Should I get intervention for my child's reading?
Should I get intervention for my child’s reading?
If your child is a struggling reader, it can be tough to know when to seek intervention. You may feel like you’re just making a big deal out of nothing or that you’re going to seem like a bad parent if you ask for help. But the truth is, if your child is a reluctant reader, struggles to read fluently, or sounds out new words, it’s crucial to get help as soon as possible. This post will explain some of the signs to look for and when it’s likely time to seek intervention.
Thank you for reading!
What signs are there that my child may be a struggling reader?
There are early warning signs that your child may become a struggling reader; some of these may show up even in the PreK years:
Their love of reading is hampered by the inability to manipulate sounds in words, which often leads many struggling readers. They might have trouble rhyming or playing word games and will be challenged when recognizing unfamiliar phrases that start with similar letter combinations!
The link between having trouble with reading and ear infections or speech delays is not surprising.
Articulation problems can cause vocabulary difficulties when reading aloud, which makes understanding text harder than ever before -delays with speech usually show up between ages 3 & 5 but sometimes as early 2nd birthday.
Some children even in preschool may refuse to recite nursery rhymes or leave off words completing a rhyme they have heard dozens of times.
Entering Kindergarten
Entering Kindergarten, most children should possess most of these skills:
- Points to and recognizes letters in own name
- Participates in a read-aloud, repeating a familiar song, poem, finger play, and nursery rhyme
- Recognizes the alphabet
- Can identify their name in print
- Able to make simple predictions and comments about a story
- Emergent stages of Phonological Awareness, i.e, letter sounds.
First Grade
When your first grader resists reading aloud to you, it could be a sign of something wrong. Children who have trouble reading often find reading tedious, which leads them to avoid reading thoroughly!
- Word recognition. By the time your child is in the first grade they should know at least 100 common words.
- Be on the watch for these warning signs that may indicate when they need more work:
- The child doesn’t know the sounds associated with all of the letters, so they often skip over words and don’t stop to self-correct.
- The little one also has trouble remembering which sound a particular word makes when reading it out loud on paper or using an app like “Kindle.”
- They will substitute words instead of sounding them out.
Be aware if frustration occurs, a struggling reader may “shut down” when attempting to read is a challenge.
Later Grade Levels
Students’ grades can be a sign of struggling readers in later grades. Many kids are good at memorizing and simply knowing what to say or write in Kinder and 1st grade, but as the material gets more complex, they are unable to keep up, and their grades may reflect / or decline.
- An A student in 1st grade who starts getting B’s and C’s in 2nd grade and third grade could simply mean a reading problem was missed in the earlier years. Low reading comprehension scores and spelling issues may become more apparent, signal reading difficulties that warrant intervention.
- General disinterest and low self-esteem.
These are just a few of the more common signs that a child may need reading intervention or at least additional reading instruction.
Get Help Early
Recent research has shown that early intervention to help struggling readers pays dividends.
Waiting until 4th grade will take 4x longer to correct reading and language literacy issues than getting help in the early PreK-2nd grade timeframes!
Additionally, children who do not receive reading intervention in the early grades are more likely to struggle later in their academic life and possibly throughout their lifetime.
Struggling readers often think that only they work or make mistakes. In reality, we all make reading errors sometimes. The earlier your child gets help for their reading difficulties, the more quickly they will be able to master their reading challenges.
The Reading Ranch Intervention Program
If you’re looking for a reading intervention program based on sound research and proven principles, look no further than the Reading Ranch Intervention Program. Our phonetically based programs help kids with reading, writing, comprehension, spelling, and critical analysis skills. Our multi-sensory and phonics program-based approach is highly interactive and fun, making learning a joy instead of a chore.
Our classes are small groups of 3 or fewer students and are interactive, not worksheet-based. We offer classes for PreK-6th grade in person at one of our Centers or online as part of our VLP™ program.
Whatever you decide to do, please don’t wait if your child needs help; get help sooner, not later!
Finding an Effective Intervention Program
A study by Dr. Lee Swanson at the University of California-Riverside found that teaching in small groups was better than extensive group instruction, or even 1:1 instruction in most circumstances. Reading strategies were better learned in a small group.
Find a tutor or tutorial center that provides a research-based program that follows proven reading strategies, and scope and sequence, not simply a piecemeal program that is not structured or complete.
Phonics knowledge is vital in early learning and reading. Make sure you choose someone who teaches phonics and uses it in their curriculum.
Read books! While many programs use computers and technology, nothing can beat using real books to ignite the interest in reading for struggling readers.
Find teachers and tutors who care, a teacher who is passionate and committed to helping is worth ten teachers who aren’t!
