A Parent's Guide to Language and Literacy Struggles

I used to be a classroom teacher before I became a speech-language pathologist, and I've got to tell you, I've seen my fair share of children and teens who could sound out letters perfectly but still had no clue what the sentence was saying. Back then, I didn't know what to call what I was seeing, now I do: language and literacy difficulties affect spoken and written communication across listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and those challenges often overlap in ways that make it hard for a child to understand and use language effectively.

If you're reading this because a teacher brought it up in a meeting, or because homework time has turned into a daily battle, or because something just feels "off" about how your child talks, reads, spells, understands, or writes - this guide is for you. It's written for parents and families of children ages 5-14, including kids with dyslexia, developmental language disorder, and children who use AAC. You'll learn how these difficulties show up, how speech-language pathologists assess them, and how support can address reading, writing, spelling, comprehension, executive functioning, and the whole language system, because early, targeted help can change a child's communication and school success.

What is Oral Language Anyway, and How Does It Relate to Literacy?

To put it simply: language is the foundation of reading and writing. Before a child can read a word on a page, they need the oral language system underneath it - the sounds, the meanings, the grammar, sentence structure, and the way words are used in everyday conversation - because understanding sentence structure helps children track complex ideas in books, and literacy development builds directly on that spoken-language base. That's why language and literacy struggles so often go hand in hand. A child who has trouble understanding what someone is saying, following a story, or thinking of the right words to use in conversation is more likely to struggle with reading and writing later on, because literacy builds directly on top of spoken language and supports their ability to make sense of written language and meaning, including later comprehension demands like understanding figurative language.

There are four modes of language, and struggles can pop up in any combination of them:

1. Listening (spoken receptive language) - trying to make sense of what someone's saying

2. Talking (spoken expressive language) - getting words and sentences out

3. Reading (written receptive language) - understanding written words

4. Writing (written expressive language) - Organizing thoughts into coherent sentences using proper grammar and mechanics

When one of these skills is a bit off, the others can get affected too. That's why it's so important to get a full picture, rather than just focusing on one "reading problem" label.

Signs Your Child May Have a Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

DLD is a condition where a child has trouble understanding and using spoken and/or written language. It's one of the most common conditions in kids, yet many parents have never even heard of it. It affects roughly two kids in every class, and that's a lot of families who are searching for answers. These language difficulties can also lead to frustration and reduced confidence at school.

Some signs of DLD include:

• Trouble following along with multi-step instructions

• A limited vocabulary or trouble thinking of the right words to say

• Simple sentences that are way behind what their peers are using

• Trouble retelling a story in order

• Struggling to understand questions like "why" or "how"

• Having trouble reading comprehension and language comprehension even when they can decode words okay

DLD isn't something a child/teen will just grow out of, and because it's a language problem first, it can get missed until it starts showing up as a literacy problem in the classroom.

Dyslexia: When Reading, Writing, and Reading Comprehension Get Tough

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects how a child decodes words, it’s not related to intelligence. While it can be challenging, with the right support and strategies, children can make meaningful progress and become confident readers over time. Dyslexia is fundamentally a language-based difficulty, often tied to underlying phonological processing issues. This means that addressing only the phonics aspect isn’t enough. Children with dyslexia struggle with the sound structure of language, making it hard to connect letters to sounds and decode words efficiently. Effective intervention involves multisensory learning approaches that engage multiple neural pathways, helping children link sounds, letters, and meaning together. This comprehensive support strengthens not only decoding skills but also vocabulary, spelling, and reading comprehension, providing a well-rounded foundation for literacy success.

Some common signs of dyslexia include:

• Trouble connecting letters to their corresponding sounds

• Slow, hard work reading, even after a lot of practice

• Trouble spelling, and spelling the same word different ways in different places

• Avoiding reading aloud or reading in general

• Having strong speaking skills that don't match their reading and writing struggles

Structured literacy approaches such as Orton-Gillingham, POSSUM approach, Structured Word Inquiry can help, especially when they explicitly teach children to blend sounds and connect print to speech through multisensory learning.

Because dyslexia is fundamentally a language difficulty, effective support needs to look at spelling patterns, word parts, vocabulary, and comprehension all together, not just phonics, and intervention can significantly improve reading outcomes and strengthen reading skills.

Executive Functioning & Literacy: A Hidden Connection

Executive functioning skills - like working memory, planning and organization, and being able to catch your own mistakes - are what young learners use to hold onto information, plan out a piece of writing, or keep track of what they're reading. Even a child with strong language skills can struggle to show what they know when executive functioning is a bit off.

