Literacy is often touted as an important aspect to a child’s education – as indeed it is. We usually regard the ability to read and write as being one of the core skills that a child needs in order to develop in life. But not all children find reading equally as easy to do. When you discover that your child has trouble reading, there are many things that you can do to make it easier to deal with and to ensure that they are being given the best chance to improve and learn. Let’s take a look at how you might want to approach this.
Assess The Problem
First of all, you need to know exactly what you are dealing with. In other words, you have to get as close as possible to a real understanding of what your child’s trouble with reading really is. Are they struggling to read the words on the page, or is it more of a comprehension issue? Or are they decoding words out of context and in strange ways? In some cases, it could just be that reading does not come as naturally to them as other kids, or it might be that they have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. It’s good to get clear on what’s going on.
Consider Alternatives
There are always going to be many alternatives that you can consider if your child is having trouble with their reading. Which alternatives you choose will depend on the exact nature of the difficulty they are having, of course, but a good example is to try out audio instead. With an audiobook kids can often improve their comprehension, which can then be applied to reading again. It’s a good idea to try out whatever alternatives you can find, and see which work for your child.
Manage Their Feelings
It is likely that your child’s trouble with reading is going to bring up all sorts of feelings too, and you need to make sure that you are managing these as best as you can. If you are not careful, your child could end up feeling jaded or out of place, and this can soon become a much more serious social or personal issue. It’s best to talk to them openly so that they can discuss their feelings with you and you can help them through it. For instance, you can encourage them not to be embarrassed, if that is how they are feeling about it.
Seek Assistance From Their Teachers
Finally, remember that you are not doing this alone – or you shouldn’t have to, anyway. In fact, you should make the most of your child’s teachers if you are trying to get them to read, as they will probably have some good insights into the process as well as knowing what the specific problem might be in each case. With their help, you could get your child reading confidently in no time. As long as you are seeking the right assistance, this could make all the difference.
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