As the winter winds swirled and snow drifts piled up outside my window this February morning, I took some time away from my laptop to read with my seven year old son, home from school, yet another day. I had to laugh when he pulled “Frosty the Snowman” off his bookshelf as the blizzard conditions outside in Washington, DC weren’t too different from the North Pole. As he read, a smile crossed my face, for the mere reason that he was able to read so effortlessly. As a former teacher and current tutor of students who struggle with reading, I’ve realized over the years that reading is not a natural process for many. Some children, despite excellent verbal abilities and average to above average intelligence, struggle to read. Unfortunately, the vast majority of children do not outgrow their difficulties in the early years and without early intervention, these children are likely to face a lifetime of obstacles.
Picture two students, side by side, reading a fairytale from a storybook. One student easily reads with expression and enthusiasm, “Once Upon a Time”. The other student slowly reads “On up a tim.” Both students live in the same neighborhood, have educated parents that read to them at night, and were exposed to literature at a young age. So why can one read and the other cannot? Is it a fairytale story to think that reading is a natural process? The answer, is yes.
Almost 20% of children have a significant reading problem that impacts their ability to acquire reading through traditional teaching methods. Reid Lyon, the former head of National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, makes a valid point by questioning why there are so many illiterate adults and children if reading were a natural process. According to a recent article in TIME magazine, there are almost 3 million students in special education classes specifically because they cannot read. Some have a reading disability, others do not.
In many instances, the student demonstrates strong reading comprehension, but there is a specific glitch in sounding words out (decoding). These students have a hard time looking at a word that they don’t know, separating the sounds, and blending them back together in order to read the word. This automatic process requires the proper neurological wiring. Scientific evidence of brain scans points to specific neurobiological differences between normal readers and those who are not progressing adequately. In students with reading disabilities, certain areas of the brain are not as highly developed.
Instead, students with glitches in decoding compensate by relying heavily on memorizing words. While this compensatory strategy helps get kids through a school year, without proper treatment, these children flounder as they encounter new words.
So what can be done? Twenty years of research demonstrates that we can remediate almost all reading problems with the right instruction. However, too often the excuse of a developmental lag is given, and that eventually Johnny will “catch up”, but sadly, this is rarely the case. Studies shows that if a child was a poor reader in first grade, there is an 88% chance that he’ll be a poor reader in fourth grade. Moreover, poor fourth grade reading ability is directly correlated with below grade level performance in eighth grade and significantly higher high school drop out rates.
It is absolutely crucial that reading-related learning problems do not go untreated. Waiting to seek help can ultimately be even more deleterious. Susan Hall, author of Straight Talk About Reading and Parenting A Struggling Reader, states that if help is given in 4th grade rather than in kindergarten when weaknesses were first spotted, it will take four times as long to improve the same skills by the same amount.
Children unable to meet reading readiness performance benchmarks in the spring of their kindergarten year should be flagged for immediate assistance. This additional help should not be more of the same. If the whole language approach isn’t successful, the emphasis should be placed on phonics. This help must continue from the start of first grade until the child is able to demonstrate proficiency. Although schools try to place resources in primary grades, there are not enough skilled reading remediation specialists available to work with these children on a daily basis in small groups. The cost to school districts may be significant; however, the public health crisis of unrealized potential and even illiteracy is even greater.
I’ve worked with far too many children whose parents have been told, “Don’t worry, she’ll be just fine. She will eventually catch on.” Just last week I had a high school junior named Allison in my office for a reading evaluation. She had hit a wall with in her Advanced Placement History class because of the volumes of expected reading. Although she was certainly capable of grasping the concepts, it was taking her three times as long as the other students to get through the assigned reading. I asked her when she first started having trouble with reading and she stated “as long as I can remember.” Her mother confirmed this, reflecting back to teacher conferences in first and second grade. Both she and the teachers realized there was a problem, but Allison was holding her own and always seemed to get by. And she did get by in elementary, middle, and high school, but at a staggering cost. Her poor self-esteem and waning motivation had started to affect her abilities to cope in school. She started to wonder if she was college material. It is my belief that the right type of instruction early on, could have helped Allison avoid many of the academic hurdles she faced.
Fortunately, it’s not too late for Allison to improve her reading skills, but it will certainly take more time and effort than it would have if the issue was addressed ten years ago. As a parent, it is important to trust your instincts if you have a struggling student on your hands. Reach out to your child’s teacher and seek outside professional help if the school doesn’t have the resources to address your child’s needs.
Reading seems like it should be such a natural process, especially for those children who are clearly very bright, but that is not always the case. With early intervention and proper treatment, struggling readers will be able to open up their books and be whisked away to magical lands in far away times, even the North Pole.
Ann is a board member of the International Dyslexia Association and CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) and is the author of the upcoming book Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Hassle-Free Homework.
