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Brooklyn Letters IconBrooklyn Letters

1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn

4.9 56 reviews

  • Avatar Emily Matles ★★★★★ a week ago
    We would highly recommend Ally! Our son always asks about her, so very thankful to Brooklyn Letters for introducing us.
    ~ Emily, mom of Brooklyn 2 year old
  • Avatar T Ainsley ★★★★★ 5 months ago
    I cannot express how grateful and rewarding my experience with Brooklyn Letters has been. Her tutor Ms. Daria is so knowledgeable, amazing, kind and awesome. My daughter has made so much progress in Literacy and Math and it's all … More thanks to Ms. Daria. I know my daughter is sad that she can no longer work with Ms. Daria, as she looked forward to their sessions every week. Thank you again!
  • Avatar Natalie Levon ★★★★★ 4 months ago
    Nicole has been an amazing therapist!! She played a tremendous role in our daughter’s speech progress and overall development. She has come such a long way and we are so happy with the therapy she received!
  • Avatar Colin Peters ★★★★★ 6 months ago
    We could not be happier with the services Valerie provided! She is very thoughtful and knowledgeable and provided significant guidance to support our daughter's speech development outside of our scheduled sessions. She established … More a great working relationship with her, and she will definitely be missed! Your business model is amazing and it was an absolute pleasure working with Valerie. I've referred your organization and Valerie to the Executive Director of our daughter's school and friends/colleagues who are in need of speech therapy services.
  • Avatar Lil Amatore ★★★★★ 7 months ago
    Christina was absolutely wonderful. She went out of her way to win my son over and it worked. He looked forward to her visits and his speech improved so much under her care. She was super flexible and it’s clear she truly cares. We adore … More Christina and we’re going to miss her. Almost sad he improved so much! She’s simply amazing and we can’t say enough how great she is. I would recommend her services to anyone and everyone, without hesitation. Thank you so much for connecting us with her!
  • Avatar Heather Liljengren ★★★★★ a year ago
    We cannot say enough good things about Effie, the ASL teacher, who was so engaged and effective with our 2 year old daughter from the very first session! Effie gladly included our whole family in the sessions! Her expertise and fantastic … More personality gave our daughter a way to communicate that she was so desperately seeking. The coordinators at Brooklyn Letters were so helpful and communicative…I would highly recommend their services!
  • Avatar Brigid Bower ★★★★★ 11 months ago
    Samantha Dalmas was fantastic! We saw her for a feeding therapy evaluation and while she doesn’t think my daughter needs more feeding therapy sessions at this time, but she gave me lots of tips to try. If my daughter's doctors want … More to see more progress at her next appointment, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Samantha again.
  • Avatar Duygu Başaran ★★★★★ 11 months ago
    Brooklyn Letters was recommended to me through a friend's speech therapist friend in NJ. The articulation evaluation for my daughter went well. We were pleased with Kristin's services.
  • Avatar Kelley Peters-Patel ★★★★★ a year ago
    Melissa was wonderful. Our daughter warmed to her immediately and by the time she left, had already started "practicing" some of the techniques Melissa had shown her. I will not hesitate at all to reach out to Melissa again, should … More the need arise.
  • Avatar R Elmore ★★★★★ a year ago
    Aileen was INCREDIBLY helpful to us, both in assessing possible origins of my grandson's food aversions, as well as informing us of various available interventions to consider.
    I can’t thank you and Brooklyn Letters enough for connecting
    … More us with Aileen. In all our feeding therapy journey we have not gotten anything near the kind of benefit that we did from her. Her knowledge, professionalism, and responsiveness have put us on the path of progress with my grandson and has also made us feel genuinely well cared for.
  • Avatar Christine Weiher ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    We were amazed with Allison! She met my son at 2 1/2 years old, not speaking much at all, and over a computer, and she was able to develop a bond and friendship, so much so that he would look forward to his weekly computer time with Allison. … More I was not sure how the speech therapy would go- but we are so happy that we tried it out and continued. It allowed my son to gain confidence in his speech, make a new friend :), and also give him the skills and a bit of understanding of how to shape his mouth or where to place his tongue to make the proper sounds. We were extremely happy with Allison- she was fantastic to work with.
  • Avatar Andrea Saffady ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    My sessions with Karen have been extremely helpful. My speech has improved tremendously. In fact, I just finished 2 hours of conducting interviews with a consulting client via MS Teams and I have an upcoming conference call. Both my … More neurologist and neurosurgeon remarked about how good my speech is. Much of the day it is perfect, although I still have some rough spots when I get tired or speak too quickly. One of my granddaughters is a speech pathology student at Ithaca College. She sat in on 2 sessions while she was home for winter break, and she was very impressed with Karen.
  • Avatar Jacob B ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    We were delighted with Christie. First, and most importantly, our son made great strides under her guidance. So great, that we felt he no longer needed help! She was incredibly patient and kind with him and our son really responded to … More her. Christie was also great with me and my wife. She provided thorough and informative updates on our son's progress and which exercises she was using with him, so we could reinforce what she was teaching him. All in all, we had a fabulous experience with Christie and would highly recommend her.
  • Avatar Jessica C ★★★★★ a year ago
    Theo was wonderful and his work with my son has produced some progress. I am grateful for the services Theo provided.
  • Avatar Melissa Stevens ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    Highly recommend Jill. She is a total pleasure to work with. After a few months working with Jill, my son is reading above grade level and LOVES to read. Mission accomplished!
  • Avatar Demet Evren ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    Paige was great and we had been really happy with her. I would highly recommend her! I recommend Brooklyn Letters to whomever asks for a speech therapist.
  • Avatar Jeizel Rosenthal ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    Isabel was WONDERFUL and our son absolutely adored her, and he is making great progress with his reading and writing.
