Dr. Forgan’s insight on dyslexia

Warning Signs of Dyslexia and Reading Problems

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If you are concerned that your child’s reading is not developing appropriately, see if they have any of these warning signs of a learning disability like dyslexia.  This is important because children as young as age 5 can be identified as either at risk for, or having, a reading disability.  If your child has three or more of these warning signs, learn more about identifying and overcoming reading problems.

These are some of the preschool age warning signs of possible reading problems: delayed speech, mixing up the sounds and syllables in long words (psgetti, aminal), numerous ear infections, trouble memorizing letters or the alphabet, and can’t create words that rhyme.  Many preschoolers with speech problems also have reading difficulty.

Elementary age warning signs of reading problems include: letter reversals, slow choppy reading, guesses based on shape, ignores suffixes, skips or misreads prepositions (at, to, of), or difficulty sounding out unknown words. Other warning signs include difficulty telling time with a clock with hands as well as trouble memorizing math facts or a sequence of steps. 

Middle and high school warning signs can include the above plus a limited vocabulary, poor written expression compared to speaking skills, difficulty learning a foreign language, and poor grades.

Depending on your child’s age there are many effective reading programs.  Having your child evaluated can help determine the most effective program.  This way you don’t spend your valuable time and money on a hit and miss approach of things that don’t work well.  With a proper evaluation there are many school supports available.  The important point is not to let things drag on hoping they will improve.   Check it out so you can have a focused plan and don’t waste time doing a hit and miss approach.

Teach Your Child To Read

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Parents want the best for their children and it is frustrating when they struggle to learn to read. Summer is a time when many parents work with their child(ren) to enrich or strengthen their reading or math. For children struggling to read (decoding, fluency, or comprehension), the summer is a valuable time to try some different approaches to reading.
One book I recommend to parents is Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Englemann (ISBN# 0-671-63198-5). This book provides a step-by step guide of lessons that parents can use with their child for 15-20 minutes per day. The book is written in understandable parent friendly language so it is straightforward to use.  In fact, the instructions for each lesson are complete and tell parents exactly what to say and do. When compared to other commercial programs, this one was rated as doing the best job in teaching reading.  The authors state the book is appropriate for preschool children and for children who have been in school but who have not learned to read. If you teach your child using this direct instruction program, there is a very high probability they will learn to read.
 
Another book that can help parents reinforce their child’s reading development is Games for Reading: Playful Ways To Help Your Child Read. This book is written by a former reading teacher and contains games for learning words, sounds, understanding, and has a chapter on reading every day. I have used many of the book’s games with my 5-year-old son and we both enjoy them. 

Parents should find both of these books helpful.

Dyslexia Affects Kids

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We evaluate children for dyslexia, dysgraphia, math learning disabilities, processing disorders, ADHD/ ADD, emotional concerns and more.  We use neuropsychological tests to help you identify what’s causing your child to struggle and the best steps to take to help.  Saturday testing with an associate is available at no extra charge!

Children with dyslexia can read some but they may not read great or enjoy reading.  Warning signs of dyslexia in elementary students include: slow choppy reading, difficulty remembering the sounds of words, difficulty sounding out words, and poor spelling in everyday writing.  When reading you may tell your child a word only to have your child not recognize the same word on the next line.

Warning signs of dyslexia in older students include: difficulty remembering what was read, slow reading, difficulty telling important information from unimportant details, and spells poorly.  These warning signs do not go away and often get worse with age.  Children as young as age 5 ½ can be evaluated for dyslexia.

Once you know your child has dyslexia you can start providing the best type of teaching.  Children with dyslexia need a reading curriculum based on multisensory teaching principles of Orton and Gillingham.  Simple “extra practice and more repetition” will not sufficiently help your child.  You may see short term gains but no long term solution.

Unfortunately, most public school teachers are not certified in an Orton-Gillingham based reading program. Some will use Orton-Gillingham based materials but may not use them with fidelity.  If your child has dyslexia or severe reading difficulty your child should use the Barton Reading and Spelling System or the Wilson Reading System.  Tell your child’s teacher this and visit the website www.BartonReading.com for information.  You can also call me for more information.

Dr. Forgan is a licensed school psychologist and can evaluate your child for ADHD, dyslexia, and other associated learning problems.