Christopher Barzak ironically noted, “Normal is just a setting on your washing machine.” After teaching reading for twenty years, I can confirm that “normal reading levels” are arbitrary and many children fall behind in reading skills at some point in their early education. While this can be concerning, the good news is that reading skills can improve with the right support.
The key is early intervention—the sooner parents recognize the issue and take action, the easier it is to help a child catch up and build confidence. Whether your child struggles with phonics, fluency, or comprehension, there are practical, research-based strategies that can make a difference.
So, stop worrying about what is “normal” and check out NINE effective ways you can help your child improve their reading skills and gain confidence.
1. Identify the Root Cause of Reading Struggles
Not all reading struggles are the same. Some children have difficulty sounding out words, while others can read fluently but don’t understand what they’re reading.
✔ Does your child struggle with letter-sound relationships (phonics)? Your child may need explicit phonics instruction.
✔ Is your child reading slowly and with difficulty? Fluency could be the challenge.
✔ Does your child accurately read the words but can’t remember details? Comprehension skills may need some work.
📌 What to Do: Speak with your child’s teacher or a reading specialist to pinpoint where they need support. A simple informal reading assessment can help determine if phonemic awareness, fluency, or comprehension is the main issue. If you would like to try an informal assessment at home, “Reading Rockets” has a variety of free, easy to use assessments for reading. Once you have identified the main issue, you can focus your practice time on areas that will make a significant difference.
2. Build Strong Phonics and Decoding Skills
Phonics is the foundation of reading—it teaches children how letters and sounds work together. Many struggling readers lack strong phonemic awareness (the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words), making it difficult for them to decode, or sound out words.
✔ Practice letter-sound relationships daily.
✔ Use word-building activities like magnetic letters or flashcards.
✔ Try decodable books that focus on specific phonics patterns. Sites like “Reading A to Z” provide collections of decodable books. If you print out a paper copy or if you are using a digital reading app, you can have your child highlight specific patterns in words (e.g. Look for all the words that have a long e sound!).
📌Taking It Further: Play phonics games that make learning fun and engaging, like rhyming word puzzles, segmenting sounds in words, and blending sounds together. The more senses you can engage, the better. Try to create activities where your child can hear, see, and do something active with words. Although your child may naturally gravitate towards one style of learning, all learners benefit from multi-sensory activities.
3. Practice Fluency with Repeated Reading
Fluency is the ability to read smoothly, accurately, and with expression. When fluency is weak, reading feels slow and frustrating, making comprehension difficult.
✔ Choose books slightly below grade level for fluency practice. Sometimes parents are afraid a text is too easy for their child, but re-reading familiar texts actually boosts fluency.
✔ Have your child read the same passage or line multiple times to build confidence. This is especially fun with reader’s theaters or using different voices for each re-reading.
✔ Use audiobooks or read-alouds to model fluent reading.
📌 Taking It Further: Try “echo reading”—read a sentence and have your child repeat it, matching your speed, tone, and expression. Children love to mimic-so grab a pretend mic that you can pass off to your child, have fun, and make them laugh!
4. Make Reading Fun and Engaging
Struggling readers often avoid books because reading feels like hard work. Making reading interactive and enjoyable can help your child develop a positive attitude toward reading.
✔ Let your child choose books that interest them—even comics, graphic novels, and magazines count!
✔ Use audiobooks so they can follow along with the text. Try listening to audiobooks on car rides and talking about what is happening in the story.
✔ Incorporate games and hands-on activities to reinforce literacy skills.
📌 Taking It Further: Visit the library or browse a digital library like “Hoopla” or “Epic” and let your child explore different genres. If they love space, find books about astronauts. If they enjoy animals, check out books about wildlife. Try varying fiction and non-fiction in their areas of interest. Share books series that you enjoyed as a child or even let them join you in reading about your hobbies and interests. The more interested they are, the more they’ll want to read!
5. Strengthen Vocabulary and Comprehension
Some children can read words fluently but struggle to understand what they’ve read. This could be due to limited vocabulary or weak comprehension strategies.
✔ Talk about books—ask questions like “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think the character acted that way?”
✔ Teach new words in context—define unfamiliar words with a synonym or concrete example and use new words in conversations.
✔ Have your child retell a story in their own words. They might also enjoy illustrating their summary or creating a comic book style board.
📌 Taking It Further: Use a “think-aloud” strategy—while reading, pause and verbalize your thoughts:
👉 “I wonder why the character made that choice?”
👉 “This reminds me of something that happened in another book we read or a movie we watched.”
This teaches your child how to actively engage and make connections with the text.
6. Read Aloud Together Every Day
Reading aloud to your child—even after they can read on their own—improves comprehension, vocabulary, and listening skills. Although it is a time commitment, research confirms that it is the best way to build a strong reader. It also provides a low-stress way to experience books.
A struggling reader may be frustrated and feel like books at their reading level are too babyish. By reading aloud to them, and thinking aloud as you read, you expose them to new vocabulary words and teach critical comprehension skills. Best of all, you can keep them engaged and interested in becoming a better reader.
✔ Model how to read with expression and fluency.
✔ Choose books above their reading level for a read aloud to expose them to richer vocabulary.
✔ Discuss the story as you read—“How does the setting at the zoo affect the plot of the story?”
📌 Taking It Further: Pick a fun chapter book and make it a habit to read one chapter per night together. Check with your child’s teacher or a librarian if you need suggestions for popular books that your child might enjoy.
7. Provide a Print-Rich Environment
Children learn best when they’re surrounded by books and print in their daily lives. The more they see and engage with written words, the more they practice reading naturally.
✔ Keep books, magazines, and word games easily accessible at home. Boggle, Scrabble Jr. and Bananagrams are good for multiple ages.
✔ For younger readers, label common household items (door, table, chair) to reinforce word recognition.
✔ Encourage reading outside of books, like menus, recipes, text messages, and street signs.
📌 Taking It Further: Place a reading basket in your child’s room with a variety of books they can explore on their own. Provide a comfortable reading nook with pillows and favorite stuffed animals. Rotate available books regularly to keep your child interested.
8. Encourage a Growth Mindset About Reading
Many struggling readers feel frustrated and discouraged, believing they’re “bad at reading.” Help your child see reading as a skill that improves with practice.
✔ Praise effort over perfection—“I love how you worked through that tricky word!”
✔ Realize that you do not have to correct every mistake. Let your child finish a line or phrase and decide what errors need to be corrected.
✔ Share your own reading struggles to show that learning takes time. Explain that “failure” or something being hard at first is true in all areas of life. Connect to non-academic areas (building a lego set, riding a bike, learning to swim, etc.) to model grit and perseverance.
✔ Set small, achievable goals to build confidence.
📌 Taking It Further: Instead of saying, “You have to finish this book,” try, “Let’s read for 10 minutes together and see how far we get!”
9. Consider an Online Reading Tutor for Extra Support
If your child is significantly below grade level, working with an experienced reading tutor can provide the structured support they need.
✔ Tutors offer personalized, one-on-one instruction.
✔ They use research-based methods to build phonics, fluency, and comprehension.
✔ Online sessions provide flexible, convenient learning from home.
📌 Taking It Further: If your child needs extra help, Savvy Learning’s online reading tutors can create a customized plan to help them succeed.
Final Thoughts
✔ Reading struggles are “normal”, but early intervention leads to huge improvements. Focus on progress, not perfection.
✔ Focusing on phonics, fluency, and comprehension can help your child gain confidence.
✔ Making reading fun and interactive encourages children to stay engaged and motivated.
📚 Want expert reading support for your child? Contact Savvy Learning today to help your child build strong literacy skills and confidence!
