Last night in a group of parents of preschoolers we were talking about literacy - a topic that I love, obviously. It so happened that there were several parents in the group who had older children with learning disabilities. So as I'm going along talking about laying a foundation for early reading, they were there to remind me that all this stuff I'm talking about doesn't work for all kids. It was an important reminder and I immediately knew that I needed to share it here. There really are a LOT of things that can interfere with a child's ability to read that are entirely out of a parent's control. They are also beyond the scope of most classroom teachers. They require experts. Psychologists, special education teachers, or learning coaches can help remedy these issues or help children work with the skills they do have so they can be successful. So if you have a young child who has no interest in learning to read and you really think it should be coming by now or an older child who is very frustrated because they can't read as well as they want to, don't hesitate. Get an evaluation done. With a proper diagnosis of the problem, steps can be taken to help your child be successful. Trust your instincts as a parent and if something feels wrong, don't wait. Get it looked into. Push your school district for testing if you need to push, but you shouldn't need to. A parent expressing a concern and asking specifically for testing should produce immediate results. The sooner your child feels successful as a reader, the sooner they will be on the path to independent learning.
Special note to homeschooling parents: Please don't feel intimidated by your school district. They want to help all children learn. They may encourage you to put your child into public school. It may be very difficult to hear. But bring as much support as you need to any meetings and, as always, don't sign anything you haven't read thoroughly and feel comfortable with. As an educator, you understand that information is power. Get the information. There are a whole range of services available to your child. As your child's teacher, you choose which resources to incorporate into their education. Just as all parents do.
