Author name: Miz Jan

 

If your child is having a hard time learning to read, you’re not alone, and neither are they. Many bright, creative kids struggle with reading at first. And when reading feels hard, it’s easy for confidence to take a nosedive. That’s why learning how to build confidence in struggling readers is so important.

As a reading tutor who specializes in working with struggling readers aged 6 to 10, I’ve seen firsthand how shame and self-doubt can grow in kids who fall behind. In fact, some of the kids I’ve worked with have started to act out – not because they’re “bad,” but because they’re hurt.

Embarrassment, especially as kids get older, can show up as resistance, distraction, or defiance. Underneath that behavior? Often a discouraged child who feels like they’re the only one not “getting it.”

So how do we help kids rebuild their confidence when reading has been hard?

1. Separate Reading Struggles from Intelligence

Let’s say this loud and clear: struggling to read does not mean a child isn’t smart. In fact, many of the students I’ve worked with are incredibly bright – curious, imaginative, and perceptive. They just need a different approach. When parents and teachers reframe reading as a skill to build rather than a measure of intelligence, kids feel safer to try and less afraid to fail.

Use phrases like:

• “You’re still learning. Everyone learns at their own pace.”
• “You’re working hard, and I’m proud of your effort, not just your results.”

This helps kids redefine what success looks like.

2. Celebrate Progress,  Including What Seems Like “Small” Stuff 

It’s easy to get stuck focusing on what your child can’t read yet. But confidence grows when we shine a light on what’s going right. Did they sound out a word independently? Recognize a tricky word they used to miss? Read a full sentence without prompting?

That’s worth celebrating.

I usually use a combination of positive, specific verbal feedback and fun emojis. What can you do?

• That positive, specific feedback is an important one. For example, “You were having trouble with the Silent E words, but you’re doing it! Nice work!”

• High fives
• Recognition of how hard they’re working on this. For some kids, learning to read seems to come naturally. For about 60% of others – the majority – it takes quite a bit of work. As I’ve progressed as a tutor, I’ve realized that what seems simple to me – someone who has been reading for decades – is not so simple to someone just learning how to decode. First recognize within yourself that this is hard work. Then let them know you recognize it. I’ll often end a tough lesson by thanking my student for how hard they worked.

The goal is to build a sense of momentum — that they’re getting better, step by step. But it’s also to acknowledge that they’re doing good work, work that’s genuinely praiseworthy.

3. Be Their Calm Anchor

Struggling readers often feel anxious during reading time. They may freeze up, guess wildly, or shut down. When this happens, your tone matters more than your tools. If you stay calm and encouraging, they’ll feel safer to keep trying.

It’s important to show them that making mistakes isn’t a problem — it’s part of learning. I often tell my students, “I want you to make mistakes — because that’s how I know what you’re ready to learn.” I also let them know when I make a mistake, because we all do. When kids see that even adults don’t get everything right, it takes some of the pressure off.

The more you normalize mistakes and effort, you normalize effort and mistakes as part of the learning process, the more confident your child will become — not just in reading, but in how they handle challenges.

4. Give Them Books They Can Read (Not Just Books They’re “Supposed” to Read)

Struggling readers often get assigned books that are too hard, which only leads to frustration or guessing. The best books for them are ones that mostly match what they’ve already been taught — so they can actually decode most of the words on the page.

That said, it’s tough to find books that are simple enough to read but still feel appropriate for a child who’s not a beginner in other ways. I often work with kids who are struggling with beginning reading skills at 7 to 10 years old. For them, the options are limited — but there are some excellent resources out there.

My favorite is Beyond Decodables. These printable and online stories are designed to be decodable for readers just learning CVC words to those learning multisyllabic words. Most of the words are decodable for the student’s stage, and any unfamiliar ones can be supported during reading.

My struggling readers especially enjoy “On the Bus to Boston.” Most of my students can read this story fairly well, and they really enjoy it. I let them know up front: “You’ll be able to read most of the words in this story, and I’ll help you with the ones you haven’t learned yet.” That way, they go into the reading with confidence, and they learn that it’s okay to need support sometimes.

