Blogging A to Z: Disability

Reluctance doesn’t always come from not wanting to read. Sometimes reluctance comes from an undiagnosed disability that makes reading difficult for kids. I’ll be honest, I don’t know a lot about the process of testing and diagnosis, but I think it’s important for families to advocate for their children if they suspect that something more than reluctance is at stake. Speak with your child’s teacher for more information about testing.

There are a number of reading disorders, but the most common is dyslexia. Dyslexia can look different for each person diagnosed, but people “often have a hard time sounding out words, understanding written words, and naming objects quickly.” (NIH)

Diagnosis

The great news is that with a proper diagnosis of dyslexia, other reading disorders, and learning disabilities kids can begin learning how to navigate their disability. They can begin learning tools and tips to make it easier for them to succeed. Children with a diagnosis can also get assistance at school with an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This is to make accommodations for students with disabilities. An accommodation example could be that a child has the test read aloud to them. This can assist students who have trouble reading test questions.

Resources

A few things that families have found helpful at the library are pairing the text with an audiobook. That way a child can read along while hearing the story. This can help allow students to comprehend a story if the text decoding is difficult. OverDrive, an online resource for eBooks available through libraries (Libby) and schools (Sora). It has a specific text font that makes reading easier for people with dyslexia.

For the month of April, I’ll be sharing tips for reaching reluctant readers as part of the Blogging A to Z Challenge. There are dozens of reasons why a child might be considered a “reluctant reader.” As summer nears, continued reading practice helps students to keep the reading skills they learned while reading for fun. But, that’s not easy when a child doesn’t want to sit down and read. I’ll be sharing 26 tips to meet reluctant readers where they are. And hopefully find a way to make reading bearable, if not even something they want to do!