My child has a learning disability and I’m concerned that the reading program her school uses is ineffective. Can you recommend a reading program?

Although we don’t review specific reading programs, the following articles outline the elements that all effective reading instruction contains. From these articles, you can see how your child’s reading program compares:

• 9 Components of Effective, Research-Supported Reading Instruction
• 12 Components of Research-Based Reading Programs
• A Scientific Approach to Reading Instruction
• Multisensory Structured Language Programs: Content & Principles of Instruction

This next article also lists characteristics of effective reading programs for students with learning disabilities and includes information and worksheets to help determine the quality of a specific reading program:

• What the Science Says: Effective Reading Interventions for Kids with Learning Disabilities (opens in a new window)

Have a meeting with your child’s teachers so that you can share your concerns. Any reading remediation that she receives should be individualized to her specific needs, because no pre-packaged programs are able to address every child’s areas of weakness, strengths, and the instructional methods with which they learn best. You and your child’s teachers should work together to ensure that her specific needs are being met. This may require an IEP meeting to develop a new IEP with more skill-specific educational goals and objectives. If you are concerned that the school is not interpreting your child’s IEP correctly, here (opens in a new window) are some steps to take.

You may also be interested to know about Learning Ally (opens in a new window) and WordTalk (opens in a new window), two programs designed for students with LD, ADHD, or visual impairments. Providing accommodations in the form of read aloud or dictation software can lessen some of the burden experienced by struggling readers.