Speech pathology support for literacy difficulties
What are literacy difficulties?
Literacy is our ability to read and write, and involves important skills for school, work and home. Difficulties with literacy refer to the challenges that people may experience when learning to read. These can often include trouble with decoding words, recognising letters and sounds, spelling and understanding text.
Children with literacy difficulties often struggle to match sounds to letters, leading to slow reading and writing or even remembering sight words, applying spelling and reading rules consistently or organising their thoughts on paper. While every child develops at their own pace, persistent literacy challenges can impact academic performance and self confidence.
How are literacy difficulties diagnosed?
Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) are neurodevelopmental and lifelong conditions that affect how a person learns and processes information. They present as difficulties in specific academic areas such as reading, writing or mathematics despite the individual having average or above-average intelligence and receiving appropriate educational opportunities.
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SLDs are diagnosed through comprehensive assessment conducted by an educational psychologist. This assessment includes the use of a series of specialised tests to identify strengths and weaknesses in an individual's learning, their educational history, the extent of their difficulties and what impact targeted remediation and support has had on their current academic achievement levels.
Not all literacy difficulties stem from specific learning disorders. Factors like limited early literacy experiences, insufficient instruction, language differences or emotional and attention challenges can also impede reading and writing development. When these difficulties are addressed through enriched learning environments, quality teaching strategies and emotional support, many children’s literacy skills improve without a formal learning disorder diagnosis.
Types of Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs)
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Dyslexia: An SLD characterised by difficulties with accurate and fluent word reading and by poor spelling and decoding abilities that do not progress as expected, despite the provision of targeted intervention. When children are unable to read and spell with high levels of accuracy, they are more likely to experience problems with reading comprehension which can restrict their development of vocabulary and background knowledge.
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Dysgraphia: An SLD which includes only difficulties producing written language. It refers to both the effect of motor coordination on writing as well as persistent difficulty expressing thoughts in writing due to weaknesses in literacy and/or language conventions (such as spelling, grammar and punctuation).
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Dyscalculia*: An SLD that affects mathematics and is associated with significant difficulties with understanding numbers and working with mathematical concepts. It includes weakness in understanding the meaning of numbers and difficulty applying mathematical principles to solve problems.
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*It is important to note that whilst speech pathologists do work with children who have received a diagnosis of dyslexia and dysgraphia, dyscalculia falls outside our professional scope of practice.
Treatment
Speech pathologists use evidence-based interventions to target literacy difficulties, often focussing on the building blocks of reading and writing, such as phonological awareness, phonics, morphological awareness and oral language comprehension.
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In our sessions clinicians use explicit, systematic instruction through programmes such as Sounds-Write to help children map sounds to letters, recognise sight words and develop their vocabulary and narrative skills. These strategies are applied consistently whether or not a child has received a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder. Collaboration with teachers and families reinforce skills across settings.
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Evidence has shown that systematic synthetic phonics programs are effective treatment for those experiencing literacy difficulties with children experiencing great success, even following an SLD diagnosis.
What can you do?
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When a child experiences literacy difficulties, parents can take proactive steps to support their development. Establishing a daily reading routine such as sharing stories and discussing the text builds comprehension and vocabulary. Engaging in playful phonological activities, such as rhyming games, sound sorting and syllable clapping, strengthens understanding of letter–sound relationships. Providing a print‑rich environment with accessible books and writing materials fosters exploration and motivation. Collaborating with teachers, speech pathologists and literacy specialists helps identify specific needs and tailor strategies. Celebrating small achievements boosts confidence, while patience and consistent encouragement create a positive learning atmosphere, empowering children to improve their literacy skills.
If you are unsure, have questions or think your child may benefit from a literacy assessment and/or support, contact us at Inner North Speech Pathology.
Helpful resources​​
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