Reading Programs

My child is mildly affected with CdLS, is in kindergarten at a public school, is doing extremely well, possesses strong expressive and receptive language skills, and is currently being taught to read using phonics and sight words. Are any other reading programs or techniques that should be employed at this time to teach my child how to read?

I guess I wonder how your child is doing with the current, commonly used systems. I also wonder what your concerns are regarding the teaching methods. There are other systems, but if your child is doing well, why change to something different – especially if the other children in the class are doing the same system?

If, on the other hand, your child is not doing well, that is a different story. My first question would be, has your child had an eye examination to check on acuity, eye alignment, tracking and scanning skills. My second question would be related to whether your child has been identified as having an educational handicap? Whether the identification was made as such or not, if your child is having difficulty learning to read and if the eye results are fine or treatable, then I suggest the child probably needs an evaluation by a reading specialist. On the other hand, if the child is only 5, I do not think it is time to become overly concerned to the point that your child feels the anxiety and begins to become concerned regarding his or her own competencies. I am greatly concerned for children, especially children with disabilities, to have good ego development

MM/TK 7-13-10