This connection gets missed a lot because executive functioning challenges can look like a reading or writing problem on the surface. A child might understand a story perfectly when it's read to them, but then struggle to keep track of the plot when reading on their own because weak executive functioning can make it harder to attach meaning as they read and to use context effectively while juggling decoding and holding it all in mind at the same time. Or a child might have great ideas for a story, but still freeze when it comes time to sort them out on paper, and those writing difficulties can show up clearly in their written work. Supporting literacy in children with executive functioning challenges is not just about teaching them to read and write, but teaching them strategies for planning, sequencing and self-checking along the way. These skills, alongside language and literacy, are what'll make the difference for many children.

AAC and Literacy: Every Kid Should Have Access to Reading and Writing

For kids who use AAC - whether that's a speech-generating device, picture symbols or some other communication tool, literacy is every bit as important as it is for their peers. Assistive technology can help bridge gaps in literacy skills. Despite what some outdated assumptions , reading and writing are absolutely within reach for AAC users and not only that, they strengthen a child's communication abilities by giving them access to written symbols, more chances to read words, and more ways to express themselves, ask questions and connect with others. Literacy instruction for AAC users needs to be built on the same language foundations as anyone else, just adapted to how that child communicates and included in both reading practice and writing activities.

Why a Speech-Language Pathologist Is the Go-To Person to Help

Lots of reading tutoring programs focus on one bit of the puzzle - usually phonics - and use a single, rigid approach to teaching reading. That can be a useful place to start, and structured literacy approaches such as Orton-Gillingham can be effective in reading therapy when matched to a child's needs, but it's only a small part of the story.

A speech-language pathologist with training in literacy is in a unique position to look at the whole language system underneath reading and writing - phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and vocabulary knowledge, which research shows is linked to stronger reading outcomes - and that means we can work out what's going on, not just know that a child's struggling. This is why language and literacy difficulties are rarely an isolated issue, a child with dyslexia may also have a DLD, for example and a child with executive functioning challenges may need a bit of extra help with the phonological side of reading. When we look at the whole language system, rather than just the reading part, we can build a plan that will support success for the child in front of us, including those who require support across both language and literacy domains.

How Are Language and Literacy Difficulties Figured Out?

The only way to know for sure is with a good, thorough evaluation that looks at more than just how well a child understands and uses spoken and written language. A typical assessment for language and literacy difficulties will cover:

• A case history — birth history, developmental milestones, family history of reading or language difficulties, and current concerns from parents and teachers

• Standardized language testing — measuring listening, speaking, vocabulary, grammar and more skills against same-age peers

• Literacy-specific testing — phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, spelling, reading skills, and reading comprehension and more

• Classroom or work sample review — looking at written work, real writing samples, and teacher feedback for patterns of writing difficulties

• Executive functioning screening, when relevant — attention, working memory, and organization as they relate to reading and writing tasks

The goal isn't just to slap a label on a child - it's to get a clear picture of exactly which parts of the language system need work, so we can tailor the support that follows the child's actual needs and track progress over time. A clear evaluation also helps us understand the child's ability today and monitor the child's progress so support stays targeted as needs change.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is a language disorder the same thing as a speech disorder?

  No. A speech disorder affects how sounds are physically produced (articulation), while a language disorder affects understanding and using words, sentences, and stories. A child can have one, both, or neither.

• Can a child have both DLD and dyslexia?

  Yes, and it's common. Both conditions live in the language system, so a child can have overlapping difficulties with spoken language and with the phonological skills that reading depends on. This is one reason a full language-and-literacy evaluation matters more than a reading test alone.

• Will my child outgrow a language or literacy difficulty?

  Language and literacy difficulties don't typically resolve on their own. Many children compensate well enough that the difficulty becomes less visible, but the underlying difficulty is usually still there and tends to resurface as academic demands increase. Early, targeted support changes that trajectory.

• Does a low reading level always mean dyslexia?

  No. A struggling reader could have dyslexia, DLD, an executive functioning challenge, a vocabulary gap, or some combination of these. That's exactly why an evaluation that looks at the whole language system, not just decoding, matters.

• Can AAC users become strong readers and writers?

  Yes. Literacy is achievable for AAC users and should be taught using the same evidence-based language foundations used with any other child, adapted to the child's communication system.

Where to Start

If any of this sounds familiar, the good news is that language and literacy difficulties are identifiable, and the right support can make a real difference in how a child understands and uses language. A good next step is a full evaluation that looks at the whole language system: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, not just one piece of it, especially if parent or school concerns prompted you to seek help.

Not sure where your child’s difficulty is coming from? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with COIYA Literacy & Language Therapy, and we’ll help you figure out what’s really going on and what support could look like.