Most children referred for assessments are related to struggles with reading, spelling and writing.
Parents feel a sense of desperation and don’t know what direction to go.
Once the issues are identified, the remediation, unfortunately, can be a bit scattershot. This is embodied in the statement a teacher recently told a mom, “Well, we do a bit of everything…a little comprehension, some decoding, and writing stories. We’ll touch all bases.”
For the struggling children, I prefer a different mindset. Rather than a “touch-all-bases” approach approach, I go in a different direction.
To get clear on the remediation, start with the concept that there are are two fundamental types of reading problems:
- Type I: The child has trouble with reading rate, accuracy and fluency. The bulk of these are what largely fit the definition of dyslexia.
- Type II: These are children who read fluently, but have difficulty understanding what they read. Usually, they have trouble with inferences, interpretation of language and drawing conclusions. Confusion reigns.
For either type, tutoring is a great way to go, but only if the tutor is clear on what the problem is and that they are committed to a laser-focused approach.
Scattershot may work for the children who are not in the Type I or Type II categories, but for the rest, it’s important to get clear.
Know what you are targeting.
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