Does he make the connection between a letters symbol and its sound?
Words are made up of speech sounds — experts call them phonemes. At four, a child should recognize and isolate sounds: to know, for instance that “b” makes the “buh” sound, to answer correctly when you ask, “What is the first sound you hear when I say the word ‘top’?” He should also begin to rhyme and perhaps clap out the syllables of a word. By 6, he should be able to read simple words. • Does she confuse words that sound similar? A child should notice the difference between, say, “map” and “hat,” “phone” and “foam,” “motion” and “ocean.” Signs of a potential problem are if she regularly confuses basic words or consistently makes errors in reading and spelling by reversing letters (“b” for “d”). • Can he comprehend stories read out loud? If he listens with a blank look when asked what he just heard, he may not be processing information normally. • Does she avoid reading activities? The child who is disinterested in reading, who complains that reading is hard, or who runs and hides whe
