How to Help Children Struggling to Read

It’s something no parent wants to happen to their child. But if it does, there are some proven strategies you can use to help your child read more effectively. I’m school assembly performer Joe Romano. After performing school assemblies in North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virginia, and the DC area for the last thirty years, I know these tips work. I’ve spoken to educators and parents who have had children and students struggle to become effective readers.

Let’s get to it!

What Causes Reading Difficulties in Children?

A child may have trouble reading for several reasons. The most common that many people think of is dyslexia. This learning disorder makes it difficult for some people to associate letters and words with certain speech patterns. A child with dyslexia may have a hard time comprehending what they are reading in print form. But it’s not an intelligence issue. People with dyslexia often have no trouble learning or understanding information presented in other ways. And dyslexia is not the only reason why your child may struggle to read.

Children may struggle to read because of:

·        Vision problems

·        ADHD

·        Hearing issues

·        Developmental Trauma Disorder

Regardless of the cause, if you suspect your child is having trouble reading, seek help. You and your child don’t have to tackle this challenge alone. Now let’s take a look at a few strategies to help children overcome reading difficulties.

Overcoming Reading Difficulty Idea #1: Get Help

This is a big step, but an important one. If your child is struggling, the problem won’t correct itself. Have a conversation with your child’s teacher. They should be able to recommend some in-school ideas to help your child. And of course, this article will provide you with simple things you can do starting today to help your child.

But the biggest thing to realize is that you’re not alone.

The sooner you get help for your child, the better. The longer you wait, the further behind your child will fall. Not only will this make school more difficult for your child, but they will experience increased frustration, self-esteem issues, and embarrassment. All of these things lead to increased stress. More stress equals a tougher time at school., Rather than allow this vicious cycle to progress, seek help as soon as you suspect there’s a problem.

Overcoming Reading Difficulty Idea #2: Model Behavior

Like any skill, reading requires practice to improve. And some kids struggle because they don’t read any more than they absolutely have to. But for kids to develop their reading skills, they need to be reading at home as well as at school.

One thing you can do to help your child get better is by reading more yourself. Too many parents don’t read themselves but are surprised when their children don’t like to read. Remember that your child takes a lot of social and behavioral cues from you. Start reading more yourself. You’ll show your child by example just how much fun reading is!

Overcoming Reading Difficulty Idea #3: Get Audiobooks

Remember that people enjoy absorbing material in different ways. Some people are visual learners, some are auditory, and some are kinesthetic. Visual learners learn best by seeing what they need to learn. Auditory learners prefer hearing information. And kinesthetic learners do best when they’re physically involved.

Bear in mind that we all use each of these modes of processing information. While we may have references, using multiple modes of learning helps speed up the learning process. What does all this mean? Simple. Have your child try audiobooks!

If your child has a short attention span or lower-than-average reading skills, audiobooks may help.

Overcoming Reading Difficulty Idea #4: Reading Out Loud

Reading to your child is a wonderful way to help them overcome reading difficulties. Not only is it a great bonding activity but it is highly effective at helping your child learn the nuances of reading. By hearing the words instead of just reading them, your child will learn to pick up on many subtle nuances.

When many of us read out loud, we inject emotion into the words, even if we don’t intend to. We pause. We lower our voices. We raise them. And when we stop to laugh at something funny, it helps tap into what the author intended in the writing.

Best of all, reading out loud gives your child the opportunity to ask questions. This natural process helps your child understand things they wouldn’t normally. And if they can get their questions answered, they’ll feel more comfortable about asking more questions in the future. And you encourage your child’s curiosity.

Overcoming Reading Difficulty Idea #5: Baby Steps

In the moving “What About Bob?” Richard Dreyfuss played a psychologist who wrote a book called Baby Steps. The central idea in the book was to take on the challenge in small, incremental steps. While the movie was a comedy played for laughs, the concept of Baby Steps was brilliant.

Looking at a large problem causes us to feel overwhelmed. The key to succeeding with any problem is to look at any small improvements as a victory. When your child is struggling, they will likely feel very down. So when they accomplish something, regardless of how small, celebrate it.

Acknowledging those small steps forwards are key to building your child’s self-esteem. With a healthy self-esteem, they’ll be much more likely to persevere long-term. Build your support system of family members, school faculty, and outside professionals. Remember, it takes a village to raise a child successfully!

A School Assembly to Celebrate Reading in Your Child’s School

Want a fun way to get all the kids in your child’s school excited about reading? I offer a fun and amazing school assembly program called Books! The Magic is Real! In this amazing 45-minute reading adventure, the plots, characters, and ideas from books come to life. Using eye-popping magic, I’ll get your kids involved in the show in fun ways. And after 30 years of full-time performing, my clients rave about this show. Check it out and contact me if you’d like more information!

--Joe