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Dyslexia And The New Science Of Reading
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Experts are getting better at identifying what's normal and what's not for beginning readers. While kids develop at different speeds, this list can provide an idea of what to watch for on the path to literacy. Parents who notice significant problems should seek expert help.
| SCHOOL LEVEL | TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT | POSSIBLE SIGNS OF TROUBLE | HOW TO HELP |
| Ages 3-4, preschool | Listen to stories; knows that words are read in books; can identify some alphabet letters (like those in their own name); tries to write. | Doesn't know how to hold a book; can't differentiate between squiggles and letters; unable to recognize own name; has limited vocabulary. | Read books aloud; teach songs with rhyming words; write down children's spoken words and read them back; avoid workbooks. |
| Kindergarten | Can rhyme spoken words and blend sounds to make words (e.g., "m-m-m" plus "an" makes "man"); connects some sounds and letters. | Unable to distinguish individual sounds that make up words (e.g., the "kuh-aah-tuh" in "cat"); slow to name familiar objects and colors. | Emphasize rhyme in games, songs, books; by middle of year, seek testing in "phonemic awareness" if no improvement occurs. |
| 1st and 2d grades | Learns to read simple text aloud; with practice, reads more complex books with comprehension and accuracy; counts syllables in words. | Complains that reading is easier for everyone else; has no idea how to decode unknown words; falls significantly behind peers; avoids reading. | Become your child's advocate; lobby for phonemic-awareness testing and intensive instruction with solid research base. |
| 2d and 3d grades | Begins to read independently, silently and for pleasure; rereads sentences when meaning is unclear; learns to correctly spell simple words; reads aloud with expression | Starts to withdraw, exhibits other troubling behavior; seems to guess at unknown words in an irrational way; focuses so much on decoding words that meaning is lost. | Seek out professional help and support groups that can offer resources, referrals; encourage activities where child can succeed while reading struggle continues. |
Pat Wingert
© 1999
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