Reading is a foundational skill that unlocks learning in school and beyond. We all want to equip our children to be successful learners and be able to read at an appropriate level for their age. A great way to know your child’s level is to give them a reading assessment like the one provided for free here at Savvy Learning.

“Reading fluency results when a reader has developed enough skills to recognize words quickly and accurately. A large portion of a child’s fluency growth happens for readers from 7-8 years old. A typical reader progresses from reading about 30 words correctly per minute in the middle of grade 1 to about 100 words correctly per minute by the end of grade 2. On average, many children reach what we would consider fluent reading level by around 9- 10 years old.
https://www.nwea.org/blog/2021/6-ways-to-help-your-child-read-fluently-cover-to-cover/ “.

There are many ways to help a struggling reader. You should start by making sure your child receives systematic, research-based instruction to master reading skills. This should include a focus on phonemic awareness and phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency. Below we have listed some of the best ways to help a struggling reader.

• Encourage your child to sound out words, not just guess their meaning. Understanding how a word sounds and the phonetics behind the letters is key to helping the child develop patterns and build on reading skills.
• Read aloud with your child every day. This promotes a love of reading, a strong vocabulary, and increased content knowledge.
• Take turns reading out loud. When your child sees you doing it as well, this will further encourage the behavior. Talk with your child while reading a story together. Make predictions and discuss the pictures you see. Ask questions about what is happening in the story to ensure your child is engaged.
• Provide a variety of appropriate leveled books for your child to read at home, including plenty of decodable readers (short books with words composed of phonics patterns that students are learning).
• Provide plenty of opportunities for positive reading experiences with your child at home with plenty of encouragement. The positive reinforcement will help solidify a love of reading and encourage the child more.
• Reread familiar text. Giving students a chance to reread text improves their fluency by becoming more and more familiar with the subject matter.
• Help your child find books that they love at an appropriate reading level. Seek help from your librarian if you need suggestions.
• Encourage your child to read in real-life situations. Even having them read movie times, grocery lists, recipes, road signs, etc., will form healthy reading habits for them. Show your child how reading is integral to their everyday lives.
• Be patient and realize that every child is different and learns at their own rate. Don’t make them feel ashamed or embarrassed about reading struggles.