Reading is an important communication skill, but many children struggle with it due to poor eyesight, lack of motivation, less attention from parents or guardians, poor phonemic awareness, late involvement, speech and hearing defects, a limited experience with books, and lack of comprehension. The peculiarities of these struggles are different at different levels. Readers may encounter struggles at different points. Children can learn how to read as soon as they can make sounds, and mastery of this skill can boost confidence, improve academic performance, and enhance communication skills.
Good readers are groomed. Reading is not an inherent skill; it is learned. This is not to say children can’t become good readers when reading starts late. However, it is easier when a child learns reading skills at the same time, they pick up other communication skills. The mistake most parents make is introducing reading too late. A child should learn to read before the commencement of formal education. Now, you might ask, “How early is early enough? A child can read once they are phonemically aware. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and use phonemes to build words. This skill is important as it is the bedrock of acquiring reading skills. At this stage, emphasis must be placed on phonemic awareness. They learn the alphabet and the sounds of the alphabet and begin to build their vocabulary and grammar skills in the language. The danger of delaying reading is that they begin to see their counterparts read, something they can’t do, which not only reduces their self-esteem but also their confidence. They become too scared to even try for fear of mistakes.
Many children struggle to read because of a lack of motivation: most parents are so eager to see their children read that they begin to rush learning. This slows down learning and introduces confusion and fear. It is expedient to remember that you are dealing with a child; hence, a child-friendly approach should be adopted. Build a relatable learning environment. Children love fun and colourful things, and reading should not be short of that. Think of fun ways to introduce phonemes and other fundamental aspects of reading, like playing word and sound games with the learner, using flashcards, etc. Also, you can imbibe the reward approach. Give rewards; this will get the learner motivated. Remember that reading is a skill that should be developed over time, so be patient and be repetitive. Do get weary of repetition, as it builds retention in the learner. Use books that are on the same level as the child’s proficiency while introducing one concept at a time.
Another aspect of struggling with reading is poor comprehension. Comprehension is the ability to understand, interpret, and retain what is being read. It is a combination of reading and cognitive reasoning. Many children can read but find it difficult to retain information, especially in long-chapter books. Many factors may contribute to this, including weak vocabulary, paying more attention to details than the main idea, distractions, etc. Solutions to this may include the use of outlines and notes, flashcards, reading stories in sections, and asking open-ended and reflective questions, as this enables the learner to reflect on what they have read and discuss complex words and their meanings. Also, encourage reading aloud. Because a child’s listening ability is usually higher than their reading ability, reading aloud gives the learner access to more information.
Defects can also be a major factor in the struggles of learners. An example of a reading defect is dyslexia. This is the inability to string phonemes together to form words. A child with dyslexia learns words very slowly and faces difficulty forming words; they have problems remembering letters and sounds.
Reading is a language-based skill, and a child does not acquire this skill naturally; rather, many of these reading skills, like decoding, word recognition, and comprehension, have to be taught directly. Reading at developmental stages should be practical and engaging. Finally, give your child time. Reading can be broad; give your child time to understand the foundations. When the child understands the nitty-gritty
