Tips for helping a struggling reader become a strong reader

Children who are struggling with their reading need a patient, encouraging adult to sit and listen to them read. These tips can help you help your child become a strong reader.

These tips come from Everyone A Reader, a volunteer program in San Diego County that has trained thousands of tutors at approximately 150 schools.

PREPARE

Take time to look at a new book before sharing it with your child. Talk about the book, tell her what it’s about and maybe ask a question or two. Look at the pictures together and try to predict what will happen. Point out some unfamiliar words your child might need help decoding or comprehending; then ask her to read the story to you.

Example: If the book is about a day spent in the snow, ask the child if she has ever been in the snow. If she’s never walked in the snow, but she’s walked in sand, draw comparisons.

You can offer some background information so she can connect the book to her life. This will help her make meaning of what she is reading.

PAUSE

If your child stumbles over a word, silently count to five and give her time to try to sound it out on her own. If she still needs help, have her look at the picture on the page for clues that might help her determine the word, or ask her what word might make sense. Then help her sound it out. This will help her become an independent reader.

PROMPT

Try to be consistent in your prompts to help the child read the book.

Example: A sentence might read, “The house had four bedrooms,” but the child reads, “The horse had four bedrooms.”

You could use this prompt: “Does that make sense?” and say it in a sweet voice and smile.

Example: A sentence might read, “He jumped over the gate,” but the child read, “He jumped over the fence.”

You could use the prompt: ”Does that look right?”

Example: A sentence might read, “We ate soup for dinner,” but the child read, “We eated soup for dinner.”

You could use the prompt: “Does that sound right?”

Suggestions: Use a kind tone when making suggestions. And you may not want to make each corrections as they occur, you could wait until the child is done reading the book. The key is consistency.

PRAISE

A child who is having trouble mastering reading needs tender loving care. So praising early and often is key. Be specific in your praise and you will increase a child’s confidence.

Example: “I like how when you got stuck on the word ‘house’ you looked at the picture and figured it out.”

PROBE

Ask questions to make sure your child understands the story. You might ask her to tell you her favorite part of the story or ask her to tell you what the story was about. If she can summarize the story for you then you will know she understands what she read and wasn’t just saying the words.

To learn more about Everyone A Reader: read “Volunteers help struggling readers catch up to their classmates.”