How to advocate for children who show signs of reading difficulties

If you know your child or student is struggling in kindergarten/first grade with letter identification and phonemic awareness and possibly even more how can you advocate for them? It can be intimidating to go into meetings and say what you see and what you think a child needs. The dynamics of these meetings are complicated to say the least. As a parent, you may not feel like you’re the expert on education. As a teacher, your hands may be tied due to admin, school procedure, resources, or lack of training yourself. If you are a parent or teacher of color the power structure in the room shifts even more. If you’ve had negative experiences yourself in schools it can be extra challenging to trust schools and staff. So, what do we do with so much at play? There is no perfect formula, but here are a few tips…

1. Start with the end goal and work backwards. The end goal is to have a happy and healthy child who can read. This should be everyone at the tables goal. Starting with a reminder of this typically diffuses tense situations. We are all here in the best interest of the child, even when sometimes it may not feel that way. 
2. State the child’s strengths first, even if it’s not the first question you are asked. Every child has amazing qualities that should be celebrated. Starting with a positive makes everyone more at ease and often helps with problem solving later on. Playing off of a child’s strengths is a great way to help in areas they may struggle. 
3. State FACTS about the child’s progress. If you are a teacher you need to have data for this, not just observations! If you are a parent, discuss their whole education journey so everyone in the room is up to date. Point to research that says if kids are struggling with ______(letter id, phonemic awareness, have a speech disorder, etc.) they are more likely to have dyslexia. You see these characteristics and need to see immediate support in place because early intervention is key. 
4. Don’t let others in the room brush you off. If you are a teacher, this can be a delicate balance and some of the conversation may need to be had outside of the meeting with parents. If you have the data and screeners showing a child needs intervention keep pushing until they get it. It is a legal right for a child to be educated. If you are a parent and find the educators in the room talk over you, brush you off, or try to say they know better, always ask for further explanation until you are satisfied with their answer. I’ve seen so many parents feel they don’t have a seat at the table because of the educational jargon used or being told they are not the experts. You are the expert on your child and data shows struggling readers are not getting what they need in schools right now. Take a deep breath and keep pushing until you get answers. 
5. State what you want. Be clear about the outcome you think is best. Teachers, even if you know the school isn’t willing or won’t do something you say you should always still state what you know is best, get it on the record! Parents, if you don’t know what you want I would do research beforehand-google, talk to a learning specialist (you can book a free phone call with me), hire an advocate, talk to other parents, look into programs your school uses. If the school is not willing to do what you want, ask what would need to happen to get what you’re asking for.
6. Know your rights. This one’s for parents and teachers. Teachers, you should know parent’s rights! You should know them to make sure you are following laws, and you should know them to share with parents. It can be intimidating and hard for parents to know their rights. Share rights with parents. I was able to speed up a diagnosis for many kids when I told parents they can ALWAYS ask for an evaluation and it will happen much faster than if teachers are asking for one. Parents, take the time to know what power you have, the school will not always tell you.  If school won’t do something because of a policy, ask nicely to see the written policy right then and there so you can better understand.  If you are at a private school look into their handbook and see what it says!
7. Know the types of programs and interventions best for struggling readers. Orton Gillingham or Structured Literacy programs are the gold standard for struggling readers. They need multisensory, systematic, explicit instruction!! If the school is suggesting another type of support, be wary. 
8. Find a balance of collaboration and advocacy. You don’t want the environment and team working with a child to all be at odds. It can be an extremely emotional situation. Educators and parents being on the same team makes a huge difference. Teachers take the time to really get to know the student and their parents too. They will trust you so much more. I can’t stress how important this is for collaboration and learning! Parents, even when you need to keep advocating, remember educators are there because they love kids and want to help. Try to stay calm and collected, use facts, and lots of reminders that we all have the goal, a happy and healthy child that can read.
9. Ask questions! These meetings can be filled with tons of processes, language (so many acronyms), and services that are not fully explained. I remember my first IEP (individualized education plan) meeting as a general education teacher, I basically just sat there silently until I HAD to speak because I had no idea what was going on and I was too embarrassed to ask. I felt this way with a degree and license in education. Teachers-don’t be afraid to ask, or to clarify for families if  you know they might not understand. Parents, ask all the questions!! They are not dumb, I promise. They matter and will impact your child. “Why is that?” is an easy go to question when you need more information. 
10. Find someone to help you. There are a lot of resources out there! You can book a free call with me to see how I can help you. I have played several roles in meetings over the years: general education teacher, learning specialist employed by the school, and learning specialist employed by the family. I’m available in-person in the San Francisco Bay Area and from anywhere virtually. If I’m not your best fit or you’re looking for something different try looking for IEP advocates near you or check out Parents Helping Parents or Understood.org. Facebook groups for parents of struggling students can also be a great place to find resources and people to help!