RED FLAGS: Signs That Your Child May Be Experiencing Difficulty Decoding

RED FLAGS: Signs That Your Child May Be Experiencing Difficulty Decoding 

Decoding, which entails segmenting and merging sounds together, is an essential skill for learning to read. Decoding ability is the cornerstone of good reading, even though there are many other elements at play. While reading, it's hard to focus on meaning without first understanding what the words imply. Fluency when reading difficulties might have a variety of underlying causes. Lack of familiarity with letter sounds and letter patterns will result in poor decoding, which can impede the ability to read words fluently, which frequently leads to comprehension issues. The ensuing list is meant to highlight some of the most important red flags that could indicate a decoding issue. Based on the intensity and frequency of the ensuing symptoms, the degree of difficulty may vary from student to student.

1. Guessing

 One of the biggest indicators of a decoding issue is guessing at unfamiliar terms. This is because guessing at unknown words shows that children are not even trying to sound out words, either because it is uncomfortable to do so or because they have not mastered the letter-sound-syllable relationships well enough to do so. This also includes students relying heavily on image prompts to read and guess the unfamiliar words based on the image. 

2. Difficulty Sounding Out Unfamiliar Words 

While reading, it is common to encounter new or unfamiliar words. Readers who struggle with decoding may have difficulty sounding out words. When instructed to sound out the word, they may even give sounds of letters that aren’t in the word. In some cases, when specifically instructed to do so, children who refuse to sound out words frequently do so because they are unable to comprehend them phonetically rather than because of a lack of motivation. Just telling them to "try harder" under these circumstances is probably going to frustrate them further. Children might not be able to combine letters into words without assistance, even though they can recognise the unique sounds that each letter makes. Most kids need additional guided practise in addition to explicit instruction on how to blend sounds. Children might not learn this ability on their own if these are not taught to them. 

3. Reading Slowly 

The rate at which a student would be considered a ‘slow reader’ varies based on age, the student’s reading experience, and their reading level. This is a red flag when a student is reading grade-level passages at an abnormally slow rate, often including long pauses between words. 

At The Caribbean Academy for Reading Intervention and Development, we offer an Individual Reading Assistance Program that assists struggling readers to build skills in: 

• Sight words and high-frequency words 

• Sounds recognition 

• Reading comprehension 

• Letter and word recognition 

• Phonics and phonemic awareness 

Our Reading Assistance Programme is designed to teach the foundational skills of reading to children with significant academic challenges, empowering them to achieve grade-level proficiency. Our dedicated tutors help struggling readers understand the basic mechanics of reading and help them develop critical reading skills that will help them develop a lifelong love of reading. 

Target Audience: Struggling readers between the ages of 5 years to 10 years. 

Persons interested in our Individual Reading Assistance Program can contact us at 1-868-474-9819. 

Chrystal Murray has a passion for imparting knowledge and adding value to the lives of others.

She has been an educator for over 14 years. She holds a B.A. Degree in History and Education

from the University of the West Indies (UWI). She also possesses several professional certificates in Understanding Dyslexia, Successful Educational Strategies for Children with Special Needs, and Supporting Multiple Abilities through Differentiation just to name a few. She is also certified in Counselling Youth and Children and Parenting the Adolescent. Chrystal is the Founder and Principal of two academic institutions, the Caribbean Ivy League Academy and the Caribbean Academy for Reading Intervention and Development. She founded the

Caribbean Academy for Reading Intervention and Development where she works assiduously

with children who have reading challenges. She also uses this platform to motivate, inspire and

help build confidence in the children who are in her care.

 

Chrystal Murray 

Reading Interventionist 

1-868-474-9819