How to Support your Child who is Learning to Read
Source: https://theconversation.com/
Parents concerned about their children’s learning often seek reassurance and guidance when they notice their child struggling academically. These concerns can arise from various signs, such as difficulty keeping up with peers, poor grades, or behavioral changes linked to school performance.
A study revealed that many children whose parents worried about their reading were significantly below age expectations on reading tests and had language issues. This aligns with clinical experience, where such concerns often lead to diagnoses like learning disabilities or ADHD.
Here are tips to support your child who is learning to read:
Screening tools: While parental concerns about their child’s reading should be taken seriously, parents may not always have detailed knowledge of developmental norms or accurately identify reading difficulties. Similarly, teachers sometimes struggle to assess the skill levels of low-performing readers. To address these challenges, rigorous reading screening tools are essential. These tools, used by educators or school psychologists, help accurately gauge a student’s reading level and identify struggling readers efficiently. School psychologists can provide precise assessments by comparing children’s reading skills to their peers.
How comfortable is grade-level text? Without formal testing, you can gauge a child’s reading development by assessing their accuracy with grade-level text. Ideally, by the end of Grade 1, children should read grade-level text with about 95% accuracy. To evaluate this, have the child read 50 words from a grade-level book. If they make two to four mistakes, the text may be challenging; if they make five or more mistakes, it likely indicates significant difficulty. For practice, consider using resources like Reading is Fundamental for free, printable passages at a “medium” difficulty level.
Reading with children at home: For parents supporting struggling readers at home, it’s important to avoid adding stress. Instead of pushing difficult texts, choose easier and more comfortable reading materials, which are often more effective for building skills. Repeated reading of favorite books can also help. When a child struggles with a word, provide hints on how to sound it out, or simply say the word aloud if it’s too challenging. Children in late Grade 1 and beyond should make very few mistakes per page at their reading level.
Helping with reading comprehension: To enhance reading comprehension, it’s crucial to go beyond just asking questions after reading. Building background knowledge before reading—through hands-on activities or discussions—can be more effective. Integrate book reading with daily activities like nature walks or cooking, and discuss text structures. For non-fiction, explore how information is organized and use the table of contents. For stories, review key elements such as characters, setting, problem, and solution to improve understanding.
Multilingual early readers: Parents of multilingual children may worry more about their children’s reading skills compared to those of English-speaking children. However, multilingual kids often read aloud with similar accuracy to English-only peers early on. If multilingual children struggle with word recognition or pronunciation, it’s important to address these issues promptly. Additionally, if they have language difficulties in their first language, they should be assessed for potential learning challenges.
Caregivers and teachers should recognize that learning difficulties often accompany other issues, such as attention problems, difficulty with daily tasks, or social and emotional challenges. If these additional struggles are present, consult a supportive doctor who can thoroughly address your concerns. Free, high-quality screening tools like the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire or Pediatric Symptom Checklist can assist healthcare professionals in identifying potential behavioral or mental health issues.
However, encouraging parents to “wait and see” regarding children’s reading difficulties contradicts evidence that early intervention is crucial. Research shows that reading issues identified by the end of first grade are often persistent, and addressing them early—ideally in kindergarten or Grade 1—is far more effective than intervening later. If you have concerns about a child’s reading, trust your instincts and seek a professional who takes these concerns seriously.
Image Source:https://theconversation.com/
