Why do we need to assess literacy? Often because we, as professionals (either psychologists or specialist teachers), are called upon to do so. Usually it is because a child is experiencing (or is perceived by parents and/or teachers to be experiencing) some difficulties in learning to read, write or spell. We have to establish: (1) whether there really is a difficulty (not just an imagined problem); (2) the extent of the difficulty, should it exist; (3) the most likely cause, or causes, of the difficulty, and finally, (4) we are usually asked to recommend ways of putting things right. Causes are important, because they affect the recommendations one would make regarding appropriate help or support for the child. Many children with poor literacy skills are referred for assessment (whether privately or within the state system) on suspicion of dyslexia. Some are indeed found to have dyslexia, while others are often found to have been deprived of appropriate teaching (most commonly phonics tuition) or to lack the practice which is essential for basic literacy skills to become fluent. If the cause seems to be lack of appropriate teaching, simply recommending certain educational input may not be a sufficient remedy if the child’s teacher does not have the appropriate skills or the child’s school does not have the appropriate resources.