How to Help a Child Overcome Reading Difficulties

All children struggle with various parts of their development at times. One difficulty for many children is learning how to read, which may be a sign of a reading disability. School may be too fast-paced for your child, but you can help him outside of school -- or make sure he gets extra help in the classroom -- so he can overcome these difficulties.

Things You'll Need

  • Age-appropriate reading materials from the library or school
  • Books targeted at children with reading difficulties

Instructions

  1. Overcoming Reading Difficulties

    • 1

      Intervene quickly if you notice your child has difficulty reading or if an educator points it out to you. According to the American Psychological Association, once children have already fallen well behind their peers, they tend to stay behind in reading development. Act immediately if you sense something is not right.

    • 2

      Focus on the most critical skills for reading development. These include writing, knowledge of the alphabet, rapid naming and the ability to break words down into individual sounds. Work on these with your child outside the classroom through workbooks, flashcards and other educational resources, and encourage teachers, teaching assistants and other individuals involved in your child's education to do so as well. Find ways to incorporate the alphabet, naming and other critical skills into everyday activities, such as going to the grocery store.

    • 3

      Continue carefully monitoring your child's skills. Keeping tabs on your child's reading abilities as they evolve will help you determine whether he has simply fallen behind or is struggling with a serious disability. A more serious disability may require different action, such as consulting a professional in the area of learning disabilities.

    • 4

      Seek outside help. Assisting your child in overcoming a learning disability is a daunting task, and you shouldn't attempt to take it on alone. A number of resources are available for parents whose children are struggling. Contact teachers, school specialists, tutors, professionals and reading clinics for help. According to the multimedia literacy initiative Reading Rockets, public schools frequently offer free services for children with learning disabilities.

    • 5

      Maintain active involvement as long as possible. Follow up on your student's progress; don't simply assume it has gotten better. Teachers have a lot of students to keep up with and may overlook your child's needs; be there for your child as much as possible.

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