The Department for Children Families and Schools outlines its responses to the questions most parents asked of our Lost for Words researchers:

1) What age should children be learning to read at?

A: Most children should have made a good start at learning to read by the age of five.

2) What should they be able to read by what age? Is there a test so I can see how they're doing?

A: Reading is a very complex process and there is no test that you can administer at home that will give you an accurate indication of how your child is doing. You need to discuss your child's progress with their teacher who will be able to tell you the National Curriculum level your child is working at and whether they are doing as well as expected for their age.

3) How long should it take a child to learn to read using synthetic phonics?

A: Children should start on daily systematic phonics teaching in the reception year and the expectation is that they should be reading fluently and accurately by the end of year 2.

4) My child isn't learning to read at school, I've spoken to the teacher and she just said that he was a bit of a slow starter and would probably catch up but I'm worried… What do I do?

A: Children progress at different rates of learning so It's important to continue reading at home with your child every day as well as talking and listening to him. This will support what he is doing at school. Speak to the class teacher regularly about his progress and ask for advice on activities that could be done at home to help. If your concerns aren't resolved then it may help to speak to the headteacher or the school's special educational needs coordinator.

5) How are schools supposed to teach children to read? Is there one set system or is it up to the school to choose a method?

A: All schools are now teaching early reading using phonics programmes accredited by the government. The Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has produced Letters and Sounds, a phonics teaching programme available to all schools free of charge. However schools can choose any other commercial programme which meets the criteria for high quality phonics work. These can be viewed on the DCSF Standards website at www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/phonics.

A copy of Letters and Sounds is available free for every family in the UK. You can download it via the website at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/clld/las.html or order a copy by calling 0845 60 222 60.

6) The method my child's school is using is different to how I was taught to read – why?

A: Ways of working in education have moved on as with all aspects of life. Thanks to research, we now have a clearer understanding of how children learn to read and we need to take account of these findings to improve classroom teaching.

7) I'm not sure that my child is responding to the method they're using at his school to teach him to read. What other methods are out there and how do I find out about them? Do the Government approve some methods and not others?

A: The Government recommends daily high quality phonics teaching as the prime method to teach children how to tackle unfamiliar words in reading and spelling. This was one of the recommendations of the 2006 Rose Review, an independent review by Sir Jim Rose of the teaching of early reading. You can find out all about this on the DCSF Standards site at www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/phonics/earlyreading/ or by downloading it from www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications.

8) What if my child is dyslexic or has a learning disability – how will I know? At what age will this become apparent? Does the school test children for dyslexia/learning disabilities?

A: The school will be tracking every child's progress carefully and should alert you to any difficulties that may appear. With your consent the school may recommend an assessment with an educational psychologist. Some children's problems are evident from when they start to learn to read and write while others emerge through Key Stage 1. Sometimes more complex difficulties may not become clear until the child is at Key Stage 2 or beyond. A good dialogue between school and parents is important so any issues can be identified as early as possible.

9) I've spoken to my child's class teacher and the Head at the school but they say not to worry, my child will catch up but my son has already noticed he's lagging behind other kids and has started to get depressed and anxious about it. I can't afford a tutor for him and I'm not sure I'll teach him the right way if I do it at home – where can I get help and advice?

A: First of all, you should be reassured by the views of the class teacher and Head since they will have a lot of experience of children's differing needs and rates of progress. Every school has a special needs coordinator (SENCO) who is responsible for making sure the needs of all children are met. The SENCO will be able to spend some time with your child and discuss progress with you. You can also contact the local authority via 'Parentline', their hotline for parents, or their Children's Information Service. The telephone numbers will be available from your local school, reference library or health centre. You might also like to contact your doctor to discuss your concerns about his general wellbeing.

10) I have just realised that my son/daughter is being left behind at school. She is not being included in literacy class because he can't read and the others can. S/he sits in the corner and draws. Why has the school stopped teaching my child? What do I do to change this?

A: it is important that you find out exactly what the school is doing to help your child learn to read. Talk first to the teacher to find out how the daily session of phonics is organised and whether the teaching of different groups takes place at different points in the day. You may then want to discuss your child's provision with the SENCO and find out what programmes can be put in place to help your child if that is what is needed. If you are still unhappy speak to the headteacher.

11) What is a reading intervention programme? How does it work?

A: There are a number of different reading intervention programmes. These are specially designed teaching programmes to help children catch up with their peers. They are usually run in small groups or individually with children and are tailored to specific learning needs. They work in different ways but all are geared to finding an approach to overcome children's difficulties in learning to read and spell.

12) My child can't read and I can't help because I can't read either. What can I do?

If you would like to improve your reading, writing (and number) skills, you can ring the FREE helpline 0800 66 0800 for advice and help to find free local courses in literacy (and numeracy).

If you would like to improve your reading (number and language skills) in a family setting, you can contact a school, your child's school, or your local authority, for further information.

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Reading with Synthetic Phonics | Back to School | Reading – How to Make it Fun | Why You Should Bother | What To Do if Your Child Has Reading Difficulties | Parents Rights and Responsibilities

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