How to Help a Child with Reading Difficulties

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parts

1Working on Sound Recognition and Phonetics

2Assisting with Visual Decoding and Sequencing

3Building Vocabulary

Other Sections

Tips and Warnings

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References

If a child you know has a reading difficulty, of course you want to help them as much as possible. If you can, try to have the child tested before you work with them to improve their reading or ask someone who knows about where they struggle. That way, you can target your approach to what the child struggles with. Sound recognition, visual sequencing, and vocabulary are 3 areas where children with disabilities often struggle, but you can help them grow and learn by engaging them in fun and interesting activities.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Working on Sound Recognition and Phonetics

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   Play sound recognition games. One reading difficulty is not being able to distinguish sounds properly, making it more difficult to pronounce and spell words. Kids with dyslexia often struggle with this issue, and working on basic listening skills can help the child develop a better awareness of how sounds affect words.

   • This process helps kids sound out and recognize words they've heard before when they see them for the first time in writing.
   • For instance, try putting items, such as coins, sand, leaves, and buttons, in boxes, and then asking the child to identify what's in them. Help them by asking leading questions: Does it sound soft or hard? Do you think it's metal or plastic? How many buttons do you think are inside?
   • You can also have them close their eyes and identify everyday sounds. You can simply wait for sounds to happen or record them and play them for the child.
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   Make flash cards of the 44 basic sounds in English. The English language has 44 basic sounds, so you can put the basic letters on one side and the sounds they make on the other. This technique will help your child sound out bigger words.

   • You can find a list of these sounds at https://www.dyslexia-reading-well.com/44-phonemes-in-english.html. For instance, a "Z" sound is made with these letters or letter combinations:z, zz, s, ss, x, ze, and se. You'll find the sound in words like these: his, fuzz, buzzard, scissors, and craze.
   • Even older kids struggle with this issue, so don't be afraid to break out the flash cards for them, as well.
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   Work on rhyming words together. Learning rhyming words helps the child identify what words sound alike, even when they're spelled differently. Making it into a little game helps take the pressure off the child.

   • For example, you could give the child 3 words, and ask if they rhyme or not: Do ball, call, and stall rhyme? Do chat, fate, and peep rhyme? Do cast, man, and people rhyme?
   • You can also ask the child to come up with a rhyme: What do you think rhymes with cat? Can you come up with 2 words that rhyme with feat?
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   Make alliterative sentences together. Alliteration just means repeating sounds at the start of a word. Working on alliteration helps the child work on word sound patterns, and making up silly sentences together makes the challenge fun!

   • For example, you could say, "I'm going to make a sentence that repeats 'M' at the beginnings of words: Molly made magnificent mango marshmallows." Then encourage the child to try one.
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   Read rhyming books and poems together. Rhyming books are a great way to teach kids about words that sound the same. That helps the child recognize patterns in language, increasing their reading skills.

   • Try reading aloud to the child, and then have them say it back to you.
   • You can also say nursery rhymes with the child.
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   Celebrate when the child does well. Children can become frustrated when they feel like they're being corrected all the time. Take time to celebrate when the child makes progress. That way, they know you value their hard work.

   • For instance, say "Great job!" when they sound out a word by themselves or when they correct a mistake they made.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Assisting with Visual Decoding and Sequencing

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   Have the child put the alphabet in order as fast as they can. Learning how the alphabet goes can help when they try more difficult sequencing later. Encourage the child to sing the alphabet song while working on putting the alphabet in order.

   • For instance, you could use magnetic letters or cards with the letters on them. Have the child put them in order as fast as they can.
   • If the child gets some wrong, try singing the alphabet song with them to help them figure out where the letters aren't quite right. You can even point to letters as you sing.
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   Use shapes to work on sequencing. Sequencing is very important when it comes to letters and words. However, you can help teach sequencing with other things, such as shapes, which can take the pressure off. The child will just think they're having fun, not learning to read.

   • Start by drawing 3 simple shapes on a card or piece of paper. Show the shapes to the child, and then hide the card. Ask the child to draw the shapes in order. You can also give the child cards with single shapes on them, and let the child use those to show you the order.
   • As another alternative, you could cut shapes out of construction paper. To increase the difficulty, add color to the shapes.
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   Have the child create stories from pictures. In this task, you'll ask the child to put the pictures in order first. It's a way of helping the child see a logical order to things without there necessarily being a "right" answer.

