Is your child struggling to read and write at grade level?
Signs of dyslexia in elementary grades
- Difficulty remembering letter names or sounds
- Confusing letters that look similar (like b and d)
- Confusing letters that sound similar (like f and v)
- Difficulty reading familiar words (like cat)
- Substituting words while reading aloud (like house for home)
- Struggles with rhyming
- Can’t sound out words
- Doesn’t understand that words come apart
- Doesn’t have a strategy for reading new words
- Family history of reading and/or spelling struggle
Tip: Don’t wait!
Research shows that waiting for reading to “click” does not work (Torgesen, 1998).
For more information about the power of early intervention, check out this Reading Rockets article.
What is Dyslexia?
According to the International Dyslexia Association (2025)
“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading and/or spelling that involve accuracy, speed, or both and vary depending on the orthography. These difficulties occur along a continuum of severity and persist even with instruction that is effective for the individual’s peers.”
Approximately 15-20% of the general population may have symptoms of dyslexia, according to the International Dyslexia Association. Not all students who show signs of dyslexia will require special education, but most will benefit from systematic, explicit instruction. View more about Learning to Read.
There is Help!
Structured Literacy is a research-based teaching approach that focuses on explicitly and systematically teaching all aspects of literacy. Structured Literacy is considered effective for all students, including those with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. With explicit, sequential, cumulative, multimodal, and diagnostic instruction, students can develop the skills and knowledge base needed to be successful readers and writers.
You may have heard of Structured Literacy under other names as well. The Orton-Gillingham Approach, the Wilson Language Training®, Wired for Reading®, Slingerland Multisensory Approach®, Sonday System1®, and others take a systematic approach to teaching all aspects of literacy.
If you would like more information about whether or not your child could benefit a Structured Literacy Approach, contact us for a free consultation.