  • Avatar Lesley Duval ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    Theo was fantastic with our 4yo son. We were very worried that his progress would fall off when we had to switch to remote sessions, but Theo kept our son happy and engaged through the screen. Highly highly recommend!
  • Avatar Samantha Packard ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    We've been working with Theo from Brooklyn Letters for close to 4 months now and the results are apparent; our daughter has vastly improved her speech in a relatively short amount of time. We make "Theo Day" a celebration … More in our house with pancakes for breakfast, and the enthusiasm is matched in the sessions. Theo is fun, patient, professional, and caring, and he gives us the tools to take the lessons beyond the session. Thank you Theo, and Brooklyn Letters, for helping our daughter express herself.
  • Avatar Travis Ricca ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    I worked with Alina to enhance my pronunciation, tone, and pacing while communicating socially and in a work environment. She was great to work with and clear about goals and learning objectives. The improvement from day 1 has been tremendous! … More
  • Avatar Enrico Bermudez ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    Cathy has been excellent with us and our son. We will sorely miss her. He has improved significantly with Cathy’s help. Cathy was a true partner with us, especially as we pursued additional help through our son’s school system.
  • Avatar Kayne Elisabeth Wilk ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    We really loved working with Alina, she is so fantastic. Patient yet firm, and determined the best course of action very clearly and succintly for us. And it all transitioned so well to Zoom as well. I will definitely be back in touch for … More services for our other child after summer break!
  • Avatar Jen S ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Vera was amazing! My 11 yo daughter made progress so quickly and really looked forward to her sessions. She was kept motivated and engaged.
  • Avatar susie tofte ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    The work that Allison P. did with our daughter over the years has been invaluable to us. Our daughter had such a good relationship with Allison, and it allowed them to work really well together - even remotely these past 6 months. This … More year, Allison went above and beyond by helping us throughout the neuropsych eval we did, trying to re-open our daughter's IEP at her school, and eventually landing her at our chosen school. She was in contact with our daughter's teachers, with the neuropsychologist, and made herself available as a reference to speak on behalf of our daughter's learning differences.
    Allison stopped by our house last week to give our daughter cupcakes and say goodbye, and I literally cried with appreciation for what an amazing speech therapist she has been. She has been our daughter's biggest champion. The new families that she will work with this year are lucky to have her.
  • Avatar Alicia Perez-Katz ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Sydney was great! Our son was sad to end his sessions with her, which says a lot. We appreciated her honest assessment of his skill level, and he now has materials to self monitor and practice. Thank you!
  • Avatar Kristin Ames ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Our experience with Theo was terrific. Theo was great with my son. He developed a positive relationship with him based on sincerity, respect, trust and a deep personal connection. In their lessons, Theo was encouraging, creative and kind. … More He helped our son understand how to differentiate the sounds he made when he spoke, and gave him great exercises to practice every week between lessons. Our son was sorry to have the lessons come to an end, but recognized that Theo had helped him as much as possible and it was time for him to stop. Theo explained to him (and us) how to keep working to get the last 5%, and encouraged him to keep working on the exercises on his own. I have recommended Theo to another parent who noticed my son's improvement and inquired for her own son.
    We are all grateful to have gotten to know Theo, and we greatly appreciate all the work he did to help our son.
  • Avatar Aisha Holder ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    "I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Michelle Macroy-Higgins. We are extremely pleased with her work with our daughter. I was so grateful for my daughter to have a speech therapist who is a researcher (specialty in late … More talkers), graduate professor and practitioner. Her expertise was clearly evident in our conversations and work with our daughter. She was very responsive to my questions and often sent articles and other materials about language development that I found helpful. Thankfully, my daughter's speech improved tremendously. Michelle developed such a warm relationship with my daughter. My daughter was always excited to see Michelle and would greet her at the door with a big hug. Lastly, I would add that Michelle always demonstrated empathy with me as a mother who was initially worried about her daughter's language development. I could go on and on about how pleased we were with Michelle's work."
  • Avatar Andrea Peartree ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Theo is a wonderful Clinton Hill speech therapist. We were really pleased with him. Our son showed drastic improvement, not only in his speech but in his confidence.
  • Avatar mario costa ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Alexa has been an enthusiastic, reliable, well prepared and caring teacher for our 6 year old daughter. She has been able to improve and increase our daughter's confidence lesson by lesson with patience and competence; through varied … More and productive didactic practice. Alexa has engaged our daughter in several activities that always kept her motivated and eager to learn literacy. My wife and I, both of us are educators, feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe Alexa's pedagogical skills. Alexa has had a big impact on our daughter literacy growth. Thank you Brooklyn Letters!
  • Avatar Lily Alt ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    We were absolutely DELIGHTED with Marsha's services. She was wonderful. We found her to be kind, fun, engaging, very knowledgeable. She provided us with clear instructions and additional written handouts each week. She engaged our … More son with different techniques and toys, and showed us how to use her techniques when we were interacting with him. I actually just texted her on Saturday - Our son finally said "more" - one of the target words we had been working on with her. It was a total joy to hear, and I had to share it with her - she wrote back immediately to congratulate us. I am so appreciative of her expertise, and wish we could have seen her for longer. I recommended her to another family in our neighborhood who is looking for a speech therapist.

