Parent Teacher Conference Time

I can always tell when it is school conference time as my voicemails, emails and messages increase and the messages all begin with, “we just came out of Susie’s school conference and need to talk to you”.

Now that school has been in session anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks, report cards are going home and teachers are having school conferences with parents to discuss their child’s progress. This is really an important time of year to start assessing a child’s progress in school and to encourage a child to fulfill their maximum potential with the help of a learning expert.

For younger children just starting school, it’s important to discuss how the child is learning. Young children may show wide variations in learning, so you may see some 4-year-olds who are already reading while others are not interested at all and only want to be on the playground.

Although some schools “want” their pre-schoolers to be reading, not every child’s brain is “ready to read” at the age of 4 to 5. Many of my recent phone calls were from concerned parents who felt as if their child was “already behind”.

It’s hard not to “worry” when you have been told by your child’s teacher that he is not yet reading and “everyone else is”, but many studies continue to show that not all children will be ready to read in Pre-K or Kindergarten.

The most important milestone for kids that age is that they are read to every evening and are getting an opportunity to “tell their own stories” even if they are not interested in sounding out the words. It is really too young to begin testing a child for reading difficulties as their brain may just not be ready to decode words. They just need a little more time to see how they progress.

The same thing is true developmentally for focus and activity. Preschoolers and early kindergartners still want to spend a great deal of their day “playing”. It’s very hard to decide what is “hyperactive” in a 4 to 5-year-old who may not be quite ready to sit in a chair and work on pre-reading worksheets when all they want is to be outside swinging and climbing. Which, by the way, is also good for their developing brains.

A child this age may not be “ready” to follow 3 different instructions by a teacher who wants them to “put up their backpack, get out their book for reading, and then color the worksheet”. They may, on the other hand, be able to follow instructions to “put up their backpack, feed the fish and then go outside to play.”

The difference in following instructions may not be due to an auditory processing disorder but rather a child’s different interests at this age.

As a child gets older and reaches the 5 to 6-year-old age range, many of them will developmentally begin to sound out words or to follow more complex directions or to “sit still “ a little longer. We just need to give some of these preschoolers and new kindergartners a chance and watch and wait as they mature.

Some may indeed have issues with attention or reading problems or auditory processing problems but the important message is that it is just too soon to “label” them or to test them for learning disabilities. I would also discourage “labeling a child” who has not even started elementary school.

So, when you talk to your teachers this Fall, listen and discuss any concerns the teachers may have, but don’t be too quick to label your 4-year-old. They are still changing and growing, as are their young brains. We seem to be trying to get this age to “conform” and some may just need a little more time.  Have the teacher give you ideas of ways to work with your child at home.

Now if your child is 6 years old and you are still concerned about his or her reading, then you definitely don’t want to keep waiting. Regardless of what their teachers say. To learn more about why your child is struggling to read and what you can do to help, attend one of our Free Parent Seminars and get started on the path to helping your child.