5 Ways to Help a Student Who Struggles with Reading

Enrichment Therapies

February 16, 2022

parent and child reading book together sounding out words

By Haley Hall, Learning Specialist

My child struggles with reading and sounding out words.What can I do to help him/her?

Many children struggle with reading. As a parent, you may be wondering what you can do to help your child become a more confident and successful reader.  I’ve put together 5 things you can do with your child to help build their reading skills.

Read with Your Child

Read with your child every day. Model good speed and expression. Think out loud as you read and show your child how to make connections with the story. Play audiobooks when you’re in the car (many libraries offer audiobooks for free!). Ask older siblings to read out loud to the whole family.

Focus on Repetition

Repeated readings of a story can help improve a child’s speed and accuracy. Ask your child to re-read a page of a story a couple of times to help him/her feel more fluent while reading.

Practice Recalling Consonant and Vowel Combinations

Use the chart below as a reference for what combinations to practice. These sounds should all be mastered by the end of first grade, at which point children should be able to read a variety of one-syllable words containing the combinations.

Play Word Games

Play “word games” with your child to boost their phonological awareness. Improve your child’s foundational skills in rhyming, alliteration, syllable counting, word awareness, and manipulating sounds in words. Check out our post on phonological mastery for more information about these skills.

Encourage Your Child to Write

Writing helps apply what he/she knows about letters and sounds! This could be as simple as writing out the menu of what’s for dinner or writing a reminder on a sticky note. Children could write a letter to a friend or relative. Many children practice spelling words each week at school. Have your child write their words and discuss the patterns in the words that make expected or unexpected sounds (for example – in the word ‘said’ the ‘ai’ makes an unexpected sound).

We Can Help

If you’re wanting to help your child succeed in school and become a confident, successful reader, let us help!. Our individual and small-group sessions teach children to improve their word recognition and decoding skills. Call us to learn more!

Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center has locations in the Iowa City, IA area and Des Moines, IA area. We provide individual speech-language therapy and tutoring as well as offering small group academic programs.  At Enrichment Therapy & Learning Center our passion is to help kids achieve effective communication skills and gain academic success.  Contact us for more information on how we can help your child succeed.

info@enrichmenttherapies.com

740 Community Drive, Unit A North Liberty, IA 52317 319-626-2553

5530 West Pkwy, Suite 300 Johnston, IA 50131 515-419-4270

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