Reading has many benefits, including vocabulary growth, better academic performance, and good memory. Experts also say that readers have a reduced risk of developing emotional, social, and mental health issues. In fact, a published peer-reviewed article found that reading helps meet students’ socio-emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It goes without saying that reading difficulties have significant effects in every stage of a person’s life. That’s why mental health professionals, academicians, and scientists continue to seek ways on how to help a child with reading difficulties. After all, these difficulties stem from different causes (experiential and disorders or disabilities).
Teachers in some countries receive appropriate training and instructional materials, while mental health professionals have several treatment options to prescribe. Parents and caregivers now have access to helpful programs, such as DreamWeaver’s Brain Retraining Program. Apart from those, you can consider many other reading interventions for struggling readers.
The Common Causes of Reading Difficulties
Your child might be able to read but at a very slow pace or read words correctly the first time but misread them in a subsequent sentence. Some children can also read sentences but can’t really comprehend what they’re reading.
That’s because they might’ve failed to develop or are still developing one or more of the skills needed, namely attention or focus, processing, memory, and logical thinking. The common contributing factors to this are the following:
Poor or Inadequate Instruction
Sufficient exposure to literacy activities and language at an early age is essential to develop vocabulary and other skills needed for reading and comprehension. That said, proper instruction and approach also matter.
Some children with reading difficulties weren’t able to receive such. For instance, a child at a Frustration Reading level requiring moderate or extensive assistance from a parent or educator wasn’t able to receive such. Or, the approach used was for an Instructional Reading level.
Reading Disorders
The possibility of the child having a reading disorder is one of the most overlooked causes. That’s because some parents refuse to believe or accept that their kid might have one. Also, they almost always associate the reading struggles with the unwillingness to learn or low intelligence.
In truth, reading disorders aren’t developmental or intellectual deficiencies or disorders. They root from the differences in how the brain processes texts and words, and sometimes, images and sounds. The most common types of reading disorders are hyperlexia and dyslexia.
Neurodevelopmental and Neurobehavioral Conditions
Some children struggle to read or have a slower pace in learning to read because of an existing condition. This can include autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorders. Those with such conditions usually have trouble focusing, memorizing, and processing information—skills required for effective reading.
How To Help a Child With Reading Difficulties
Given the most common causes of reading difficulties, below are some of the best expert-recommended reading interventions for struggling readers. These are effective whether or not your kid has reading disorders and neurobehavioral or neurodevelopmental conditions. In fact, you can even apply most of these techniques to children just about to start learning how to read.
1. Set Realistic Goals
Most of the time, the desire to see positive results or improvements puts immense pressure on you as a parent or caregiver. It also starts to stress you out when it seems like your child isn’t interested in learning at all.
Unfortunately, you can pass on the stress, frustration, pressure, and other negative feelings to your child. You might start to raise your voice or make them feel like reading is a chore they need to accomplish.
Sadly, this will prevent them from developing and improving their skills naturally because you didn’t give them time to build their confidence and interest. That’s why setting realistic goals is part of all the recommended ways on how to help a child with reading difficulties.
2. Be Patient
Another important piece of advice from experts is to be patient with your child. Remember, they already have a hard time reading. The last thing they need is someone who would snap at them if they can’t read a word you’ve already taught them or already read in the past.
Not only are you not applying tip #1, but you’re also discouraging and demoralizing the child who’s trying their best to learn.
3. Choose the Right Reading Material
Here are the criteria you need to consider when choosing the right reading material for your child:
Level
Most books for children indicate the age they’re appropriate for, which is a good thing. The problem is that some kids learn at a slower pace. A book that worked for your friend’s five-year-old kid might be unsuitable for your five- or even six-year-old, even if they’re both at the Frustration Reading level.
Reading a material that is too difficult for them will frustrate and stress them, leading them to associate reading with a punishment. Choose one that matches or is slightly a bit higher than their reading level.
That said, it’s essential to determine your child’s exact reading level to find the right books for them. Usually, the material is too difficult to read if they make more than one error when reading 10 words. To be sure, it’s best to have a librarian, teacher, or another professional determine their reading level.
Topic
Regarding the choice of topics, make sure you involve your child in the decision-making process. Most materials you provide should discuss topics they’re interested in. After all, you’ll already find many topic-specific books written in different ways, from simple to complex.
That said, you can break the “reading level rule” if the topic your kid is interested in isn’t available for their reading level—for instance, Star Wars and Harry Potter books. The reason for this is your child will more likely try their best to read the material, as it’s considered more as pleasure reading than a reading task.
They will also ask questions about words they can’t read and understand, which will help develop their reading and oral communication skills. Likewise, allowing them to choose what they want to read can help boost their confidence. Research also concluded that doing so will significantly improve your child’s reading skills.
4. Add Variety
One of the best ways to help a struggling reader is to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. Consider using audiobooks. Then, play the audio while they’re reading so that they can learn to read and pronounce the words. It will also help enhance their brain’s ability to process auditory and visual information.
Even if you think you have no idea how to help a child struggling with reading and comprehension, incorporating reading in their daily activities is easy. Read signs with your child while shopping and playing at the park, and ask what they’re supposed and not supposed to do based on what the sign says.
