Reading is the foundation for success in school and beyond. Strong reading abilities lead to better comprehension, critical thinking, and communication skills. However, many children struggle with reading without parents realizing it.
Signs of reading difficulties aren’t always obvious. Some children avoid reading altogether, while others may seem to read fluently but struggle to understand what they’ve read. When reading difficulties go unnoticed, they can lead to frustration, low self-esteem, and academic setbacks.
The good news is that a free reading evaluation can identify any challenges your child is facing and provide a roadmap for improvement.
If you’re unsure whether your child needs extra reading support, here are five key signs that indicate it’s time for an assessment.
Avoids Reading or Becomes Frustrated Easily
Does your child avoid reading books, homework, or even simple text like menus and signs? If so, it could be a sign that they find reading difficult or overwhelming.
Some children may shut down, procrastinate, or even act out when asked to read because they associate it with failure or frustration. Others might get easily discouraged when they struggle to recognize words or understand a passage.
What This Means:
- Your child may have difficulty with fluency, comprehension, or word recognition.
- Struggling readers often develop low confidence and reading anxiety, making them hesitant to practice.
How a Free Reading Evaluation Can Help:
A reading assessment can pinpoint the specific areas where your child is struggling and provide personalized strategies to make reading feel easier and less frustrating.
Struggles to Sound Out Words or Recognize Sight Words
Phonics (the ability to break words into sounds) and sight word recognition (instantly recognizing common words) are essential for early reading success. If your child has trouble sounding out words or frequently stumbles over simple sight words, they may need additional phonics support.
What This Means:
- Your child may struggle with decoding skills, making it harder to read fluently.
- Without strong phonemic awareness, your child may fall behind in reading progress.
How a Free Reading Evaluation Can Help:
An assessment will evaluate your child’s phonics, word recognition, and fluency to determine whether additional support is needed to strengthen these skills.
Reads Below Grade Level
Every child learns at their own pace, but if your child’s reading level is significantly below their grade expectations, they may need targeted intervention. Teachers often send home reading assessments, but it’s also helpful for parents to compare their child’s reading abilities to grade-level benchmarks.
What This Means:
- Struggling readers may fall further behind each year if reading difficulties go unaddressed.
- A child who can’t read at grade level may have trouble in other subjects like math and science, where reading is necessary for understanding instructions.
How a Free Reading Evaluation Can Help:
A professional assessment will identify gaps in your child’s reading skills and provide a customized learning plan to help them reach their grade-level goals.
Has Trouble Understanding What They Read
Being able to read words does not always mean a child comprehends the material. If your child struggles to answer questions about a story, summarize what happened, or connect ideas in a passage, they may have reading comprehension difficulties.
What This Means:
- Your child might be reading without truly understanding, making it hard to retain information.
- Poor comprehension affects academic performance in all subjects, not just reading.
How a Free Reading Evaluation Can Help:
The assessment will measure comprehension skills and recommend strategies to improve understanding, retention, and critical thinking.
Shows Poor Spelling and Writing Skills
Reading and writing go hand in hand. If your child frequently misspells words or has trouble constructing sentences, they may struggle with word recognition and phonemic awareness—two key components of reading.
What This Means:
- A child who struggles with spelling and writing may also have difficulty decoding words while reading.
- Trouble with writing could indicate gaps in phonics skills and literacy development.
How a Free Reading Evaluation Can Help:
An assessment can determine if your child needs extra support in phonics, word formation, and spelling patterns, leading to better reading outcomes.
Speak to a Reading Expert
Is your child showing signs of reading difficulties, such as avoiding reading, struggling to sound out words, reading below grade level, having trouble understanding what they read, or exhibiting poor spelling and writing skills?
Early detection and intervention are crucial to prevent frustration, low self-esteem, and academic setbacks. At Read Smart we specialize in identifying and addressing these challenges through our personalized reading programs.
Why Choose Read Smart Learning?
- Customized Reading Plans: We tailor our programs to meet each child’s unique needs, ensuring targeted support where it’s needed most.
- Experienced Educators: Our team consists of dedicated professionals passionate about helping children succeed.
- Proven Success: Many parents have seen significant improvements in their children’s reading abilities after participating in our programs.
Don’t wait for reading difficulties to resolve on their own. Early intervention can make a significant difference in your child’s academic journey and overall confidence.
Contact Read Smart Learning today at (918) 559-7323 to schedule a free reading evaluation and discover how we can help your child become a confident, proficient reader.
