The K–3 Reading Red Flags Toolkit helps parents, caregivers, and educators recognize reading and spelling patterns that may deserve a closer look, understand the foundational skills involved, and prepare informed questions and next steps.
Evidence-informed • Parent-friendly • Created by an experienced Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant
Instant digital access • 40+ printable pages • Individual-use license
Maybe your child:
guesses unfamiliar words instead of sounding them out
has difficulty remembering letter sounds
reads slowly, word by word, or with considerable effort
forgets words that were recently practiced
avoids reading or becomes frustrated
spells familiar words inconsistently
understands much more when someone reads aloud
You can see that reading is difficult. What may be harder to determine is why it is difficult, which skills may need a closer look, and what questions to ask next.
One difficult assignment or an occasional mistake does not automatically signal a reading problem. What matters is the pattern. Consider what the child has been taught, what remains difficult, how consistently the difficulty appears, and whether progress is being made.
Recognize reading and spelling behaviors that may deserve a closer look based on grade, time of year, and instruction.
Learn what phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension mean and how they work together.
Record examples, review work samples, and gather useful information from home and school.
Prepare for constructive conversations about instruction, intervention, progress, and possible next steps.
You will not leave with a diagnosis. You will leave with better information, clearer questions, and a more organized way to consider what comes next.
After more than 25 years working with students, families, and school teams as a special education teacher, Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant, and educational diagnostician, I have seen how difficult it can be to know when a child’s reading struggles deserve a closer look.
Parents often notice important patterns before they have the words to explain them. Educators may also see a child struggling but need a practical way to organize what they are observing and determine which skill areas may need more attention.
I created the K–3 Reading Red Flags Toolkit to make that process easier. It combines research-informed guidance with practical tools so parents and educators can better understand foundational reading skills, organize concerns, and work together with greater clarity and less guesswork.
Early attention does not mean panicking or assuming a diagnosis. It means noticing, documenting, asking questions, and responding thoughtfully.
You receive a 40+ page digital guide with practical information and tools you can use at home, in the classroom, or when preparing for a school conversation.
K–3 guidance for recognizing patterns that may deserve closer attention.
Clear explanations of phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Reading and spelling checklists, the Concern Snapshot, and Work-Sample Detective tools.
Questions for teachers and interventionists, intervention guidance, progress-monitoring questions, and meeting scripts.
Planning pages, additional professional considerations, and a parent-friendly glossary.
You do not need to complete every page. Start with the sections that fit the child’s situation and return to other tools as questions develop.
This Toolkit is designed for parents, caregivers, teachers, interventionists, and other educators who have questions about a K–3 child’s reading or spelling development.
It may be especially helpful if you are wondering:
Which reading skill may need a closer look?
Whether the child needs more targeted instruction or additional support
Whether intervention is targeting the right skill
What information to gather and what questions to ask
How progress is being measured
Parents can use the Toolkit to better understand what they are seeing and prepare for school conversations.
Educators can use it to organize observations, consider which foundational skill areas may need closer attention, and prepare for productive conversations with families and school teams.
You don't need another night of searching the internet and wondering which information applies to your child.
For $17, you can have one organized, research-informed resource that helps you:
understand what you are noticing
identify skills that may deserve a closer look
gather useful information
prepare constructive questions
better understand instruction and intervention
consider an informed next step
This is not about assuming the worst. It is about paying attention early, replacing guesswork with better questions, and helping the adults supporting a child work from clearer information.
Does this toolkit diagnose dyslexia or another condition?
No. The Toolkit is educational and non-diagnostic. It cannot determine whether a child has dyslexia, a learning disability, or another condition.
Is this a formal reading screener?
No. It is not a formal screening instrument or evaluation.
What if my child already receives reading intervention?
The Toolkit can help you understand which skill is being targeted, what support is being provided, how progress is being measured, and what questions may be useful to ask next.
Can teachers use the toolkit?
Yes. Individual educators can use it as a professional reference, a way to organize reading concerns, and a framework for conversations with families and school teams.
Do I need to complete all the pages?
No. Start with the pages most relevant to the child’s situation.
Is the information specific to one state?
No. The instructional information is designed for a national audience. School procedures and evaluation requirements vary by state and district.
How will I receive it?
The Toolkit is delivered as a digital PDF after purchase. You can download it and print the pages you want to use.
You may not have every answer today. But you can begin with better observations, clearer language, and better questions about what may come next.
Instant digital access
Educational information only: The K–3 Reading Red Flags Toolkit provides educational information and organizational tools. It is not a diagnosis, formal screening instrument, evaluation, or substitute for individualized professional guidance. It cannot determine whether a child has dyslexia, a learning disability, or another condition. Expectations depend partly on grade, time of year, instruction received, and individual development. School procedures and evaluation requirements vary by state and district.
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