   • Hand the child 3 pictures, and ask them to create an order that tells a story. Have them tell you the story.
   • Encourage the child to use transition words when telling their story. For example, they should say, "First," "Next," and "Then."
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   Point out and say words around you as often as possible. Point to words on signs and say them out loud or ask the child to say them. Have the child read words on menus. Make reading a primary part of your life wherever you go.

   • It can help to focus on sounds that the child is currently learning in school. For instance, if the child is working on words that begin with "T," point out the signs that say "Tree Parkway" and "Tomato Lane."
   • This technique can also work with older kids, too, especially ones struggling to break words into syllables. Try sounding out big words slowly, so the child hears and sees where the breaks are.
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   Ask the child to write letters or emails to friends and family. Practice does wonders for sequencing, and engaging the child in writing letters or emails can encourage them to practice. Kids love getting letters in the mail, and writing a letter to someone usually means they'll get one back, which is a great incentive.

   • Have the child work on the letters independently as much as possible. Encourage them to sound out words themselves and spell them phonetically.
   • Model this behavior by writing out thank you cards, notes, or a family newsletter. You can even sit down with your child to write alongside each other.
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   Encourage the child to use dictionaries and spell check as they grow. Some kids are always going to struggle with spelling. While they should still try to learn how to spell, that shouldn't stop them from expressing themselves in writing.

   • Some kids may hesitate to write if they think they can't spell properly, but aids like spell check and even text-prediction software can help them get their ideas across and work on spelling at the same time.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Building Vocabulary

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   Read out loud to the child. One of the best things you can do for the child is to read with them. They'll hear you saying words while they follow along with their eyes, and they'll pick up sight words without even realizing it.

   • Also, reading aloud helps the child become interested in the story, as they don't have to struggle so much. That helps them become more interested in reading books on their own. Plus, you're right there to answer questions.
   • Encourage your kids to read on their own, too, especially as the child gets older. The more they read, the more fluent they become.
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   Make pictures out of sight words. Sight words are tricky words that don't follow the normal patterns. That means that kids need to just memorize them, but the child may have difficulty with that. Creating a picture out of a word can help solidify the word in their mind.

   • For instance, write the word "look" on both sides of a card, and draw eyes in the "Os" on one side. Practice with the picture side of the card. Once the child is getting the idea, move over to the other side of the card.
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   Play word games to make vocabulary practice fun. Any game that uses words can help the child pick up on proper spellings. You can try games like concentration, hangman, and bingo, for instance. Try to use words the child is currently learning.

   • These games work well for older kids, too, or you can try games like Scrabble or Bananagrams.
   • You can also have the child play word games online or in apps on a tablet or phone.
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   Engage the child in conversation everyday. Children absorb knowledge from you like a sponge, and when you include new words in what you say, the child will begin to pick them up. Eventually, they'll connect the words you're saying to what's written on the page.

   • It can be fun to tell silly stories with fun, new words. You'll have the child's attention, and they'll be learning without even realizing it.
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   Help older kids learn roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Start by working through the way a single word changes with different prefixes and suffixes. For instance, take a word like "connect." Ask the child questions like: "I connect with you today. What would the word be if it happened yesterday?" (connected). Ask a question for each prefix or suffix that changes the word, such as disconnect, connector, connection, connects, and so on.

   • Building a list this way can help the child see where the root of the word is and how the prefixes and suffixes change it. Work on different words to help solidify the concept.
   • Learning the units of words can be a bit overwhelming for younger kids. However, it can help older kids who are struggling because they can use those units to figure out the sounds and meanings of words.
   • You can use flash cards or make it into a memory game, where your child has to match the prefix or suffix with its basic meaning.
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Tips

• Share your own struggles with the child. Kids with reading difficulties often feel frustrated and have self-esteem issues. Let the child know that everyone struggles with something, and share a way that you've struggled. That lets the child know they're not alone, and it can encourage them to try harder.
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• Engage the child at home and at school. Children with learning disabilities need as much help as they can get. If you're a parent, try to help the child as much as you can at home, even if they are getting help from school as well.
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• It's also important to encourage the child to pursue the things they're good at. They need to know they are good at something, which can give them the confidence to become better at reading.
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Warnings

• Be patient with the child. It may take a little while before they become proficient readers.
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• Focus on accuracy rather than speed. Speed may or may not come later, but accuracy is the most important thing for comprehension.
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