Literacy Support for Children

 

Building strong foundations for reading, spelling and writing

 

Learning to read and write relies on a combination of skills, including understanding and using language, recognising the sounds within words, connecting sounds with letters, and making sense of what we read.

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When these foundations are difficult, children can find reading, spelling and writing much harder than expected, even when they are bright, engaged and trying their best.

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At Little Language, our Gold Coast speech pathologists assess the language and sound-based skills that underpin literacy and provide targeted, evidence-based intervention for children who need additional support.

 

When might literacy therapy help?

 

You might notice that your child:

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• has difficulty learning letter-sound relationships

• struggles to identify, blend or manipulate sounds within words

• finds sounding out unfamiliar words difficult

• guesses words rather than reading them accurately

• has persistent difficulty with spelling

• reads slowly or with considerable effort

• can read the words but struggles to understand or explain what they have read

• finds it difficult to organise their ideas for written work

• is falling behind despite classroom teaching and practice

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Literacy difficulties can have different underlying causes, so identifying the skills that are getting in the way is an important first step.

 

How can a speech pathologist help with literacy?

 

Speech pathologists have particular expertise in the speech and language skills that support learning to read and write. Assessment can help us understand your child’s strengths and identify areas such as phonological awareness, decoding, spelling, oral language or reading comprehension that may require support.

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Therapy is then targeted to your child’s individual needs and uses evidence-based approaches to explicitly teach the skills they are finding difficult.

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We may also work with your child’s teacher, learning support team or other professionals to help build a consistent approach across therapy and school.

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What about dyslexia?

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Children with ongoing difficulties learning to read and spell may require further investigation for a specific learning disorder such as dyslexia. Speech pathologists can assess and treat many of the underlying speech, language and phonological skills involved in literacy, but diagnosis of a specific learning disorder requires assessment by an appropriately qualified psychologist.

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If we think further assessment would be helpful, we can guide you on the next steps.

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Not sure whether your child needs literacy support?

 

When you call Little Language, you’ll speak directly with a speech pathologist. We can talk through what you and your child’s school have noticed and help you decide whether a literacy or language assessment would be useful.

 

Get in touch with our team to have a chat about your child’s reading, spelling or writing.

 

Helping kids find their roar.