Joanna Fortune: My child is struggling with reading in class

Should I get him assessed for dyslexia or wait for him to catch up?

My seven-year-old is struggling to keep up with reading in class, and it's affecting his confidence. I've told him that he will catch up in time, but he says it's because he's stupid. I spoke to his teacher and she is not concerned, saying he's strong in other subjects such as maths. Should I get him assessed for dyslexia or wait for him to catch up?

If your child's teacher is not concerned about his reading capacity at this stage, do not rush into an assessment he may not even need. Reading is nurtured and developed in school from ages five to eight years (and beyond, of course), which means your son is still very much in the 'learning to read' (and specifically learning to read with fluency) phase of his education.

All of that said, it sounds as though he has become aware that some of his peers are finding reading easier than he is and that he might be negatively comparing himself. The risk is that he pulls further away from reading because it triggers worry in him. I believe that promoting reading for joy is the best approach to encouraging children to read and to keep reading beyond the school setting.

The Children’s Books Ireland Children and Young People’s Reading in Ireland 2025 report posed the question 'Are children reading for joy?' and they found that the majority, 78%, of under four year olds read for pleasure (including being read to and narrating their own stories as the flick through picture books) and that 76% of 13-18 year olds read for pleasure. They found that between the ages of five and 12 years, most children read for joy, noting that 42% of this age group read illustrated fiction (graphic novels). 

All in all, these figures are encouraging, but we need to introduce books and reading at home as early as possible and ensure that we make reading at home as enjoyable as possible.

Given your son's age group, would he be interested in comics and/or graphic novels? Perhaps there is a TV show he likes or a book they might be reading in class that you could also get in graphic novel form. Dav Pilkey and Jamie Shortt are popular in this genre, but also be aware of talented Irish authors in this sphere, such as Chris Judge, Eoin Colfer and Aoife Dooley, amongst others.

You can also pick a book to read together and make time to discuss the chapter afterwards. Be playful in how you approach this and ask him how he would have written it differently if he were the author. Ask him to create a new character to insert into the story, and how would this character’s arrival change the story? Reading and being read to are different experiences, so do both. Many children find listening to audiobooks a great way to discover the fun and joy in stories. Try all of this, but also remember to ensure he sees you reading for pleasure at home. Tell him you are reading a great book that makes you laugh or think about things, and how much you enjoy that. 

For now, focus on nurturing reading for joy and stay in touch with his teacher going forward, as to how you can further strengthen his reading capacity.

• If you have a question for child psychotherapist Dr Joanna Fortune, please send it to [e-mail]