5. Know That Acting Out Might Be a Sign of Shame

When kids are embarrassed about their reading, they might not say so. Instead, they might:

• Refuse to read
• Disrupt reading time
• Say things like “I hate reading!” or “This is stupid!”

It’s tempting to correct the behavior – and of course, boundaries are important. But underneath that resistance is often a child who feels unsafe, frustrated, or humiliated.

Try saying:

“Reading is hard for you right now, huh? That makes sense. But I believe in you, and we’re going to keep working at it together.”

That quiet belief can be the difference between a child who gives up… and one who keeps going.

Final Thoughts

If you’re parenting a struggling reader, you’re doing something brave and important. Your support – your patience, your encouragement, your belief – is a game-changer. Confidence doesn’t grow overnight, but it does grow, especially when children are given the right tools and the right support.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-a-jacket-hugging-a-boy-8342270/

 

For years, when I’ve frequented forums on how to help dyslexic kids, professionals have insisted that parents should hire an Orton-Gillingham tutor – that it was the gold standard.

This isn’t surprising. O-G certainly is the OG! It has a long history of championing dyslexic kids and their frustrated families. When Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham pioneered systematic phonics instruction in the 1930s, they gave hope to countless dyslexic children and their families.

O-G is the OG, But is it the GOAT?

So I was a bit shocked last summer when I read a blog post from Timothy Shanahan, a member of the National Reading Panel, in which he claimed that newer research has found that “Orton-Gillingham procedures are no more effective than any other explicit systematic phonics instruction – despite the religious fervor of some of its advocates.”

He cites a 2021 Sage Journal study that, he wrote,

“…found OG to be effective but with rather modest benefits – lower effectiveness than for the average phonics study that NRP considered.

“So much for being the gold standard!”

This isn’t to diminish the groundbreaking work of Orton and Gillingham. Miriam Fein, MS, CCC-SLP, says that “[O-G] has influenced the development of many programs and resources, not only for those identified as dyslexic but also for classroom instruction aimed at all beginning readers. Orton’s theories and the instructional methods that grew out of them continue to influence the field of reading instruction and intervention.” But she says this in an article comparing an approach called speech-to-print to O-G and favoring the speech-to-print approach: A Speech-to-Print, Linguistic Phonics Approach: What Is It and How Does It Compare to Orton-Gillingham?

What the heck is print-to-speech or speech-to-print?

To be honest, I wondered that even after I began using a speech-to-print method called Reading Simplified^®. Orton-Gillingham is a print-to-speech program.

Print-to-Speech

• In print-to-speech programs, students learn to associate letter sounds with the names of the letters.
• Many Orton-Gillingham other print-to-speech programs follow a sequence that emphasizes mastering a skill – like identifying all short vowel sounds – before introducing more advanced patterns. While some practitioners take a more flexible approach, the emphasis on isolated mastery can increase cognitive load for some students.
• When those programs often teach reading skills before moving on, as described above, in a step-by-step sequence, the relationship between those skills – how they fit together during the activity of reading – can be unclear.

Speech-to-Print

Speech-to-print programs start with the premise that children already know the words and how they sound. Learning to speak is wired into humans, while letters and reading are not. Here are a few differences:
• The names of the letters are not taught because it’s the sounds the letters spell that are used in decoding, not the names of the letters.
• A dyslexic child is already struggling with the cognitive load of having more difficulty learning to read. Adding the memorization of rules adds to the cognitive load. Nora Chahbazi, founder of another speech-to-print program called EBLI (Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction) writes of speech-to-print programs, “Instead of teaching rigid rules, students learn flexible spelling patterns that can be applied to many words.” ⁵
• These methods also use activities that work together to help students connect letter sounds with words, words with sentences, and sentences with longer text, such as stories and books. The purpose of the various skills becomes clear, because the student is using them together to start reading as soon as the student can read even a small number of words.

The Bottom Line

If your child is dyslexic, Orton-Gillingham is one good option. Many skilled and compassionate tutors use O-G-based approaches successfully every day. But many parents have found these streamlined speech-to-print programs a better choice for their children, and one that gets them reading much faster.

