POSTED ON APRIL 29, 2019 BY TRACEYHAYLES@OPTUSNET.COM.AU How many parents have been told to wait and see when they bring up concerns about there young child’s reading, writing or spelling. It is not uncommon to be told, “they are young lets just see how they go, give them a chance to develop or all children develop at different rates they will catch up.”
Yet research clearly indicates that one of the main keys to successfully helping a child with Dyslexia is early intervention. The earlier we offer them the support they need the higher chance they have of becoming a successful reader as:
The gap with peers is smaller.
the gap can be closed quicker as it is smaller.
Success builds motivation and a love and desire to read. If they love reading they will read more.
They will be building reading strategies using evidence based research from day one. Research on explicit and systematic instruction for dyslexia has been available for the last 30 years.
They wont have what I call survival strategies they use to work around their dyslexia.
You can keep at bay the side effects of dyslexia such as low self esteem, frustration, loss of motivation for learning, social and emotional issues.
Common advice given to parents when they voice concerns is a wait and see approach, Especially if concerns arise in kindergarten, prep and grade 1 but in waiting we are missing out on the ideal time to intervene and help the child have success with language.
Dyslexia is not something that a child will ever grow out of. They will learn strategies to overcome it. Therefore starting to develop these strategies at a young age has a huge advantage. Studies such as one performed by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Bostons Children’s Hospital have identified through MRI brain scans a difference in brain activity of at-risk children as young as 4 or 5.
Another study coming out of the University of Washington funded by the National Science Foundation shows us that it is possible to re-wire the brain, again using MRI imagining, they revealed that connectivity tissue in the brain can be changed and increased when children participate in one – on – one intensive intervention.
With evidence such as this it seems crazy to wait and see when we know helping now can make a huge difference on so many levels.
If you are a parent and think that your child is having difficulty with learning to read, write and spell how do you know what signs to look out for?
Here are some links to websites that are backed by evidence based research that list the signs of Dyslexia from Kindergarten through the school years.
Here’s a great article that clearly reveals young children can be screened for dyslexia.
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As you read the lists if your inner voice says that’s my child, then don’t just wait and see start helping now.
Join me next week to start exploring how you can help your child.
Hi, I'm Tracey!
My mission is simple : to make the science of reading easy. Can you imagine what it felt like as a qualified experienced teacher when I realized my child wasn’t learning to read like other kids. He loved books, we read books together everyday. Seriously, somedays it felt like we read dozens of books, but he just wasn’t learning to read like other kids. Rather than waiting and seeing like the education system wanted me to, I decided to take it into my own hands. I learnt, researched and trained in the science of reading. Now, Imake the science of reading easy
for every parent who want’s to support their child.