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10 Warning Signs Your Child's Literacy Struggles May Indicate a Need for Speech Therapy

Signs Your Child's Literacy Struggles May Indicate a Need for Speech Therapy

10 signs your child needs speech therapy for literacy

As a parent, watching your child flourish in school is a joy like no other. However, when literacy struggles begin to emerge, it can lead to confusion and concern. Recognizing the warning signs early is essential, as these challenges may indicate underlying issues that need professional attention, such as a potential need for pediatric speech therapy. Your child’s ability to read and communicate effectively lays the groundwork for their academic performance, and being proactive can make all the difference.

In this expert-reviewed article, we’ll explore ten critical signs you should be aware of. From unusual speech patterns to difficulties with sound recognition, these indicators can illuminate whether your child might benefit from Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) intervention. Understanding these signs can empower you to take the necessary steps toward ensuring your child’s literacy skills and communication thrive, setting them on a path to sustained success. Let’s dive in and uncover the vital clues that could guide you in supporting their learning journey.

The Essential Connection Between Literacy and Speech Therapy

Child development in literacy is a multifaceted process that begins long before they set foot in a classroom. Early literacy skills are built upon foundational language abilities, such as listening, speaking, and understanding. The journey of literacy development is unique for each child, but those who struggle with reading often have underlying language deficits that impede their ability to decode and comprehend text. These deficits can manifest as difficulties in phonological awareness, vocabulary, and syntax—all core language domains.

Speech therapy and literacy development are closely intertwined, as both involve the intricate processes of language comprehension and expression. Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are trained experts in both spoken and written language. They play a crucial role in diagnosing and treating underlying speech and language issues that directly contribute to reading and writing difficulties. By addressing these root causes through targeted literacy intervention, SLPs significantly enhance a child’s academic performance.

One of the primary ways speech therapy supports literacy development is by improving phonological awareness—the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds within words. Children who struggle with this skill often find it challenging to decode words, leading to difficulties in reading fluency and comprehension. Additionally, SLPs boost a child’s vocabulary development, which is crucial for understanding and interpreting text. A robust vocabulary, strengthened through speech therapy, not only supports comprehension but also fosters the overall expressive language needed for effective written communication.

