Reasons to Consider Literacy Intervention
Since literacy intervention is a serious commitment, thinking through the reasons you’re devoting precious resources to it is important! Knowing your why will help motivate you when you may really not want to drive to another appointment, or find a quiet room for an online (telepractice) session.
Here are some excellent reasons to pursue extra support:
You dream of finding your kid staying up past bedtime with a flashlight under the covers, their latest favorite graphic novel in hand.
You’re a dyslexic adult who would like to understand spelling instead of hating it! You want to confidently shout from the rooftops that you were right all along that “sound it out” doesn’t work. By understanding spellings through analyzing their morphology (structures), etymology (history), and phonology (sounds), you will not only improve your spelling skills, but may even begin to enjoy written words.
Your kid has a passion for storytelling, but the thought of writing anything down makes them shy away. You want to help bridge that gap so they feel empowered to share their stories in writing!
Your child hides under the table when a book is brought out. Understanding the root of a growing aversion to reading practice is extremely valuable, and the first step to turning things around. Kids won’t usually be able to say why they don’t like reading, but often it’s because it’s still quite hard for them! An evaluation may shed light on underlying difficulties, while intervention will lead to skilled reading, which finally makes books a pleasure.
Your family has a history of learning disabilities or challenges reading, and you’re seeing signs alerting you that it’s harder for your kid, too. You don’t need to wait until your child is reading to look for signs of dyslexia, developmental language disorder, or ADHD.
Your child has a diagnosis that makes learning literacy more difficult (dyslexia, developmental language disorder, ADHD, autism, etc.), and school support doesn’t seem to be sufficient. Their ability to accurately read single words isn’t improving, and their reading fluency isn’t budging.
Once you’ve decided to pursue literacy intervention, finding the right provider is crucial. Literacy intervention is a significant investment of time, resources, and money, and I’ve never met someone who regretted it, as long as they found a skilled interventionist. Far too often I have been the person people come to after months, and sometimes even years, of ineffective services.
So, while you’re out there looking, beware of people who promise too much. Run away from sales pitches that sound like this:
“Your child doesn’t need more reading instruction, they just need vision therapy.”
“They told you your kid wouldn’t read until they’re 13, but we’ll get them reading in six months!”
“We cure ADHD by integrating primitive reflexes.”
“We require a year's deposit up front, but don’t worry, we offer loans.”
“We’ll get your kid reading as long as you practice two hours each night.”
“Just buy our fish oil. It supports kids with dyslexia, making it easier to read.”
Carefully consider someone’s background and training. Some children without learning disabilities will learn to read with just about any program, even a poor one. But children with learning disabilities demand and deserve the best. Ensure that the provider has the skills and experience to serve your specific needs. Ask questions. Do they have specific training for a child with X, Y, or Z? Can they provide you with testimonials from families of children similar to yours? How many kids like yours have they worked with from start to finish? Do most of their clients stay with them until the end, or do they have a lot of turnover?
Time matters with literacy intervention. The earlier it starts, the easier it is! Don’t waste time on people you can’t trust 100%. It’s always worth taking a little bit more time to find the best provider available. Even if I can’t support you directly, I’m always happy to help you find someone great. There are a lot of amazing providers out there doing excellent work. I’ll help you find one!