RECOGNIZE YOUR CHILD'S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES - KNOW THE GENERAL PATH OF READING, WRITING, AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL CHILDREN.
Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers are learning to communicate with family members and interact socially with other children. They learn concepts about the world around them - like colors, shapes, and opposites (hot-cold and fast-slow) - and they are constantly learning from parents, siblings, and peers to express their ideas in longer and more descriptive sentences. They apply their language skills when they listen to and retell stories. Young children become aware of sounds in words – a very important skill known as Phonological Awareness – and they begin to play games such as rhyming and changing sounds in words (like pizza>pizza). A parent often starts to notice differences in a child who is beginning to struggle. Early language-based concerns can be identified at these early ages.
In Kindergarten-Grade 2, children continue to integrate their ideas, and they learn and talk more fully about their world. They begin to apply all they have learned about language – Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary, Sentence Structure – to emerging reading and writing skills. They also need to learn and use all parts of written language – letters, letter-sounds decoding, spelling, sight words, punctuation, and grammar. Children with language-based learning disabilities – including Dyslexia and Dysgraphia – often struggle in very specific ways at this age. They can be effectively identified at this time. Appropriate language-based literacy support at this age can help prevent longer-term and deeper reading and writing difficulties. Testing is particularly important at this age.
In Intermediate Grades (3rd-5th grades), children integrate their ideas and use their language to take part in discussions. In terms of literacy, they learn from reading increasingly deeper and descriptive text, and they need to express their ideas in a more in-depth way as they write. It is commonly said at this age, that children are not ‘learning to read’ but ‘reading to learn’ as they apply the skills they learned in earlier grades. Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension development are crucial, and disabilities in these areas of literacy are often identified at this time.
In Middle School and High School, language is challenged as students discuss and argue serious current-day topics, read adult-level material, use technology, and express their thoughts/opinions in several styles of oral presentation and writing. Organizational skills and study skills are put into focus. Reading Fluency and Comprehension continue to develop hand-in-hand. Adolescents and Teens are preparing for later academic and vocational training as adults. Reading and Writing Disabilities can still be identified and addressed effectively in a variety of ways in middle school and high school to help a student achieve academic success.
LINKS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/LBLD/
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-at-a-glance/
In Kindergarten-Grade 2, children continue to integrate their ideas, and they learn and talk more fully about their world. They begin to apply all they have learned about language – Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary, Sentence Structure – to emerging reading and writing skills. They also need to learn and use all parts of written language – letters, letter-sounds decoding, spelling, sight words, punctuation, and grammar. Children with language-based learning disabilities – including Dyslexia and Dysgraphia – often struggle in very specific ways at this age. They can be effectively identified at this time. Appropriate language-based literacy support at this age can help prevent longer-term and deeper reading and writing difficulties. Testing is particularly important at this age.
In Intermediate Grades (3rd-5th grades), children integrate their ideas and use their language to take part in discussions. In terms of literacy, they learn from reading increasingly deeper and descriptive text, and they need to express their ideas in a more in-depth way as they write. It is commonly said at this age, that children are not ‘learning to read’ but ‘reading to learn’ as they apply the skills they learned in earlier grades. Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension development are crucial, and disabilities in these areas of literacy are often identified at this time.
In Middle School and High School, language is challenged as students discuss and argue serious current-day topics, read adult-level material, use technology, and express their thoughts/opinions in several styles of oral presentation and writing. Organizational skills and study skills are put into focus. Reading Fluency and Comprehension continue to develop hand-in-hand. Adolescents and Teens are preparing for later academic and vocational training as adults. Reading and Writing Disabilities can still be identified and addressed effectively in a variety of ways in middle school and high school to help a student achieve academic success.
LINKS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/LBLD/
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-at-a-glance/