10 Warning Signs Your Child May Need Speech Therapy for Reading

10 signs your child needs speech therapy for literacy

A Speech-Language Pathologist is an expert in the language skills foundational to literacy. Here are ten critical signs that your child’s reading or writing problems may require the specialized support of an SLP:

1. Difficulty Understanding Spoken Instructions

Children who consistently struggle to follow directions—especially multi-step instructions—may have trouble with auditory processing or listening comprehension. If a simple command like “Go upstairs, grab your book, and bring it to me” results in only one or two steps being completed, it may signal a language processing disorder. Without a solid foundation in understanding spoken language, reading comprehension becomes extremely challenging.

2. Limited Vocabulary Compared to Peers

A limited vocabulary is an often overlooked red flag. Children who lack exposure to a wide range of words may struggle with word retrieval, using vague or repetitive language (“thing,” “stuff”) instead of specific nouns or verbs. This deficit prevents them from grasping the meaning of complex reading passages. An SLP can help expand their semantic networks, leading to improved comprehension and clearer communication.

3. Trouble Retelling Stories or Sequencing Events

When children can’t accurately retell a story or explain something that happened to them in sequence, it may indicate weaknesses in narrative skills or working memory. These skills are essential for summarizing information and structuring written paragraphs. An SLP can help develop narrative structure through techniques that improve both oral and written language skills.

4. Ongoing Difficulty Learning Letter Sounds

Phonological awareness—the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in words—is the strongest predictor of reading success. Children who struggle to associate letters with sounds (e.g., knowing that “b” says /b/) will find decoding and spelling nearly impossible. This is a major red flag for dyslexia symptoms and requires targeted literacy intervention from an SLP to strengthen skills like rhyming, blending, and segmenting sounds.

5. Slow or Labored Reading

If reading is slow, choppy, or robotic, it means the child is spending significant mental energy decoding individual words, leaving little capacity for comprehension. This is a problem with reading fluency. An SLP can work with children to improve their decoding strategies and develop automaticity with word recognition, ultimately boosting both speed and understanding.

10 Signs Your Child Needs Speech Therapy

6. Frequent Spelling Errors Despite Practice

All children make spelling mistakes, but persistent errors despite practice may indicate a deeper issue with phonological processing or orthographic mapping—the mental process of connecting sounds to written letters. These children often spell words phonetically (“sed” for “said”). Speech therapists teach structured, evidence-based spelling strategies that build stronger connections between sounds and letters.

7. Mixing Up Similar Words (Auditory Discrimination)

If a child frequently confuses similar-sounding or visually similar words—like “cap” and “cat,” or “top” and “tap”—they may have difficulty with auditory discrimination. This issue affects both reading accuracy and spelling. An SLP can assess whether these errors stem from a phonological disorder and provide exercises that improve the brain’s ability to distinguish and manipulate sounds.

8. Avoidance of Reading or Writing Activities

Avoidance of literacy tasks is often misunderstood as laziness. In reality, consistent avoidance is typically a sign of frustration or embarrassment due to underlying skill deficits. When a child regularly refuses to read or write, speech therapy can rebuild confidence by targeting the specific language-based skills holding them back, leading to improved motivation and engagement.

9. Difficulty Expressing Ideas Clearly in Speech

Some children have great ideas but struggle to get them out. Their sentences may be incomplete, disorganized, or overly simplistic. This impacts classroom discussions and writing assignments and is a sign of an expressive language delay. SLPs help children structure their thoughts into coherent, grammatically correct sentences, improving performance in both spoken and written communication.

10. Family History of Speech, Language, or Reading Difficulties

Genetics play a significant role in language acquisition. If there’s a family history of dyslexia, speech delays, late talking, or learning disabilities, it’s more likely that your child’s struggles are neurologically based. An SLP can assess inherited patterns and create a personalized plan to address those needs early—before they lead to lasting academic setbacks.

What to Do If You See These Signs

If multiple signs on this list sound familiar, do not wait. Early identification and intervention are critical for positive outcomes. Take these proactive steps:

  1. Talk to your child’s teacher: Ask about their observations related to reading, writing, and classroom participation.
  2. Schedule a Language Evaluation: A speech-language pathologist can perform standardized tests to determine whether a child has a speech or language disorder impacting their literacy development.
  3. Explore Literacy Intervention: If a need is identified, an SLP will create a targeted plan focused on building foundational skills like phonological awareness and reading comprehension.

Final Thoughts

Literacy challenges are not always about poor instruction or lack of effort. Sometimes, they stem from unseen language processing disorders that require the expertise of a speech-language pathologist. By paying attention to these early warning signs and acting promptly, parents and educators can help children overcome these obstacles and unlock their full potential. A child who receives the right support at the right time doesn’t just improve their reading—they gain confidence, independence, and a lifelong love of learning.

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