The Overlooked Connection Between Speech Disorders and Reading Challenges

When a child struggles to read, the first assumption is that they need to practice more. While extra practice can help, sometimes the real issue starts much earlier, before the child even picks up a book to read themselves. Sometimes the problem is with their speech and language, and this connection is often overlooked. 

We see this often at Great Speech. Families come in worried about their child’s reading, only to find out that the root issue is tied to their speech and language abilities, and once these are identified, everything starts to make more sense. The answer may be a click away. Book an Appointment to get started. 

Sometimes, the Struggle with Reading Isn’t Actually About Reading

Reading is built on language, and before a child can read words, they need to first understand sounds, vocabulary, sentence structure, and meaning. We like to think of reading as building a house. If the foundation of the house is shaky, the walls won’t hold. A child may seem like they just don’t like reading, but this could really be a sign of something bigger, such as:

• Difficulty with hearing and distinguishing sounds in words
• Struggles with remembering information when it is said to them verbally
• Weak or limited vocabulary
• Trouble understanding how sentences are structured
• Problems with organizing their thoughts

This difficulty is not laziness or lack of practice; it’s language-based. 

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), developmental language disorders (DLD) affect about 1 in 14 kindergarten-aged children, and many of them go undiagnosed for years. This statistic matters because these children are at a much higher risk of having difficulties with their reading as well. 

The Connection Between Speech Disorders and Reading

A lot of people think that speech therapy is just about pronouncing words correctly and clearly; however, it's much broader than that. Speech therapists are trained to help people of all ages build vocabulary, correct speech sounds, improve sound awareness, memory and processing, narrative skills, and much more. All of these directly affect reading skills and academic success.

For example:

A child who is having trouble identifying sounds in spoken words may struggle with phonics.  

A child with a limited vocabulary may decode words correctly but not know what those words actually mean. 

These are some of the many reasons why speech and literacy are strongly connected. One article notes that children with DLD are six times more likely to have reading and spelling disabilities than their peers. That number is big, and it tells us that early language struggles often become later academic struggles. 

Signs That It May Be Language and Not Just Problems with Reading

Here are some signs that a child’s reading challenges may actually be rooted in speech or language:

They struggle to rhyme.

• Rhyming is one of the earliest phonological awareness skills, and weakness in this area can point to bigger sound-processing issues. 

They have trouble following directions.

• This can be a sign of receptive language issues and is especially true for directions that have multiple steps. 

Their vocabulary seems behind that of their peers.

• Vocabulary is needed for reading comprehension, and if a child doesn’t know enough words, it will be harder for them to understand what they are reading. 

They mix up sounds or leave sounds out.

• This can be a sign of difficulties with phonological processing. 

They avoid reading altogether.

• Sometimes children avoid doing something because they are uncomfortable, embarrassed, or frustrated to do so. 

They understand stories better when listening than when reading.

• This gap can reveal an issue with decoding or language processing. 

If many of these signs are true for your child, it may be worth looking into more than just support for their reading. 

What the Research Says

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development explains that reading disorders like dyslexia often involve problems with phonological processing (the ability to recognize and manipulate speech sounds). This is the same skill that speech therapists regularly help with. Studies also show that children who have both dyslexia and language disorders often have more significant reading difficulties than children who just have dyslexia. In other words, if the language piece gets overlooked, progress can also be slow or stop altogether. 

Early Support Matters

Waiting to see if they “grow out of it” can delay progress. The earlier that the speech and language challenges are identified, the better the outcome tends to be, and virtual speech therapy has made that easier than ever. 

At Great Speech, families can connect with licensed speech-language pathologists from home, without sitting on months-long waitlists. 

We work with a variety of major insurance providers throughout the US to provide our clients with affordable Speech Therapy solutions; on average, families with insurance pay only $18 per session thanks to partners like Cigna, HealthNet, Zenith America, UHC, Aetna, Centivo, Wellcare, Optum, Ambetter, TriWest, and so many more. These partnerships make getting speech help a lot more accessible than many parents expect. Check out our insurance page to see if you are covered.

When Reading Feels Harder Than It Should

If reading feels harder than it should, it might be time to look deeper. If your child is struggling with reading, spelling, or comprehension, especially alongside speech or language difficulties, getting evaluated can provide the answers that you need to get back on track. 

A free consultation can help you figure out whether speech therapy may be part of the answer. 

Schedule a free call with us today and talk through your concerns with one of our licensed speech therapists. 

The sooner you understand the “why”, the sooner your child can start to move forward.