One of the most basic benchmarks in your child’s academic development is
learning to read. And reading is the skill that opens the doors to all
other learning. So what can you do when it becomes apparent that your child
is struggling to become a good reader?
Never Too Late
It’s never too late to add read-alouds to your daily life. Kids love
stories and there are endless choices for topics. If you’ve “failed” to
read to your kids, begin today. In short order you’ll find you enjoy
reading together as much as your children do. And the more time children
spend in reading activities, the easier it is for them to become readers,
too.
Aside from lack of exposure to reading experiences, there are many reasons
why children do not learn to read easily. These can range from simple
understandings about letters and sounds to processing problems that may
require professional interventions.
It’s important to know that the earlier reading problems are diagnosed and
treated, the better the results.
Some Basic Reading Problems
- Letter/Sound Awareness
In order to read, children must have the understanding that words are made
up of smaller bits called phonemes. Phonemes are the sound chunks made by
letters. For example the word cat has three phonemes: the k sound of c, the
vowel a, and the t sound of t. While a child hears the word cat as a whole,
it’s important to be able to break the word into sound chunks for the
purpose of learning to read. - Decoding
Decoding is the process of seeing the letters and then “saying” the sounds
aloud. (Of course silent reading comes later.) Decoding is a complex skill
that requires knowing all of the alphabet sounds plus the combinations they
make, as well as understanding reading rules such as a silent e at the end
of “bike.” - Vocabulary
A healthy, growing vocabulary is one of the best indicators of success in
learning. Knowing the meaning of words and being able to learn new words
regularly is a great plus in becoming a fluent reader. The more a child
reads, the larger the vocabulary. - Fluency
Once decoding skills are developed, we expect children to be able to read
aloud fluently. A strong reader should sound as if he or she is talking
naturally with the proper ups and downs in tone, and with the impression
that there is strong understanding. - Comprehension
It is fairly common for children to read as if they understand, but upon
further questioning, it becomes apparent that they really haven’t made
sense of the words. Comprehension is more than just remembering facts; it’s
being able to discuss the information in meaningful ways. For example the
color of Cinderella’s ball gown isn’t nearly as important to know as the
fact that she’s leaving her scullery position to capture the heart of the
prince.
Other Issues
- Auditory or Visual Processing
These problems require specific testing by professionals and therapy to
help the brain identify sounds or visuals correctly and be able to
interpret them.
- Attention Problems
Children with significant attention problems find it difficult to focus on
reading skills long enough to be successful.
- Memory
Some children have difficulty remembering the shape of a letter or the
sound it makes. They require extra practice to become successful in
learning.
- Second Language
For the child learning English as a second language, it is important to
know that it takes approximately 6 years to become fluent in English
speaking and reading skills.
- Vision Problems
Some children have difficulty with focusing on words even though they may
test 20/20 on basic reading tests. If there is blurring or double vision,
or difficulty in “tracking” along the lines, children can be helped by
reading therapies.
It’s extremely important for parents to request testing by their child’s
school if reading difficulties are evident. The stigma that develops when a
child is placed in a “slow” reading group or the self-confidence problems
that arise when the child knows he “can’t do it” are detriments to
learning. Early diagnosis and intentional interventions can make all the
difference for a struggling reader.
What Parents Can Do
Your home and family life are your child’s first and most important
schools. There are many ways you can support your struggling reader at
home.
- Have fun with books, leading your child to an appreciation of the
printed word. Find books, comics or any other printed material that
your child loves and read them together.
- Develop awareness of letters, sounds and word parts in daily life.
Notice the stop sign at the corner and the McDonald’s sign as you
buy your Happy Meal.
- Learn the alphabet in many ways such as magnetic letters, by
singing songs, using letter blocks, reciting the alphabet as you
climb stairs, doing dot-to-dots and tracing the letters in
cornmeal.
- Build word awareness. Teach your child to recognize and write his
or her name, and then expand known words such as the names of
siblings, common food items, color words, etc.
- Play rhyming games and sing songs together. Play “I’m thinking of a
word that begins with the letter b.”
- Sound out words and learn word patterns. “Let’s think of all the
-ill words we can.”
- Take time to talk about and reflect on the meaning of the stories
you read. “Why do you think Goldilocks went into the Three Bears’
house? “Why does Curious George get into so much trouble?” - Finally, there is no substitute for lots and lots of reading. Enjoy
old favorites and find exciting new titles. Even struggling readers
will work hard to succeed if they’re motivated. Make the most of
your child’s current interests. If dinosaurs are the topic of day,
be sure to find lots of books about them.
An excellent resource for all things related to reading and reading success
is the website
readingrockets.org.
Reading is a very complex skill and there is no “one size fits all” when
it comes to solving reading problems. Be sure to contact your child’s
teacher and the school’s professional staff to diagnose problems, and begin
to solve your child’s reading issues.
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