The bottom line is that you can explore other possibilities if your child is struggling with reading without feeling like Orton-Gillingham is the only choice. I hope this post will help you see that there are alternatives, especially for those who find the Orton-Gillingham interventions either too costly or too cognitively demanding for their children or who simply find it isn’t working for their child.

* Photo by James Wheeler (with modification on sign): https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-pathway-surrounded-by-fir-trees-1578750/

 

 

If you’ve read my blog or much of anything I’ve written about teaching kids to read, you know I’m a huge proponent of the Reading Simplified® program. Not only is it one of the most effective reading programs out there, it’s one of the most accessible to parents due to the reasonable cost of training.

 

Next week, from Monday, Sept. 30, to Friday, Oct. 4 (2024), you can learn their flagship technique, Switch It, for free, and with plenty of support during Reading Simplified’s 5-Day Reading Breakthrough

 

The 5-Day Reading Breakthrough includes:

 

• Expertise in Switch It, a powerful reading game that addresses over 19 Common Core standards

• The materials you need to use Switch It with your own children or students

• Live 30-minute classes from Dr. Marnie Ginsberg, the creator of the Reading Simplified program

• Access to a private pop-up Facebook group where Reading Simplified experts and teachers around the world will support & encourage you (as they have done for me!)

I have an affiliate link for this event, so I’ll earn if you join through my link and buy more. But I’ve recommended Reading Simplified for ages without one. My goal, always, is to help you get clear on the best, most effective ways to help kids learn to read, especially those who are struggling with reading.

 

https://readingsimplified.com/reading-breakthrough/?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=flourishwithphonics

Letters do not make sounds. The first time I heard that, I was surprised. And yet – when is the last time you heard a letter make a sound? Never, right?

Letters don’t make sounds. Sounds are represented by letters. That’s why, when we teach kids to read, it’s best to start by starting with the sounds kids already know and then showing them that letters are the “secret code” that helps them read and write the words that use those sounds.

This concept, introduced by influential cognitive psychologist Diane McGuinness, revolutionized the way some reading programs are taught – programs that research has proven to be some of the most effective:

– Phono-Graphix

– EBLI

– Sounds-Write

Once I learned this, I felt embarrassed about all the times I’ve told my students that “L says llllllll,” etc. But I shouldn’t. I’m far from alone.

These programs are called speech-to-print programs. Most reading programs are print-to-speech.

The speech-to-print program I use, Reading Simplified, was developed by Dr. Marnie Ginsberg, who led the development of the Targeted Reading Intervention at the University of North Carolina. TRI, which is on the federal What Works Clearinghouse and is endorsed by such organizations as Evidence for ESSA and RAND Corporation’s Promising Practices Network, was eventually expanded into her Reading Simplified program.

Explaining the difference between speech-to-print and print-to-speech would take longer than a Facebook post. You can learn more from the late Dr. McGuiness’s book “Why Our Children Can’t Read.”

For now, just know that speech-to-print programs can help kids learn to read, going from CVC words to multi-syllable words in as few as 12 hours of targeted instruction.

If you’re surprised by this, intrigued, knowledgeable, or have anything else to say or ask, please leave a comment!

In my last post, I listed the things parents and caretakers can do for their struggling readers. The three things I recommend you get started with now are:

• Requesting a free evaluation from your school district
• Finding out whether your school is using an evidence-based reading curriculum
• Teaching your child to read using an evidence-based method, or hiring a tutor to do so

None of these are simple, so I’m adding some guidance here. Just take a deep breath and take one step at a time.
 

Request a free evaluation from your school district

In the U.S., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that school districts offer such an evaluation to any child within their district who has or is suspected of having a disability that affects their ability to learn. This includes children who are homeschooled or who attend a private school. So your first step is to request an evaluation from your school district. If your child goes to a private school, you might need to request it from the district where the private school is located, but that can vary. Ask your school district for guidance.

Schools have up to 60 days to respond (although some states require a shorter period), and that’s just before the testing begins. Here’s what you can do to move things along, according to Understood.org:

What can I do if the school is moving too slowly with an evaluation?

