If you have a child who is struggling with reading, then know that you’re not alone. It can be frustrating for both of you, especially if you’re wondering if you are doing enough or if you need to push them harder.
The truth is, that reading challenges are common. With simple, practical and consistent steps, your child can make big improvements overtime. There’s no better time to start than right now as it’s almost National Young Readers Week from November 10th to the 14th.
With the right mix of daily reading, targeted comprehension work and engaging activities, your children can feel confident and enjoy the process.
Remember that it’s not about cramming in a lot of practice but about creating a daily routine. In time, your child will become a confident and capable reader.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Understand Reading Consistency
Consistency is incredibly important. All you need is 10–15 minutes of reading on a daily basis. This can make a huge difference in time.
- 1. When looking for books for your children, choose books at your child’s reading level. If it’s too difficult, they’ll get frustrated. If it’s too easy, they won’t feel challenged and get bored.
- 2. Let your children choose topics that they’re interested in to boost their motivation.
- 3. For a seasonal and fun way to practice spelling and word recognition, try my Fall Spelling Activities & Word Work Bundle. It’s perfect for this time of the year: autumn-themed learning centers or at-home practice.
#2. Focus on Reading Comprehension
Many struggling readers can “sound out” words or even read several sentences without fully understanding what they’re reading. You can build comprehension skills by:
- 1. After reading a story, ask your children to retell it in their own words.
- 2. Then discuss details about the characters, settings, and events of the story.
- 3. Encourage them to predict what they think will happen next.
I have two ready-to-use reading comprehension resources to support this skill:
Reading Comprehension Questions for Intermediate Students – perfect for grades 3–6.
Reading Comprehension Questions for High School Students – ideal for older learners who still need structured practice.
#3. Create Manageable Steps
Reading an entire page or chapter can feel overwhelming to many students. Therefore, it’s best to break it down into smaller chunks by:
- 1. Have your children read one paragraph together, then stop and discuss it.
- 2. Use a ruler to keep track each line as they are reading.
- 3. Alternate between reading sentences or pages out loud.
#4. Integrate Multimodal Ways
Some children learn best when they can hear, see and actively do. Combine:
- Visual: Highlight key words with your child’s favorite highlighter, display them on the wall, and use graphic organizers.
- Auditory: Allow them to listen to the audiobook while they follow along with the text.
- Kinesthetic: Act out scenes from the book or write the words in sand, clay, or on whiteboards.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The reason why it’s important to develop your child’s reading skills.
- Simple steps to help my child who Is struggling with reading: understand reading consistency, focus on reading comprehension, create manageable steps, and integrate multimodal ways.
Free Resources:
If you’re looking for a quick way to begin supporting your child right now, grab my Free Reading Comprehension Starter Kit. It includes ready-to-use tools to build both comprehension and confidence. FREE Education Resource Library.
Teach your little ones how to make good choices with the following FREE Resource:
Next Steps:
If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? Share this with your family, your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers or someone who you think could benefit from this. Thank you!
I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
Disclaimer: I’m a teacher and a parent. I’m not a medical professional, so please don’t take this as medical advice. The advice that I provide in my videos and online are strategies that I have used in my own class or at home that have worked beautifully.
