The Child Literacy Centre™
Could my child have a reading problem?
Because reading and writing are so important, parents often worry that their child is not learning as quickly as he should. After all, it seems so easy to us adults, doesn't it?
Everyone has heard about dyslexia. Most people think that one of the clearest signs of dyslexia is confusing letters such as b and d or p and q. What parents don't realise is that
VIRTUALLY EVERY 5-7 year-old OFTEN CONFUSES THESE LETTERS
A symptom only becomes a problem if it does not get any better with good teaching.
Signs of a reading/writing problem
If, when your child is 7 or has been at school for 2 years, he/she often displays some of these symptoms, you should suspect a problem and ensure that the teacher investigates:
- Is unsure what sound a letter or combination makes (eg. h or sh)
- Has difficulty blending sounds into words, including made-up words - ask him what 'yad' or 'ped' would say.
- OFTEN confuses b/d/p/q or n/u or m/w, either for reading or spelling.
- Has GREAT difficulty spelling simple regular words (like 'duck' or 'like').
- Is highly disorganized; often does not know what day it is.
- Has difficulty learning sequences (such as months, times tables).
- Sometimes writes backwards (though this is more common in left-handed children).
- Handwriting is extremely messy; letters are poorly formed.
- Reading is very poor, even of very familiar words. Punctuation is ignored.
- Behaviour in class may be disruptive, or reclusive.
- Finds excuses not to read aloud.
- May have difficulty with things like tying laces, getting dressed quickly.
- Has a close relative with a reading/spelling problem.
BUT DO REMEMBER
- All children learn at different rates - your child may not be ready yet.
- Your child may be young for his class. Or there may be some other reason for a delay. Premature birth, frequent illness or a hearing problem can all cause delay in learning to read and write. In these cases, however, your child would still benefit from help.
- You might be expecting too much.
NOTE: I have referred to 'him/he' throughout this page. This is just because I find it clumsy to say 'he or she' and 'him or her' every time. Of course, girls can have reading difficulties too. On the other hand, it is true that boys tend to have difficulties more often than girls.