When To Help a Struggling Reader?
October 6, 2020
The short answer is immediately!
Not all children who struggle with learning to read have dyslexia, but many do. I know a number of parents and educators who take the approach that some children who struggle aren’t ready yet for reading, which may be correct if they are under the age of 5, or older in children who have demonstrated delayed development in other skill areas. Or perhaps they are “late bloomers”. Just wait a few years and they will suddenly catch up with their peers. As comforting as these thoughts may be to a concerned parent, the research does not support taking a wait-and-see approach with reading difficulties.
Children who struggle with reading in grade one (lowest 20% of their class) will be, on average, two full grades behind in reading by grade five. [1] So yes, they did improve their reading skills, but not to the level that they need to be confident and effective readers able keep up with classwork at their grade level. By the time children reach grade 3, the classroom begins to slowly move from spending time learning to read, to spending time reading in order to learn. A child who is still struggling with reading by grade 3, is going to start falling behind not only in reading, but also in every other subject.
What is the downside of intervening early and immediately if a child is struggling with learning to read in the kindergarden and grade 1 years? None, as long as you don’t put undue pressure on them, don’t tell them that they are behind/failing/not getting it, or make the extra practice and lessons an unpleasant experience. If the child is just a bit behind, a little extra help could be all the boost they need to quickly catch up and move ahead. If the child has dyslexia, then that early intervention will be critical to identify the scope of their challenges, and provide them with the appropriate support to overcome their reading difficulties before it impacts their other learning.
The other key advantage to intervening early is that the child can learn about how they think differently and view it positively, rather than growing up thinking they are “stupid” or “dumb”. By the way, don’t get upset with me using these words. This is exactly how people with dyslexia have described themselves to me, particularly if they haven’t had the support they needed during their education. Dyslexic thinking is a completely different way of processing information [2]. People with dyslexia often have valuable skills that are needed in the workplace [4], but if they don’t think they have anything to offer, society as a whole loses the contributions of some great minds.
If you are concerned with your child’s reading skills, get involved immediately! Educate yourself, support them and advocate for them. Provide extra assistance early, and if after some extra help they are still struggling then don’t hesitate to investigate further to see if dyslexia might be the root cause of their challenges. Time spent now will save you and your child years of frustration, aggravation, and lost learning.
[1] S. Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, New York:Vintage Books, 2003. pp. 144-145
[2] K. Power & K.I. Forsyth, The Illustrated Guide to Dyslexia and Its Amazing People, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2018.
[3] Ernst & Young, EY-The Value of Dyslexia, London: Ernst & Young, 2018.