Why Do Kids Struggle With Reading Comprehension

Why Do Kids Struggle With Reading Comprehension – Reading is a skill. Like any other skill it requires proper instruction, regular practice, and effective feedback to develop the skill well.

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand what you have read. Since effective reading comprehension is fundamental to most learning, it is important to have a strong foundation, otherwise a child may see challenges in school in math, science, English, and many other subjects. It may also lead to problems in writing, spelling, and fluency. These issues could result in barriers to learning and lead to confidence issues in a student.

Why do so many kids have difficulty with comprehension? There are many aspects to reading comprehension and they must be taught properly and practiced consistently to ensure success.

Struggling with reading comprehension is a common problem. What causes it? There could be many reasons.

Children have different learning styles. Kids do not all learn the same way. A one-size fits all instruction at school may not work for all learners.
There is a lack of effective and explicit instruction. There are many facets to reading comprehension, including decoding, making connections, fluency, and synthesizing (thinking deeply about what they have read). Each aspect must be taught and practiced. Teachers must know how to do this properly.
There might be a lack of time in the school day. Teachers are challenged with many curriculum demands and a variety of learning levels in the same classroom. Supporting reading comprehension effectively takes time and practice.

What can you do to help your child succeed?

Read with them daily. Guide them as they read. Show them how to decode a text properly, and make connections to themselves, the world around them, and to other books they have read.
Offer a variety of reading materials including fiction and non-fiction texts at their correct reading level. Model what good readers do. Allow them to practice.
Motivate and encourage them as they reach milestones. Work with gradually more challenging texts. Find interesting subjects for their age level
Develop their vocabulary. The more words your child recognizes and understands the easier decoding becomes.

Don’t have the time to do the above yourself? We can help. Contact us to learn how we teach reading comprehension. Sometimes working together with other children helps them to realize they are not alone. Our trained and certified teachers are ready to help!