Reading interventions and IEPs are an essential part of the education process. The first three years of education are learning to read, and then it changes to where students read to learn. For students who do not read well, this entire time is a struggle. How does a student participate in school without being able to read?
There are multiple reasons a child cannot read or their reading level is way below that of their peers. One reason for this could include a student having a learning/reading disability.
Providing reading interventions when a student is young often means the student catches up with their peers in a much shorter period of time than if we wait until they are older. We have seen studies that show a dyslexic student given support in kindergarten or first grade often requires one to two years of intensive reading intervention. It we wait until the student is in third or fourth grade, it can take four years of intensive reading intervention for the student to catch up. Meanwhile, the student is getting older and is not able to fully access their academics.
So why don’t we identify students who need reading intervention sooner, and provide the necessary support? Here are some of the reasons:
- There is a wide variety of reading abilities in classrooms of students from kindergarten through second grade. Testing is typically normed on ‘average’ and there is a wide range of average, unfortunately. We have seen students who are struggling in first and even second grade, and parents are told “Your student is not far enough behind to require reading support.”
- Reading interventions are expensive for schools. When done correctly, reading interventions require trained educators providing frequent reading remediation.
If you have any concerns about your student’s reading levels, please request an academic assessment to determine their reading level. Do not take no for an answer.
For help at your child’s next IEP meeting, more information about our special education advocacy services, or for a FREE 20-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit for you, call or email today!
As parents, we understand. As advocates, we can help.