5 Ways to Tell that Your Child Needs Reading Support

By Binyamin Agular | July 1, 2025 | charmcityeducation.com

At A Glance

• It’s normal to deal with confusion about whether your child is doing okay, or if they need professional intervention.

• There are real ways to tell if your child may need reading support at any age.

“Well, Mrs. Johnson, there are many signs Timmy needs extra support. Maturity isn’t always the answer—and sometimes ‘just growing up’ isn’t the solution.”

But Mrs. Johnson wasn’t convinced. She wanted to give 10-year-old Timmy more time, hoping things would improve on their own.

Unfortunately, “unfortunate” is exactly how Timmy felt—frustrated, unintelligent, and stuck. He was that kid: hardworking, engaged, doing his best… with little to show for it. The one teachers cheer for, yet quietly worry about, because without real intervention, poor Timmy might always feel like Poor Timmy.

And honestly? I got where Mrs. Johnson was coming from.

Many of us have been there—a call from the teacher, a conference where “tutoring” or “concerns” come up, or a suggestion to “go for testing for a possible learning issue.”

For educators, that may seem proactive. But for parents, it can feel confusing—even overwhelming. Like someone’s diagnosing your child from the outside, without helping you understand what’s going on inside.

When I go to the doctor, I want clarity and to be part of the plan. Parents deserve the same when it comes to their child’s learning.

So the question becomes: Are there signs that parents can recognize—clear, observable indicators that their child might benefit from academic support?

Children typically develop certain literacy skills at predictable stages. Parents can keep an eye, and an ear, out for how their readers are progressing.

The answer is: Absolutely.

According to reading researcher Jeanne Chall and other experts in child development, children typically develop certain literacy skills at predictable stages. When a child struggles to master those skills—despite adequate exposure and support—it may be a sign that additional support is necessary.

After years of teaching, I’ve created my own personal “Top 5” checklist for parents like you. These signs are easy to observe, especially when your child is reading to you at bedtime—yes, even if your eyes are closing as they do it. 😴

The List

1. Rhyming Confusion (Ages 4–6)
If your child regularly asks questions like “Does wood rhyme with house?” they may be showing early signs of a language-based learning difference or a lack of phonological awareness (an inability to match a sound to its correct corresponding letter-symbol). This is especially true if the child struggles despite repeated exposure to rhyming in school or at home.

2. Letter-Sound Confusion (Past Age 7)
By age 7, children should be blending sounds smoothly and recognizing common letter patterns. Skipping letters, misreading words like dog as “dug” or “gog,” or searching for the support of pictures instead of decoding are all signs that decoding skills haven’t solidified. Struggles with blends (e.g., reading clog as cog) are similarly red flags.

3. Letter Reversals and Omissions (Past Age 9)
It’s common for younger children to reverse letters like b, d, p, and q. By age 9, however, flipping letters like b/d/p/q when writing is no longer age-appropriate and may be a symptom of a deeper phonological issue. If your child skips letters when writing or reading, or struggles to keep letter sounds in order, these may be signs of the same phonological issue—especially in the context of otherwise age-appropriate instruction.

4. Morphological Confusion (Past Age 11)
Older children should be able to decode and understand morphemes, or meaningful word parts, like prefixes and suffixes. If a child struggles to recognize the different smaller word parts (morphemes) within words like unbelievable or disarray (un-believe-able and dis-array), there may be gaps in his or her morphological awareness, a key part of advanced reading and writing.

5. Confused Speech or Writing (All Ages Above 3)
If your child’s sentences are consistently confusing to unfamiliar listeners—for example, “Come guys, can you?” or “The box says that’s not a whole source of some vitamins!”—this may go beyond normal developmental slips. While each age has its quirks, frequent speech or writing that lacks understandable, age-appropriate clarity is worth noting.

Of course, these five signs are just a starting point. Every child is unique, and more indicators may come into play. But for all the Mrs. Johnsons out there, this list is meant to empower you. 

So the next time your child reads to you, keep an ear out for these signs. 

Let’s get Timmy the help he needs. 🌟