November 13, 2024 – How to Help a Struggling Reader

Heather Vogler

An “A” is not an “I”—And I Just Want to Cry

My first three kids were easy—when it came to reading. They picked up phonics and sight words without a hitch. All three could be found snuggling up on a couch, their bed, a hammock, or in the greenhouse with a good book. Yet when I went to teach the next in line, he just did not catch on the same way that the others did. I thought maybe he would simply be a late reader, and he would eventually catch on. 

I tried all of the same methods and formulas that I used with the other kids to no avail. What was I doing wrong? Why would we get to the letter “A” and he would say “I” and vice versa. Some of my others struggled with their “b”s and “d” s for a short while, but it was never anything concerning. Coupled with struggling with single-letter and short words, I knew something was off. Sure enough, dyslexia was the culprit. 

I had been introduced to and exposed to plenty of resources for this over my years of homeschooling, but after a decade of homeschooling, I just now needed to put them into practice. The best ways that I was able to help him improve and move ahead two grade levels in reading in just one summer was by accepting the fact that there was a problem, addressing it, and using simple tools and methods to help fix it, including:

• Highlighting short words before we begin reading a page. I would point them out, make him aware of where they were on the page and have him read them aloud to me before we read them in context.

• Colored transparencies helped him over the first few weeks to keep the words from “jumping around” on the page. After awhile he did not need them anymore.

• Reading content below his level, at his current level, and above his level in one sitting. (The level he is presently at, not a grade level that he “should be in”). He got into a groove and he liked the variety and simplicity of the first text ,and then, even though I would help him with many of the words in the last text, he would feel a sense of accomplishment. 

Many tears were shed in the beginning stages from both of us, but once we began using these tools, he began to ask to read to me!

About the author

Heather Vogler, her husband, and five children call the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia home where they homeschool and homestead. Heather has homeschooled her children from the beginning and enjoys an eclectic style of teaching. As a freelance writer she has been published in Focus on the Family Magazine, War Cry Magazine, and Brio Magazine. Heather holds a BA in Christian Ministries and currently writes at ThriftSchooling.com.  

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Beth Mora

Let’s Help Your Struggling Reader in a BIG Way! 

Helping a struggling reader can feel like a no-hope-on-the-horizon feeling. 

In our large family, I had four kids who read very early, two who were average readers, and two who were late readers with serious reading challenges. The point is they all learned to read.

The biggest lesson I missed and what I wish I had known back then is that learning to read will come in their time, not mine. My anxiety and pushing did not change the timeline of when each child became a fluent reader. It’s easy to define your kid as a struggling reader rather than the great kid you love and cherish. 

The biggest helps that you can give your struggling reader are:

Patience—They will learn to read.

Acceptance—Cherish every moment of the journey.

Rest—Give them a place free from your anxiety or self-doubt.

Assurance—Encourage liberally. The hard work will pay off.

Joy—Let the joy of learning lead in your home.

With all those attitudes leading your instruction, you are ready to help your child in a big way. First, get your child a good check-up including vision and hearing tests. It’s easy to miss the obvious. Second, dedicate short but consistent lessons to language mechanics: phonics, spelling, and penmanship. 

And finally, and most importantly, Give the lion’s share of the day to these three types of reading: 

Enjoyment: let them read below their grade level. Don’t miss this! Foster the joy of reading by providing great books that are easy for them to read. 

Instruction: let them receive instruction by allowing them to read at their grade level. This is a comfortable place where few words are missed and comprehension soars. 

Expansion: read to them above their grade level. Help them move to the next level of reading and apply all the mechanics of reading they are learning. 

These three types of reading will help balance and stretch your child. 

Rest assured, your child will learn to read; just remember to enjoy the journey and your child. 

About the author

Beth Mora is a staff writer for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC and lesson designer for www.Schoolhouseteachers.com. She is the creator/teacher-on-camera for Here to Help Learning’s Homeschool Writing Program Grades 1-6, and a homeschool conference and women’s events speaker. Meet up with Beth at Home To Home, one of her favorite places to encourage. Everything she does, whether laughable or heart-gripping, is done to honor her Lord and Savior, Jesus. God’s grace is the salve that has healed her own life and is what she offers liberally to others.

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Christine Hage

A Unique Approach for Struggling Readers 

In order to be a successful student, reading is an essential skill. For many, learning to read seems to come naturally and is an enjoyable process. On the other hand, for others, it’s not so simple. Students who struggle to grasp reading may need additional assistance, or maybe not.

According to many experts, children should be reading by age seven or eight, but many can read a few years before or after that range. If you find that your child is not making progress in reading or seems to be struggling, perhaps his brain is not quite ready to “decipher the code” necessary to reading words. Maybe he needs more time for development and it won’t be long before everything “clicks.” Pushing a child too hard too soon can lead to frustration and reluctance, for both parent and child. 

On the other hand, early intervention can be essential to giving your child a better beginning, especially if you feel he is not readily grasping the skill of reading. Intervention may include a unique approach to learning to read. Dr. Matthew Glavach, the lesson designer for Reading Remedies, a course available to members of SchoolhouseTeachers.com, has been helping struggling readers for decades. He said, “There is another way to learn to read and it is as close as your library or bookstore. Children can learn to read through repeated reading of books they love, a read-aloud intervention that led to dramatic reading successes.” 

Reading aloud is just one example of a unique approach to learning to read. There are many methods of teaching reading. Before becoming discouraged, perhaps you need to try a new approach. Explore the various methods of teaching reading until you find the best one that fits your child’s needs. 

About the author

Christine Hage has been homeschooling in West Virginia for over a decade. She strives to live a simple, eternity-minded life as she raises her family and serves in the ministry with her husband. She and her husband lead a local homeschool support group offering encouragement and fellowship to other families. They also offer homeschool support and a free Homeschool Resource Guide at .www.teachingnaturally.net

Pillar of Knowledge

Roger Smith

Specialists Needed

My third child couldn’t read! The first two children read easily. What was wrong with this 9-year-old child?!! We were failing as homeschool parents. How embarrassing!

After facing the facts, we realized the emotional toll. Rodney’s difficulties in reading aloud in front of others, particularly in Sunday School, left him feeling humiliated and made him the target of teasing. Although our relatives meant well in offering their help, their efforts unintentionally reinforced his feelings of inadequacy, causing him to internalize the belief that he was “stupid.”

What I learned: intervention must be based on unconditional love and attention, which should never waver. Children are sensitive to attempts to “fix” them, as these efforts can feel like rejection unless enveloped in unwavering love.

Today, Rodney reads well and thrives in his career. His success came not from pressure or more practice, but from focusing on his interests with engaging resources like audio, visuals, and skateboard magazines that fueled his enthusiasm.

His journey was driven by personal motivation rather than the need to catch up. The struggling learner may or may not need intervention, but what they all need is admiration and inspiration. And, in that, parents are specialists.

About the author

Dr. Roger Smith is a family doctor in rural Louisiana, where he and his wife, Jan, raised four adventurous children who are all grown, making their own mark in the world. He speaks and writes on parenting issues and produces brief videos that can be found on Facebook @ParentingMattersNow.

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