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Specific Learning Difficulties
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Frequently Asked Questions - Reading for Early Readers The information below has been adapted from Helping with Reading at Home, a Speld (SA) information sheet written by Rose Price and Karen Hodson, Adelaide psychologists, and Dyslexia – Action Plans for Successful Learning (2003), by Glynis Hannell. The use of the first person indicates that this is the author’s professional opinion.
How can I tell whether my 4 year old is at risk of reading difficulties? There is a family history of literacy problems. [top] Reading and writing are derivatives of speech. Hence key indicators are:
A test of phonological awareness will reveal whether your child’s skills are appropriate for their age. Speech pathologists are the specialists in this field. Other symptoms include:
For a comprehensive checklist, see How to tell if a young child may be at risk of dyslexia What can I do to get my child’s reading off to a good start before they go to school? [top] Pre-school children Read to your child daily [top] Spend five minutes a day reading to your child. Short stories, with pictures that your child can look at, are ideal. Make this a relaxing and enjoyable time together. While children may have favourite books you would like to buy, your local library has a wide range of picture books for borrowing. Read, sing, recite nursery rhymes together [top] Nursery rhymes play a vital role in the development of pre-reading skills. Reading and spelling rely on the ability to recognise the sequence of sounds in a word. The use of rhyme (rye/pie and sing/king) and alliteration (sing a song of sixpence) in nursery rhymes focusses attention on the sounds in words. Pre-school children usually enjoy the repetition and word-play in nursery rhymes. Sing a Song of Sixpence includes both rhyme and alliteration: Sing a song of sixpence Google ‘modern nursery rhymes’ for examples of traditional and modern nursery rhymes Show your child how books work [top] How to hold a book the right way up/open a book/turn the pages/read from left to right/ word by word/ line by line. If you have the time and want a chuckle, have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFAWR6hzZek for an amusing introduction to ‘the book’. Talk about symbols and words seen regularly in daily life [top] This creates an understanding of symbols and words as representing a particular meaning: Continue to read to your child daily [top] Play word games that focus on the concept of words and sounds in words. The aim is develop awareness that speech is made up of words and words are made up of sounds. At this stage, work orally. Word games (in developmental order)
When playing I-Spy in the car, accept any word that begins with the correct letter. If your child is struggling, give a choice of answers. I spy with my little eye something beginning with /s/. Is it ‘s-sun’ or ‘c-car? Give the answer if they hesitate. It is better for your child to hear the correct answer than to make a wrong guess. For more word games and the later progression of activities, see Action Plans for Successful Learning by Glynis Hannell, available from the Speld(SA) shop.
Ask your child’s teacher which early literacy program they use and learn how it works and what you can do to support your child. Ask the teacher to present a parent session to demonstrate the program. Popular early literacy programs include: Jolly Phonics and Letterland. Different programs present the letters of the alphabet in different sequences. Research indicates that letter/sound associations (phonics) are best taught as part of a multisensory early literacy program that integrates the teaching of the sounds of the letters, how to blend sounds together to form words and correct letter formation. A multisensory program enables your child to learn through different learning channels (sight, hearing, saying, writing, thinking). Where do I start? The following skills are in developmental order
My child cannot remember which letter is which. What can I do to help? [top] Some children have a lot of difficulty remembering letters and their associated sounds. As well as encouraging correct letter formation and saying the sound at the same time (see above), teach letter/sound matching and recognition using the following approach. Adapt the task to ensure success. The following approach to learning letters and their sounds is in developmental order.
Blending Activities [top] Being able to blend the sounds in words is often a hurdle for students with reading difficulties. Students may be able to give the sounds for the letters but have difficulty blending the sounds together. Sometimes, they have difficulty remembering all the sounds or remembering the sounds in order. Sometimes, they can blend the sounds but cannot relate them to a known word. Pre-schoolers and students who have difficulty working with the sounds in words can benefit from oral practice.
My child can read the word elephant but gets short, common words like when, what, where wrong? Why? [top] Children can often recognise words like caterpillar, television, electric because they are visually distinctive, they are phonically regular and they carry meaning for a child. We call these words content words. In contrast, words like then, they, there are visually similar, do not carry a strong meaning and are hard for many children to remember. We call these words process words. How do I help my child to remember the short, common words that they repeatedly confuse The following approach to teaching commonly used words is developmental. Developing sight word knowledge [top] Once your child has a firm knowledge of letter/sound associations, they are ready to build up a bank of commonly used words. The Dolch sight word lists include the 220 most frequently used words in children’s books. For a complete list, go to www.learningbooks.net/whydolchwords.html Note Some of the words have regular spelling patterns and some do not. If the spelling is regular, show your child how to sound it out or divide it into syllables first. Level 1. Matching words (cards are face up) [top] This teaches your child to look carefully at letter patterns. Choose 3-5 different words and write each word out four times on separate cards. Spread the cards out on the table face up. Choose one word card and show it to your child.
Level 2. Matching words (without an example to look at) [top] This teaches your child to hold a mental image of a written word. Choose 3-5 different words and print each word out four times on separate cards. Spread the cards on a table face-up. Choose one word card and show it to your child.
Level 3. Recognising a named word [top] This teaches your child to link a written word with a spoken word. Choose 3-5 different words and write each word on four separate cards. Spread the cards face up on a table. Level 4. Reading words by sight [top] This is the most difficult level. Your child is asked to remember how a word ‘looks’ from earlier learning and to name the word. Choose 3-5 different words and write each word on four separate cards. Spread the cards on a table face up. Point to the words in turn and say: What does this word say?
I have written a short answer and a longer answer to this question. The short answer follows. For a more detailed response, see Choosing Books for Beginning Readers on the SPELD (SA) website. Children need practice reading books they can manage independently.
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