When inside the restaurant, encourage your child to read the menu and look for food and beverage they would want to order. Doing so will ensure they won’t consider reading a task or school activity. It will help take away the pressure and boredom.
5. Develop a Routine
Setting a daily routine positively affects your child’s overall development; after all, learning is about repetition. Thus, it’s highly advisable to incorporate reading into their daily routine.
Of course, you should ensure the experience is pleasurable for them. You don’t have to let your child read for an hour or so. You can start by letting them read one paragraph before taking a break or doing another activity. You can also let them read a sentence every minute.
Another activity to help your child focus and enjoy reading, which will eventually develop their skills, is to read to and with them. Ideally, this should start at an early age. In fact, reading to your child while they’re still inside the womb is encouraged.
A published research found that unborn babies already start listening to their moms at 30 weeks of gestational age when hearing and sensory brain mechanisms are already developed. Likewise, as demonstrated in an experiment, they begin to learn a language around this time.
If you haven’t done this, it still isn’t too late. Read to and with your child before bedtime or during playtime. While doing so, point your finger to the word you’re reading to stimulate both the auditory and visual mechanisms of the brain. This way, you teach your kid how to read and pronounce a specific word.
6. Connect With Your Child
Experts who studied and developed ways on how to help struggling readers can’t emphasize enough the importance of connecting with your child while reading to and with them. Doing so will make them look forward to reading time. That’s because they have mommy or daddy all by themselves. It will also help improve their comprehension skills.
Make this bonding time as fun and creative as possible. You can draw the scenes together, find a video with a similar concept, or act out or re-enact the scenes. You can also cite examples from real-life experiences identical to what they read.
Images in the reading materials are also great tools that you can use to engage and connect with your child. Ask questions about the photo, like, “Why do you think the dog is hiding under the couch?” Let them speculate and find out together the real reason by reading the book. It will not only pique their interest but will also help them develop logical reasoning.
7. Create a Reader-Friendly Environment
As noted earlier, focus or attention is one of the skills a child must develop to become an effective reader. Children, especially those with neurobehavioral or neurodevelopmental disorders, get easily distracted with toys, television, pets, and other fun things or activities. Hence, create a space in your home intended for learning or reading.
If you have a spare room you can use as a mini-library or study place, that would be great! Nonetheless, you can find a specific area in your home with less noise and foot traffic and then turn it into a reading nook.
Place a carpet or mats and surround it with a baby fence to become a separate room. Either way, make sure you fill it with books, paper, crayons, and other materials you can use for your reading time.
8. Limit Screen Usage
Engaging in excessive screen-related activities has long been frowned upon, and for good reason. One research conducted in Australia found that too much screen time, whether TV, computer, or other gadgets, negatively impacts a child’s reading and overall academic performance.
The keywords here are excessive and heavy. Meaning, you also shouldn’t deprive your kid of screen time. You might’ve noticed that one of the suggestions discussed earlier is searching and watching videos related to what you and your kid are reading. That’s because it will help develop the part of the brain responsible for recognizing and remembering visual stimuli.
9. Monitor Their Development
Monitoring your child’s progress as you help them improve their reading skills will help you identify any struggles your child might be experiencing. As a result, you can address them immediately.
Most children, especially those with reading disorders, won’t speak about these struggles, even to their parents. This reluctance will soon develop into anxiety, embarrassment, and low self-confidence. Ensure that you approach the situation with care, sensitivity, and mindfulness.
Sit with your child and help them with the observed struggle without making them feel ashamed. Use positive and encouraging words, and as much as possible, don’t make them feel they can’t read on their own. You can say, “Hey, sweetie! Can we read together?” or “May I sit and read with you?”
Monitoring your child’s development will also help you determine whether the interventions are working or if they’re enough. Suppose you notice little to no improvement and that it seems like your child has a disorder or disability causing their struggles. In that case, it’s time to seek professional help or consider enrolling them in or using a program.
10. Seek Professional Intervention
Although the ways on how to help a child struggling with reading are effective, it’s best to have your kid checked by professionals. It will help you determine the specific struggles of your kid in case they get diagnosed with a disorder or disability.
If they don’t have any, it still isn’t a waste of money, time, and effort since you know that the interventions will work just fine. Professionals will also suggest programs like brain retraining and other interventions that can help improve and develop your child’s reading skills.
About DreamWeaver’s Brain Retrain Program
The Brain Retrain Program is designed for individuals with autism, neurobehavioral disorders, and learning difficulties. It helps correct the brain’s misdirection that has occurred at an early age.
This program contains well-researched and effective approaches and steps you can administer at home. Even better, you can use it with the other interventions or therapy your kid is currently undergoing. Parents, caregivers, and educators can enroll in DreamWeaver’s Brain Retrain Course to access this approach and learn how to use it properly.
Effectively Helping Your Child With Reading Difficulties
Understanding what your child is going through contributes to the effectiveness of any treatment or intervention on how to help struggling readers. It will also ensure that you approach the issue with the right attitude.
Teach your kid patiently, provide them with the right materials, create a comfortable learning environment, and make learning how to read a positive and fulfilling experience for them. Seek the help of professionals and combine multiple interventions with tried-and-tested programs and methods, such as DreamWeaver’s Brain Retrain.