A trained Speech-Language Pathologist can help a child learn to read better. Let’s look at an example.

Meet Jake, a 9-year-old boy who had been struggling with reading since he was in first grade. His parents noticed that he had difficulty sounding out words and often confused similar sounds in words, such as “b” and “d”. They also noticed that Jake had trouble following directions and answering questions related to the text he had just read.

Jake’s parents decided to seek help from a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who specialize in reading disorders. The SLP conducted a comprehensive evaluation and determined that Jake had a phonological processing disorder, which affected his ability to process and remember speech sounds.

The SLP then developed a customized treatment plan for Jake, which included several strategies to improve his reading skills.

1. Focus on phonemic awareness, which involved teaching Jake to identify and manipulate individual sounds in words. The SLP used varies activities such as rhyming games and sound blending exercises to help Jake improve his phonemic awareness.

2. Work on phonics, which involved teaching Jake the relationship between letters and sounds. The SLP used a multi-sensory approach to teach Jake phonics which included visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities. For example, Jake would use letter tiles to build words, while saying the sounds out loud.

3. Work on reading comprehension, which involved teaching Jake how to understand and remember what he read. The SLP used various techniques such as asking Jake to summarize what he had just read or asking him questions related to the text.

Over several months of therapy, Jake showed significant improvement in his reading skills. He was able to sound out words more accurately and quickly, and he could understand and remember what he read. Jake’s parents also noticed that he was more confident in his ability to read and was more interested in reading for pleasure.

Jake’s success story highlights the importance of seeking help from a trained Speech-Language Pathologist if your child is struggling with reading. With a customized treatment plan and targeted intervention, children like Jake can improve their reading skills and achieve success in school and in life. Because every child deserves a chance to fall in love with reading!