 

Find out whether your school is using an evidence-based curriculum

This is a tricky one. When my son was in school, I wouldn’t have known what to look for. This article by Emily Hanford is helpful, but it might be overwhelming:

What to do if your child’s school isn’t teaching reading right?

You might be wondering why schools would be using ineffective methods, especially when we’ve had the data for so long. We’ll get into that in another post, but Hanford’s article “Hard Words” offers a good overview. Many schools are changing to evidence-based curricula, but many are not. Hanford’s podcast “Sold a Story” caused a stir; that’s caused many school districts to change their curricula, but many have not. After reading “Hard Words,” consider listening to “Sold a Story.”

The time waiting for an evaluation and learning about the school’s curriculum is time when your child is still struggling with reading, thinking she’s stupid (she’s not), possibly learning methods that are ineffective and will need to be unlearned, and over time, falling behind in other classes that require reading (i.e., ALL the classes, except possibly PE).*

While you wait for results, the most important thing you can do is offer your child reading lessons that follow the research – research we’ve known about for decades.
 

Teach your child to read or hire a tutor

The method I use, Reading Simplified^®, is highly effective and is used by many homeschoolers, but there are other excellent programs.

If you want to teach your child to read yourself, though, I would highly recommend Reading Simplified. It’s not as expensive to learn as other effective programs, and it’s a fun, streamlined program.

I want to be clear that Reading Simplified does not have an affiliate program and I do not earn any money by recommending it. I’m just a huge fan.

If you hire a tutor, choose one who uses an evidence-based curriculum. You might have been told that Orton-Gillingham is the only good choice. Orton-Gillingham is an excellent program, but other programs are just as effective, so don’t feel restricted to that one program. Struggling readers have had great success with Reading Simplified, and one Reading Simplified tutor documented the results she had with a student who did better with RS than with OG.

If you’ve taught your child to read, please let us know in the comments what methods and resources you recommend.

Thanks for reading!

Miz Jan

*This might not apply to homeschoolers. I’ve looked for research on whether children need to learn to read by Grade 2 because of brain wiring but haven’t found anything. Kids in public schools will fall behind, and that can lead to disastrous results.

If your child struggles with reading, you might be frustrated trying to figure out what to do. This post lists a few things you can do; I’ll be going into more detail about most of them in subsequent posts. Please note: This is not listed in order of when you should do each thing. You can be doing all of them.

First, don’t blame your child. You probably already know this. There are many reasons why children struggle with reading, and the next tip relates to that.

Find out whether your school is using an evidence-based curriculum. Or try. Surprisingly, many districts don’t. In 2022, the NAEP found that over 60% of fourth graders in the U.S. were reading below grade level. Using evidence-based curricula is essential to overcoming this.

Request a free evaluation for special education from your school district. In the U.S., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that school districts offer such an evaluation to any child within their district who has or is suspected of having a disability that affects their ability to learn. This includes children who are homeschooled or who attend a private school.

Teach your child to read on your own if you’re comfortable with it, and if your child is open to it. Use a method that’s aligned with the Science of Reading (this simply means there’s evidence that the method or curriculum works.). I recommend Reading Simplified^®, the method I use when I tutor.

Find a tutor if teaching your child isn’t feasible or doesn’t work out. See if your school offers tutoring, but be sure the tutor is using an evidence-based curriculum.

 

Additional Tips

While the above list will help your child learn to read, the next two tips will help them succeed in other areas before they’re able to read at grade level.

Read to your child and then discuss the story or book. Just have a pleasant, low-pressure discussion, similar to what you might talk about with a friend if you watched a movie together. This helps develop comprehension skills.

For older children, use technology to assist with reading and writing schoolwork. Free and paid options exist for those who have a computer or cell phone and an internet connection. One great tool that’s free is Microsoft Edge’s read-aloud option. Just go to a website, press F9, and choose “Read Aloud.”

Keep an eye out for more detailed posts on several of these options. And be sure to let me know which ones you’d like to know more about first!

Thanks for reading!

Miz Jan