Reading is an important skill to develop in early learning. If a child struggles with reading, they might struggle in other areas of their learning as well. As the parent, it’s important to identify when your child is struggling so that you can help them improve. If you’re wondering how to know if your child is struggling with reading, we explain that here.
When considering how to know if your child is struggling with reading, start by watching them read aloud. Choose a book that’s at their grade level and ask them to read aloud. If you notice them skipping words as they read, this could indicate that they’re struggling with reading. Skipping over words means that they either don’t know to pronounce the word or they don’t know what the word means. If you notice your child doing this, stop reading and go over the word. Talk about its meaning and pronunciation to ensure they don’t skip over it again.
The inability to remember words is another indication that your child is struggling with reading. For example, many children learn sight words when they learn to read. These are words they essentially memorize, so they know the word right when they see it. If your child is having trouble remembering sight words, they might be struggling with reading. If your child sounds out a word they’ve already seen, this can also be an indication that they’re struggling to read. Let’s say the word “situation” comes up twice in a book. If your child must sound out this word each time, they might be struggling to remember words. Consider using flash cards to practice words your child is struggling with.
Reading comprehension is another important aspect of reading. Merely reading the words on the page isn’t enough—a child must understand what they’re reading. If your child doesn’t understand the story’s message, consider how to build a child’s reading comprehension. It’s important to develop reading comprehension early because it affects many other areas of their learning. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help build this skill.