Around 10 million children in the U.S. have a problem learning to read. When children have trouble reading, it makes a big difference in their overall learning. If they can’t read well, they can’t read instructions for their tests and other materials properly, which makes it difficult to get through school and life.
You want your child to have their best life possible, and part of that is overcoming reading challenges. Continue reading this article to learn what could cause these difficulties and how to help your child.
Check for Vision Problems
Before worrying that your child has a reading disability, you need to make sure your child can see. They might be having a problem reading because they can’t see what they are trying to read.
Signs of Vision Problems
If you can’t get to your eye doctor right now, there are some things you can look out for as signs that your child might have vision problems.
Do they sit too close to the television, or is their face to close to books? Do they lose your spot when they are reading? Do they close one eye when they want to see better?
All of these things might mean they are having vision problems. If you notice any of these things, you should take them to an eye doctor immediately and see if they need vision help. Let the kids help when choosing kids glasses, and they will be more likely to wear them.
Check for Reading Disabilities
If your child is having more trouble than you think is normal, they may have reading disabilities. There are different types of reading disabilities, so make sure to have them tested if you notice anything out of the ordinary.
Signs of Reading Disabilities
There are some common signs that your child might have a reading disability. Some of these signs include:
- Below average reading level
- Difficulty sounding out words
- Problems understanding what was just read
- Anxiety over reading
And there’s more. If you notice any of these things, you should have them evaluated to make sure.
Know Early Learning Is Good Learning
There has been some debate as to whether early learning can be detrimental to children. The truth is that early learning will not hurt children. You can start teaching children to read as early on as when they come out of the womb without hurting them.
In fact, there are many benefits to reading to children when they are young and even as they grow.
Don’t Be Unpleasant While Teaching
When you’re teaching your children to read, it might be easy to get frustrated. You know what the word is, and it seems simple, but your child just can’t seem to get it. Even if you’ve been practicing with them for a long time, you need to keep a good attitude.
If you are unpleasant with your children while you are teaching them, it is more likely they will have difficulty learning. They will start to associate reading with an unpleasant time with their parents.
Have Lots of Conversations (Even One-sided Ones)
It’s important to have conversations with your kids, even before they can talk. Talking to your kids can help them because reading is a language activity.
Don’t feel weird talking to your children, even if they can’t talk yet. Talking to your children often gets them to start talking back to you much earlier than children that don’t have people talking to them.
Teach Phonics
Teaching kids the sounds of the letters will allow them to sound out the words they are trying to read. If they haven’t learned the words by sight, this is the easiest way for them to figure out what the word is. Check out Phonics Tuition in Singapore for help if you need it.
Teaching kids the sounds of the letters will allow them to sound out the words they are trying to read. If they haven’t learned the words by sight, this is the easiest way for them to figure out what the word is.
There are plenty of games and programs that will teach children what sounds letters make. Find one your kids are interested in and let them work on it and expand their knowledge of letter sounds.
Encourage Your Children to Write
Writing is another important part of literacy and will help your children read better. Keep plenty of pencils, markers, and paper around and encourage your kids to use them to write words as well as drawing pictures.
Ask Questions About What Kids Read
When your kid reads something, get them to tell you what they read about. If they were reading a story, ask them to retell the story in their own words. Reading requires you to think about things and remember what happened in or what was taught in the text.
Helping your children understand what they are reading will allow them to read things that are more difficult.
Take Turns Reading
Sometimes children don’t want to do all the reading. Even if they are old enough to read stories without help, they will be more likely to read if you are willing to switch up reading with them.
Both reading it themselves and listening to you read the text to them will help them with their reading skills. Sometimes it is better to have a positive experience than to worry so much about who was reading what.
Help Your Child That Has Trouble Reading
Now you know more about how to help a child that has trouble reading. When you start to see your children working through their reading problems, it will give you a sense of pride and allow you to breathe a little easier.
Do you want to learn more about parenting, education, and other important topics? Keep reading our blog for more.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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