Your child comes home from school talking about a reading test. “I had to read fake words,” she says, clearly confused. “Words like ‘zop’ and ‘flib’ and ‘dake.’ They weren’t even real!” You’re confused too. Why would teachers test your child on words that don’t exist? It seems pointless, maybe even cruel. But here’s the […]
Your second grader just read an entire chapter book by herself. She’s so proud, and honestly, you are too. All those evenings practicing letter sounds, sounding out words, and celebrating small victories have paid off. She can read now. Really read. So you put away the picture books. Bedtime stories become bedtime reading time, where […]
You’ve just finished a meeting at school. The words “IEP” and “504” were tossed around multiple times. Everyone seemed to assume you understood the difference. You nodded along, but inside you’re thinking: What exactly is the difference? Which one does my struggling reader actually need? You’re not alone in this confusion. These acronyms sound like […]
The teacher’s email arrives: “We’d like to discuss moving your child to Tier 2 interventions.” Your heart races. What does that mean? Is your child failing? Are they being held back? Should you worry? Take a deep breath. Response to Intervention isn’t a label or a punishment. It’s actually a framework designed to help your […]
Your child sounds out each word carefully. They decode beautifully. But when they reach the end of the sentence, they can’t tell you what it said. They go back and read it again. Then again. The frustration builds. This isn’t about intelligence or effort. Your child is working incredibly hard. What you’re seeing is working […]
Your child stares at the word “jumping” for what feels like forever. They sound out each letter correctly—/j/ /u/ /m/ /p/ /i/ /ng/—but by the time they blend it together, they’ve forgotten the beginning of the sentence. Reading homework that should take 15 minutes stretches into an hour. They’re trying hard, but everything just takes… […]
You walk into the library, excited to find books for your kindergartener who’s just starting to read. The children’s section offers hundreds of brightly colored early readers. They all look educational. They’re all labeled for beginning readers. So you grab a stack, head home, and settle in for reading time. But ten minutes later, your […]
Your child is bright and eager to learn, but reading seems to cause them physical discomfort. They complain of headaches during homework time, rub their eyes frequently while looking at books, or describe letters as “moving” or “blurry” on the page. Despite having perfect vision according to their eye doctor, reading remains a struggle that […]
Your child demonstrates remarkable creativity and advanced thinking skills, yet struggles with basic reading tasks. They can discuss complex topics with sophisticated vocabulary but stumble over simple words on a page. If this sounds familiar, you might be parenting a twice-exceptional reader—a child who is both intellectually gifted and has a learning difference. Understanding this […]
Your seven-year-old walks up to you with their tablet, asking ChatGPT to write them a story about a purple dinosaur who loves pizza. Five minutes later, they’re giggling at a perfectly crafted tale, complete with rhymes and silly adventures. It’s magical, entertaining, and… maybe a little concerning? Welcome to the world of AI-powered learning, where […]
