A free 3-minute check that shows where the trouble with long words starts
Some children freeze at easy splits (sunset, jumping), some only at splits in the middle (napkin, basket), and some are not steady on short words with blends and pairs yet. Each starts on a different day. Go through it together; about three minutes.
Already sure this is the problem? Skip the check and see the 10-day plan: Rabbit and Sunset
How to do it: do not teach and do not correct. Just listen, and tap what your child could do. Nothing you tap is sent anywhere.
Show your child this screen. They read each word. Tap each word your child reads correctly, however slowly.
Your child reads each word. Tap each word read correctly. A guess from the first letters is not correct.
Your child reads each word. Tap each word read correctly.
When your child meets a long word like rabbit, what happens most often?
A long word has more letters than the eyes can sound out at once. So a child grabs the first letters and guesses, or stops. What helps is a way to cut the word into beats. Each beat, a syllable, has one vowel sound and reads like a short word. It is common, and two-syllable words are usually taught in first and second grade.
This check is not a diagnosis. Freezing at long words does not on its own mean dyslexia. If your child is eight or older, or finds reading hard in many ways, tell the teacher what you saw.
More help: Make a free syllables worksheet · Make free syllable division cards · Why does my child guess words? A free check
