receive assistance early in their schooling will continue to struggle with reading in high school and beyond.
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Studies, however, show that 3 out of 4 children who have been identified as having poor reading skills in Year 3 and who did not receive assistance early in their schooling will continue to struggle with reading in high school and beyond.
Research consistently shows that early identification and early intervention is crucial for helping children who are experiencing difficulties in learning how to read and spell to develop adequate literacy skills.
What are the signs?
In many cases, it is possible to identify the child at risk of later reading difficulties even before they have started school.
The Preschool aged child at risk of later reading difficulties may have problems with learning rhymes, in correctly pronouncing words, and in remembering the names and sounds of letters. If this is the case, a Speech Pathologist can help you to assess your child’s pre-literacy skills and provide programming support.
The child in Kindergarten and Year 1 may have difficulty in learning to link letters with sounds, finds it hard to learn to ‘sound out’ words, complains that reading is hard, and avoids tasks that involve reading.
If you are concerned that your school aged child is struggling with any aspect of literacy, there are a number of things you can do. Firstly, speak to your child’s class teacher and alert him or her about your concerns. Request an assessment be completed by the School Counsellor or you may choose to arrange for a psycho-educational assessment to be completed outside of school.
If you are concerned that your school aged child is struggling with any aspect of literacy, there are a number of things you can do. Firstly, speak to your child’s class teacher and alert him or her about your concerns. Request an assessment be completed by the School Counsellor or you may choose to arrange for a psycho-educational assessment to be completed outside of school.
Identifying what the problem is the cornerstone of getting the right sort of help for your child. Doing so early means that, not only can your child get support to develop his or her literacy skills, but also to avoid a blow to his or her self-esteem.
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