It can be difficult to correctly identify children's learning problems, especially in that gray area between reading and speech skills. Sometimes kids can read and understand words but not say them out loud, a point on which a recent university study focuses.

The research from the University of Maryland and National-Louis University recommends limiting the use of oral reading tests to figure out the right reading level for students. The researchers said that as many as ten percent of all students have speech language problems that make it difficult for the students to prove their language skills verbally.

"They really struggle when they have to read a simple word like 'nest' out loud. Some grimace, others look stuck. Some just blurt out an answer that's almost always wrong. Yet when asked to point to the same word on a page, they almost always get it right. Clearly they've got a problem and need help, but it's not that they lack reading skills," said Diane German, the principal researcher.

The study, which measured the reading skills of first-, second-, and third-graders, was not clear on how many kids with word-finding problems may end up placed in reading levels too low for their talents, but the researchers did recommend being very careful with how much emphasis is placed on the results of oral reading exams.

The take-away is that some kids may be able to read just fine but are still ending up in remedial reading classes. Multiple types of testing for reading can give educators a clearer picture. It is important that we really understand the learning problems children are experiencing before we try to solve the problems with a one-size-fits-all solution. Assessments and solutions should be individualized, which is why Reading A–Z has developed several reading assessment methods to determine student reading levels and reading progress.