My 5 ½-year-old is currently going to a speech therapist. He wants badly to learn to read and tries hard. He’s not mentally challenged as such, but seems to have difficulty “remembering” when I first ask him about sounds or even letters. There are some days I can ask him some letters in the alphabet and he gets it right and if I were to ask him a little later, he’s forgotten. Should I be overly concerned or what can I do further?

Repetition is the key to helping him remember. I like to play lots of games with my kids throughout the school year. I vary the games so much that they think I’m playing a new game every day or so, but actually, I’m just thinking of new ways to teach the same thing over and over again. We need to hear and see things many, many times before they stick in our brains. It sounds like he’s doing a pretty good job, but might need a little extra help to reinforce the fundamentals. Being 5 ½ is not too alarming, but if the trend continues and his memory doesn’t seem to be improving, then perhaps further investigation is needed.

You mentioned that he is in speech therapy. It’s difficult to learn all new things all at once. Perhaps his little brain is focusing very hard on relearning speech patterns and that’s about all it can handle right now. Give him time, let him learn things one at a time and at his own pace. Keep a close eye on his development and if you see continued grounds for real concern, discuss it freely with his pediatrician, teacher, school psychologist, etc. There are many available to help you.