Why Some Kids Have Reading Struggles, and 7 Early Signs To Watch For
Learning to read can bring a world of joy and wonder to a child…not to mention the opportunity to learn about any topic they want!
But for some kids, learning to read is a struggle.
On average, about 25% of U.S. students have trouble with reading in the early grades, according to research by the IRIS Center. The same study noted that students who struggle with reading will eventually struggle in every academic area.
This is because reading struggles can lead to difficulty with writing, spelling, fluency, and comprehension, making it nearly impossible to perform well in school.
Read on to learn more about what causes reading struggles, some early signs to watch for, and how to help your child improve their reading skills.
What Causes Reading Struggles?
If your child struggles with reading, they may think that means they aren’t smart. But reading difficulties can have a wide variety of causes, most of which have nothing to do with a person’s intelligence.
Some of those causes are:
- Lack of resources. To learn to read, children need access to reading materials, one-on-one support from educators, and other learning accommodations. Children who lack any of these resources are at a disadvantage.
- Attention disorders like ADHD make it difficult for children to focus on what they’re reading. This can cause them to struggle with reading comprehension.
- Different learning styles. Everyone learns differently. When children aren’t able to learn within their particular learning style, it makes it hard for them to build core skills like reading.
- Learning disabilities. Underlying learning disabilities like dyslexia make it very difficult for children to learn to read. Approximately 15-20% of people struggle with dyslexia at some level.
In addition, weak cognitive skills can be at the root of a lot of learning difficulties, including reading struggles. Anything that impedes a child’s ability to store, process, or produce information will affect their ability to read.
7 Early Signs To Watch For
Since parents are often the first to notice reading difficulties in their children, it’s important to know the signs to watch for.
Some of the earliest signs of a potential reading problem are seen during the preschool and kindergarten years, such as trouble manipulating sounds in words (rhyming, word games, recognizing words that start with the same sound, etc).
If you notice any of the following signs in your child, talk with a teacher or other education professional about having them tested…the earlier the intervention, the better.
1. Difficulty remembering what they read or what was read to them
Children who have issues with attention or slow processing speed often struggle to follow the thread of a story. It takes them longer to sort out the words on the page, so they have a hard time remembering what’s happened in the story.
This can be a sign of dyslexia. Differences in working memory, long-term memory, and output of information can all contribute to this problem.
2. Trouble breaking words apart into sounds or putting sounds together to make words
Sounding out unknown words is an important skill a child needs to have to be able to read. Struggling to do so, or attempting to guess at words instead of trying to sound them out can indicate a learning problem.
3. Struggles to remember the names and sounds of letters
If your child has trouble remembering the sounds of letters, that could indicate an auditory problem, issues with processing, or another learning difficulty. You may notice they forget words or sound out the same word every time it occurs on the page.
Similarly, if they confuse lookalike letters (b, d, p) or soundalike letters (f/v, d/t), especially after age 7, that could indicate a learning issue like dyslexia.
4. Difficulty rhyming words
The ability to rhyme shows that your child can hear language properly. If they don’t seem to recognize the pattern of similar-sounding words, even after hearing the same rhyme many times over, that could be a red flag.
Difficulty with rhyming can be caused by the inability to process the sounds of language (dyslexia) or a motor speech disorder called apraxia.
5. Omits word endings
If your child omits the ends of words, such as -s, -ing, or -ed, when they read out loud, that could indicate a phonological or articulation disorder, apraxia, or dyslexia.
6. Misspells words inconsistently
Typically, when kids misspell words, they do so consistently. For instance, if your child consistently spells the word “anyone” as “ennywon,” that’s a normal part of learning how to spell, and nothing to worry about.
But if they use different variations of a misspelled word (such as “eneewon,” “eneyone”), especially on the same document, that could indicate an issue like dyslexia or dysgraphia (a writing disorder).
7. Avoids reading out loud
For children who have reading difficulties, reading can be such a frustrating process that they try to avoid it. When kids resist reading out loud, it can be a red flag that there’s a reading problem.
Remember: just because your child is struggling doesn’t necessarily mean they have a serious reading difficulty. Learning to read is complex, and doesn’t happen overnight. So if you notice these signs in your child, don’t panic.
Solutions for Your Child’s Reading Struggles
Luckily, if your child struggles with reading, there are many ways to help. Here are a few things to try at home:
- Read out loud. Reading out loud helps improve phonetics and fluency. Choose materials that are at or slightly above your child’s current reading level to boost their confidence and build their reading skills.
- Work on active listening skills. Learning to listen well is a big part of learning to read well. Listening skills help develop phonetics and fluency, which are key to reading. Work on listening skills by playing audiobooks or podcasts or by reading out loud together.
- Try a variety of reading materials. Traditional books can feel overwhelming to children who struggle with reading. Try different formats like comics or graphic novels, magazines, or even cookbooks. Opt for topics and formats that pique your child’s interest to keep them engaged and help them build confidence in their abilities.
- Celebrate small successes. Building reading skills requires confidence, and what better way to build confidence in your child than by cheering them on? Celebrate small wins and encourage your child to keep trying.
In addition, brain training with LearningRx can help strengthen the cognitive skills used for reading, such as visual and auditory processing, attention, memory, and processing speed.
LearningRx has two programs that can help kids who struggle with reading struggles—ReadRx® and ComprehendRx®:
ReadRx®
ReadRx® uses the principles of brain training to develop and improve reading skills, including:
- Teaching reading skills in a logical, intuitive order
- Gradually increasing the difficulty of reading exercises
- Repeating activities and drills to quickly strengthen reading skills
- Offering immediate feedback, corrections, and encouragement
We start by teaching students how to identify letters and letter combinations, then connect them with the right sounds. They learn the different ways these sounds can be written, as well as how different letters can interact to produce new sounds and unexpected spellings.
Instead of memorizing how words are spelled, ReadRx® students build the core skills they need to intuitively sound out complex words.
Over the course of this program, students develop a strong system for understanding written language, giving them the foundational skills they need to become lifelong readers.
ComprehendRx®
Once students have these basic reading skills and can understand the words they read, they need to build up their reading comprehension skills. These skills help them grasp the underlying message of what they read, think critically about it, and remember key information.
ComprehendRx® helps students improve reading comprehension by focusing on skills like:
- Reading speed and accuracy
- Picturing images and visualizing concepts
- Expanding vocabulary while reading and writing
- Remembering key information while reading
- Processing complex sentences and language
To strengthen these abilities, training sessions focus on core cognitive skills.
For example, one of the main focuses of ComprehendRx® is a cognitive skill called visual processing. This skill allows readers to picture mental images—a critical piece of reading comprehension. Visual processing also plays a crucial role in comparing ideas, making analogies, retaining information, and understanding abstract concepts.
Every ComprehendRx® student receives a custom training plan tailored to their existing skills. This way, your child can improve reading comprehension in areas where they have the biggest need for growth.
If your child struggles with reading, these programs can help put them on the path to becoming a confident, competent reader. If you think your child might benefit from ReadRx or ComprehendRx, contact us to learn more.
