Do We Need An IEP If My Child is Having Trouble With Reading or Math?

Many times it is the parent who first notices their child is having trouble reading on their own or with math because the parent works with the child on homework on a one-to-one basis. When the parent finally gets the nerve up to ask the teacher about it, the teacher will often say it's nothing to worry about or the child will catch up. We prefer the parent trust their instincts and investigate the issue a little more.

To confirm whether or not a child is behind in reading, and just how far behind, the parent should find out the child’s reading level and the assessment/program name used by the teacher to determine that reading level. We would recommend meeting with the teacher to find out such information. As part of this interaction with the teacher, the parent might want to get into the weeds and ask for the complete assessment results, including the child's independent reading level and the child's instructional reading level as well as for the results of any fluency, accuracy, phonological processing, or comprehension pieces. Take notes during the meeting and be sure to request a copy of the most recent reading level assessment the teacher discussed with you or, if she does not have something she is willing to provide you, make sure you confirm any discussion of those results by email. I might suggest sending an email to the teacher thanking her for the meeting and just confirming the reading level and related scores conveyed to you during the meeting. 

Next, the parent should do some research to determine the grade level equivalent for the identified reading level using that program’s guidelines and see where your child stands. Often, the program’s website will have it available. If the assessment has a fluency component, you can also research where your child stands compared to other students using the Reading Rockets Fluency Norms Chart (https://www.readingrockets.org/article/fluency-norms-chart-2017-update). This Chart tells you how many correct words per minute your child should be reading at certain times of the school year and you should see where your child’s fluency falls.

Just gathering and understanding this little amount of information will allow you as a parent to understand whether your child is having trouble reading at grade level and the extent of the problem. The reading level, and the information that puts the reading level in the context of a grade level, gives the parent the confidence to know whether it is time for the child to be evaluated for an IEP. The parent can do the same for math by asking the teacher whether she has any math assessment results, including the name of the program used to perform such an assessment, and then investigating the meaning of those results. If the child is not at grade level, the parent may feel confident it is time to ask for the child to be evaluated for an IEP to figure out why the child is not at grade level.  Be sure to check out our other articles on how to request an IEP assessment.

At this point, some districts might try to thwart your IEP assessment efforts by asking you to give them and chance and wait to see if there is any Response To Interventions (“RTI”). In such instances, we suggest the parents put in writing that they would like to proceed with the IEP evaluation at the same time that they pursue such interventions. Teachers will often suggest that you give the student more time first, but they fail to consider that the current reading or math program is why the student is falling behind and that, as the student continues to fall behind, issues such as increased insecurities, school-related anxiety and depression may start to appear. No one will advocate for your child like you will. Not even the teacher. So you need to get informed so you can start advocating on the child’s behalf.