GUESSING IS NOT READING

Many struggling readers appear to be reading, but if you look closely, they are often guessing. They may glance at the first letter, look at the picture, look at the shape of the word and say a word that makes sense in the sentence, but isn’t actually what’s on the page.

These guessing techniques are very common for people with dyslexia. Experts at the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity emphasize an important truth: guessing is not reading.

Signs a student is guessing instead of reading:

  • Substitutes words (says “pony” for “horse”)

  • Skips or adds small words

  • Relies heavily on pictures for clues

  • Struggles with unfamiliar words

  • Reads the same word differently each time

Strong readers don’t rely on context clues or pictures to figure out words. They decode accurately and automatically.

Decoding must be taught directly. Students with dyslexia need explicit, systematic phonics instruction to learn how to break words apart and read them correctly. This type of instruction also teaches spelling and shows how reading and spelling are connected in a logical way.

During the early stages of learning to read, it’s critical that students practice only with controlled text—stories that contain only the types of words they have been taught to decode.

When students are asked to read uncontrolled books such as textbooks, Accelerated Reader books, library books, or even nightly reading sent home from school, they are often forced to guess at words they haven’t learned how to decode yet.

Over time, this guessing habit can become deeply ingrained. In fact, it’s one of the reasons many bright students with dyslexia “hit the wall” in reading development by third grade.

If a child continues reading uncontrolled text while learning decoding skills, progress can slow significantly because each lesson begins with reteaching the child to stop guessing.

If you notice a child guessing at words, trust your instincts. With the right type of instruction and the right kind of reading practice, students can break the guessing habit and become accurate, confident readers.