Struggling Readers

One of the biggest challenges I faced when I began my homeschooling career was teaching my daughters how to read. They were at a developmental stage where they were expected to read to learn, not still learning to read. Materials for their age was scarce and all the mediums I tried left me and my girls frustrated and exhausted. If I just described what you are going through, be confident that you are not alone. In fact, in the United States many children graduate at a reading level below fourth grade (Crum, 2013). Yet, in the homeschooling community, illiteracy just isn’t an option. We invest our time and our resources into our children to net the best possible outcome. Hours of research, and hours of prayer. Yet you may feel as if you have done more damage by pulling your child out of the classroom. Let me encourage you. You are a brick layer. You are building a foundation.

Perhaps you cannot understand why the curriculum you have used for your other children is not working, or the materials you have researched it is not working like you anticipated. I know how you feel. Stop. Breathe. Remember that good foundations take time. Isaiah wrote that God builds foundations (Is. 28:16). Though the verse is discussing how Christ is our foundation, we can apply this to our homeschooling. Since we know that we are building a foundation for our children’s future learning through teaching them to read, we must ensure that their foundation is secure. The Children of the Code (2013) suggests that language is an artificial process where the brain interoperates written codes and makes it into words. While we may not agree with these evolutionary minded individuals we do know that learning to read is foundational for our children and can determine their academic future. If your children are still struggling with reading there may be some element missing in their foundation. These students require explicit instruction where typically developing children do not. Be aware that as our children age without advancing in their reading ability, they begin to believe that they will never read. They lose hope and the motivation to continue struggling. Thus, it can feel like an uphill battle. Thankfully, there are strategies to motivate and provide different approaches to assist us and our children along the way.

One of the first and simplest things you can do with your children in the beginning stages of reading costs nothing but time. Phonemes is the process in which we can explore sounds. If you add letters to the mix, you have crossed over into phonics. Typically, phonemes are introduced when children are at the beginning stages of reading (3, 4. 5). Phonemes can be presented as a short game and can be played over and over as long as the child needs this interaction. An example: “do you hear the first sound in ‘dog’? /d/ og…what is the sound?” Work with simple words; the easiest sounds to isolate are the beginning and ending sounds. The middle sounds are much more difficult. Then cross over to phonics. This phase can be short or long depending on your child’s developmental stage. There is no set formula; just allow your child to set the pace.

For older children, who may still be struggling and possibly losing interest in reading, here are some ideas. Does your child like video games? Maybe a game with a story line or script will capture their attention. High interest media can assist in motivation for struggling readers, especially during the ‘tween years. Katz and Carlisle (2009) explains that motivation plays a key role in students learning to read. If a child motivated to work hard; they will struggle to accomplish the goal of reading fluency. Graphic novels mix text with pictures so that children can infer meaning with the words. Graphic novel are particularly of interest with boys, who gravitate towards that medium. Moreover, there are many very good graphic novels available in both classic and Christian genre’s. Furthermore, some websites allow children to create their own comic strip. This encourages both interest in text and vocabulary development. Overall, the aspect of building a high quality graphic novel supports motivation and stimulates creativity. All which all support higher cognitive development.

Finally, audio books are a very good option. They can assist in introducing more age appropriate themes and vocabulary words into your child repertoire and therefore support higher achievement. Moreover, audio books allow the child to hear the rhythm and inflection of excellent reading. Since the struggling reader no longer needs to labor over decoding they can immerse themselves into the story. This supports a love for good literature and counts as reading in portfolios. I have used both audio books and radio theater over the years, both have added depth and interest to our studies.

As you work with your child, keep these ideas in mind. Set reasonable goals that are just above your child’s ability. Allow your child to read simple books. Fluency is the goal, simple books intermixed with books which are slightly more challenging will assist in this goal.

References

Children of the Code. (2013). Retrieved April 18, 2017, from http://www.childrenofthecode.org/Tour/c2/dialogues.htm

Crum, M. (2013, September 06). The U.S. Illiteracy Rate Hasn't Changed In 10 Years. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html

Katz, L. A., & Carlisle, J. F. (2009). Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties to be Close Readers: A Feasibility Study. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools, 40(3), 325-340. doi:10.1044/0161-1461(2009/07-0096)