A few tips to help a child with reading difficulties find their passion for reading and learning.
Reading skills are arguably the most important educational tool children learn. Children who suffer from reading disabilities or difficulties often come to resent reading and, in turn, learning in general. However, there are many ways teachers and parents can help struggling readers find their footing and improve their reading skills.
If done properly, your children will find their passion for reading and become excited about embarking on new adventures with every turn of the page!
Consult with Teachers and Other Parents
If your child is struggling with reading, there’s no reason to feel embarrassed or unwilling to talk with others. The first thing you should do is consult with your child’s teacher to see how your child has been doing in class. Next, ask other parents about their individual experiences with the subject. Parents and teachers working together is always the best strategy to take.
Don’t Wait to Get Your Child Help
Many of us tend to procrastinate, but helping struggling readers is something you never want to put off. The longer you wait to help your child, the further back he or she may fall behind in school. As mentioned, you should consult with your child’s teacher and see if the school offers reading assistance. Online reading resources are also available to help you define a plan to help your child improve their reading skills.
Get Your Child Properly Evaluated
There are times when reading difficulties may be hard to identify. If you have a feeling that your child is struggling, go to their school and ask that he or she be evaluated for a learning disability. You can do this by sending an email to the principal, which will then be forwarded to whatever type of screening committee they have set up.
Choose Books at the Right Age and Reading Level
If you choose books that are above your child’s reading level, then you’re simply going to make everything more difficult for them. While your impulse may be to select books that are at their grade level, struggling readers will typically need to start lower. Regardless of their level, make sure that you always give them words of encouragement to help them advance.
Let Your Child Choose the Books They Want to Read
Although there are definitely some books that you may want your child to read because they could help with their reading comprehension, doing this too often may be detrimental. While they’re attempting to improve their reading skills, allow them to select books. There will be plenty of time for them to catch up on literature at a later date.
Set Realistic Goals for Your Child
You obviously want your child to advance their reading skills, but expecting them to do too much too quickly can be a big mistake. Set goals that are realistic so that your child feels accomplished as their reading skills improve. If you’re having difficulty, work with your child’s teacher or the school to work out a reasonable plan.
Set Daily Reading Routines
Children who don’t have a regular routine have a much harder time advancing in other ways. Figure out a daily reading routine in terms of the time of day and the duration, and make sure you stick to it. If he or she is very young, then reading to your child every day will help them advance more quickly as well.
Limit Your Child’s Screen Usage
Yes, it seems like today’s world is all about screens, and the thought of praying our kids away from them sounds like pulling teeth, but it is necessary. The truth is that excessive use of screens has been linked to lower academic performance. If you want your child to improve his or her reading skills, you need to put time limits on screen usage no matter how much it upsets them.
Consider the Use of Audiobooks
Although many people think that to help struggling readers, they must read every single word themselves, this isn’t necessarily the case. This is the preferable method, but you can also mix in a few audiobooks here and there. Listening to the words being read aloud can increase a child’s comprehension and pronunciation, which can boost confidence and help them advance more quickly when used in conjunction with physical reading.
Search for an Experienced Tutor
Helping struggling readers on your own can go a long way to sharpening their reading and comprehension skills. If your child is having too much difficulty, however, you may want to consider hiring an experienced tutor. There are many online tutoring programs use, or you can reach out to your child’s teacher for assistance in finding a local resource.
Though reading difficulties can be difficult to define and address, it’s important to encourage your children to read and improve their reading skills while they are still young. By working together with your child and teachers, they can overcome any reading obstacles and become great readers!