Early Literacy Development

Why is Early Reading Development, and its Assessment, so Important?

All aspects of your child’s development are important! Just as annual dental and vision appointments provide reassurance that development is progressing as it should be, an early literacy screening will ensure your child is acquiring the skills needed to be a successful reader and learner.

 

Approximately 30% of children will have some early difficulty learning to read. Even when effective early literacy programs are in place, 5% to 10% will continue to struggle and will require some form of intervention.

 

Children’s phonological awareness is one of the strongest predictors of later reading achievement. By assessing these developing skills during the preschool years, children at risk for reading difficulties can be identified early, treated, and placed on the track for success before entering first grade!

 

 

Literacy from Birth

Language and literacy are our vehicles to communicating. From the moment a child is born, he’s already communicating with the world around him; getting his needs met through a cry or outstretched arms. The path to literacy starts well before a child learns to read and write: playing with words, acknowledging a sign, retelling a familiar story, or scribbling on a piece of paper. Regular monitoring of these skills is essential to ensure that literacy development is progressing as it should be.

 

 

 

When Should an Assessment of Your Child’s Development be Done?

Research has shown us that children at risk for reading failure can be identified as early as 3 or 4 years old. If you have a preschooler between the ages of 3 to 6, now is the time to assess his or her developing literacy skills. In addition, children and adolescents who are struggling to keep up with school-work, have difficulty processing and retaining information in class, or who are unable to organize their thoughts for assignments may have underlying issues of processing and learning. Assessment of your child’s learning profile enables us to determine areas of difficulty which may require attention and develop a plan of action for remediation.