Check Reading Development as Carefully as Physical Development

“Just as a parent would not think of ignoring her [or his] child’s scheduled physical with his pediatrician, every parent should regularly observe her [or his] child reading.  Given the high prevalence of reading difficulties, it is much more likely for your child to have a reading problem than almost any other physical problem for which he is being checked.”    – Sally Shaywitz M.D. (1)

One of the most common phrases I hear from parents whose children are struggling with reading is, “They just aren’t ready yet. We’ll wait a while and then try again.  They’re a late bloomer.”  If the child is 3 or 4 years old, then yes, that is likely too young and they aren’t developmentally ready to begin reading.  However, if the child is 6 or 7 and still not developing the basics of knowing letter names and sounds, identifying rhymes, and reading simple words, chances are there is some type of learning challenge involved.  Waiting will not solve the problem.

The Connecticut Longitudinal Study started in 1983 and followed 445 children from Kindergarten through College age, with 90% still participating as adults.  The group was diverse and representative of children entering Kindergarten in Connecticut that year.  This study uncovered a number of interesting facts about reading development and dyslexia.  One of the conclusions of the study, comparing children with no reading problems with children who met the criteria for a reading disability in the early grades, was as follows: “…we observed that both groups increased their reading skills over time.  However, and most important, . . ., the gap in reading ability between good and poor readers remains.  Poor readers never catch up with their classmates who are good readers.  If a child is dyslexic early on in school, that child will continue to experience reading problems unless his (sic) is provided with a scientifically based, proven intervention.” (2)

As much as a parent doesn’t want to believe that their child has a learning challenge, ignoring a potential issue doesn’t make it go away.  In fact ignoring the problem will compound it over time.  My husband and I both went through a period of denial, but it didn’t take long to accept that something was not right with our daughter’s reading.  I recommend Sally Shaywitz’s book Overcoming Dyslexia as a great starting point to educate yourself on identifying reading issues at various ages, and also how to ensure your child is getting appropriate intervention that will effectively bridge the gap in their skills.

If you hear the phrase ‘late bloomer’ referencing a child learning to read, it should set alarms off in your mind.  Just as a listless child is often in the early stages of fighting off an infection, a late bloomer is probably struggling with something too.  Both need help.

References:

(1) Shaywitz, Sally (2003), Overcoming Dyslexia, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, p. 112

(2) Shaywitz, Sally (2003), Overcoming Dyslexia, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, p. 33-34

Photo by Martin Brosy on Unsplash