For many children, the ability to read does not come naturally. Reading ability develops from decoding skills, word recognition and reading comprehension. Parents and teachers of children who struggle to read can help kids improve their skills by helping them become more familiar with sounds, word meaning and fluency through practice and modeling reading behavior. For children who continue to struggle, an assessment by a reading specialist can identify learning challenges and disabilities.
Phonemes
Before children can learn to read and understand longer words, they require phonemic awareness, the ability to read individual sounds within a larger word. Children who struggle with reading have trouble identifying rhyming words or syllables. Parents of struggling readers should read their children books that focus on rhyming and encourage kids to play computer games meant to build phonemic skills, such as DaisyQuest and Daisy's Castle. Making up rhymes that use the same sound, such as "Nancy's naughty neighbor napped at noontime" can also help kids learn to identify phonemes, according to Reading Rockets.
Decoding
The ability to correctly pronounce written words is another essential part of literacy. Children with reading problems report getting stuck on words when reading because they're unable to sound them out. To improve word decoding skills, have your child write e-mails, letters and notes to friends and family members. As your child writes, have her point to the letter, name it and say the letter's sound as decoding practice.
Vocabulary
Knowing what words mean is a critical part of overcoming reading struggles. Read to your child daily as a way to build vocabulary. Whenever there's a word or phrase your child doesn't understand in the text, stop and talk about the word's meaning. When talking to your child or telling jokes or stories, use words unfamiliar to your child during the conversation as a way to increase vocabulary.
Fluency
Children who read slowly and awkwardly struggle with fluency, the ability to read with accuracy and speed. According to KidsHealth, reading aloud may help reluctant or struggling readers understand that reading is fun. Modeling fluent reading for your child can also help him understand appropriate speed and intonation. Another strategy that helps build fluency skills is repetition. Encourage your child to read his favorite books or poems repeatedly to improve smooth and expressive reading.
Comprehension
Children who can't summarize what they've read have trouble with comprehension. To build comprehension skills, have your child read a passage or story and then talk about the events in the story and the characters' motivations. Encourage your child to connect events from the story into her own life. If your child can't answer your questions about the story, have her go back to look for key facts from the text.
