Archives for September 2020

How to Improve Kids Reading Ability When They are Disinterested and Disengaged

September 24, 2020

Some children avoid reading because of reading struggles, but others may not like to read. This could be related to feeling that reading is just another homework assignment given to them by teachers. Or maybe they just haven’t found a book genre that speaks to them. If a child doesn’t read consistently, they may fall behind in proficiency because they simply aren’t reading enough.

Here’s how to improve kids’ reading ability (and their motivation!) if they are disinterested in books and disengaged while reading.

Let Them Choose Their Books

Teachers in higher grade levels may assign books that the entire class must read. In this case, a child will not have a choice regarding what is read at school. However, reading time at home is a different story…literally!

Parents should let children explore topics that interest them. Let kids pick out their own books. While libraries may be closed during the pandemic, many will let members request books for pick-up. Or parents can download books for use on e-reader platforms.

How can parents figure out what books a child likes? Brainstorm with them! Grab a piece of paper and set a stopwatch for two minutes. During that time, encourage kids to list all the subjects, places, people and ideas that interest them. After the two minutes, review the list together. Then look for books on their level that fall in these interest areas.

Create a Rewards System

Kids may need a little motivation to read, and a rewards system can help. Create a reading program at home that includes both reading goals and reading rewards. Get creative and crafty; design a reading chart that allows kids to place stickers or stamps every time they hit a reading goal. These goals can be set in reading minutes, number of pages read or the number of books read each month.

Don’t make goals too easy or too hard. Create rewards that are simple and fun—they don’t have to be expensive! Rewards can include extra time for online play, a later weekend bedtime, additional privileges or even small tokens like pencils and erasers. Create a goal and rewards system that works for your child.

Read the Book and Watch the Movie as a Family

If a child is reading a book that has been adapted to the big screen, host a family book-movie night! Here’s the catch, though. The entire family needs to read the book together. Depending on the ages of family members this may mean that everyone reads independently, or parents can read to younger children.

Ask questions about the book after every chapter; talk about the events and characters. Then host a movie night and watch the adaptation. You may even consider munching on story-themed snacks.

Make Sure Kids Read On Their Level

Reading frustration can stem from kids trying to read a book that’s too hard. Maybe they want to read the same book as their friend—who might be on a higher reading level. Encourage children to always read on their own level, and at their own speed.

Reading isn’t a race, and books should be chosen to fit the abilities of the reader. If a child doesn’t read on their level, they may miss parts of the plot and simply disengage. The more kids read, the better readers they can become…and that means choosing harder books when they are ready! Understood provides guidance on how to find appropriate books on your child’s level.

Turn off the Stopwatch

Yes, your child’s teacher may have instructed 20 minutes of reading a night. Setting the clock, though, may cause kids to see reading as an activity that has to be finished just to run out the clock. A timer also may encourage kids to give up the book when they are engrossed in the plot. If a child reads for an hour on both Saturday and Sunday, they’ve still clocked more minutes than their peers who read for 20 minutes during the week. Kids should read regularly, and they should set weekly reading goals that meet classroom expectations. Forget about the traditional reading log!

Ask for Help

While goals, rewards, interesting books and some creativity may inspire kids to read more, they still may struggle with comprehension or fluency. If a child is struggling, reach out to the teacher and ask for help or guidance.

Your child’s teacher may be able to give advice on how to best help them at home, or the teacher may initiate further reading evaluations. Parents should trust their gut instinct; they know their child best. Sometimes a teacher can provide reassurance that everything is ok, but they also can be the best resource if more help is needed.

Use a Reading App at Home

As many parents are at home with children supervising virtual learning, they may utilize reading apps or reading programs online to help children with reading fundamentals. There are many programs available that are designed to make children better readers or to help struggling readers; investigate the options and utilize trial periods to better understand the program’s features and capabilities.

Readability offers lessons that can help children who struggle with fluency and comprehension. A built-in AI tutor provides assistance if a child has difficulty with pronunciation or if they stumble during lessons. The tutor also asks comprehension questions after each story to gauge understanding. Parents can sign up for a free-seven day trial period to better understand if Readability is a fit for their child; the trial provides access to all features.

Ready to try Readability? Begin a free trial today!

Raising A Reader: Toddler Reading Programs That Work

September 23, 2020

Learning to read does not just start when your child enters school. Babies and young children are constantly learning skills that will help them master literacy. Children between the ages of 2-5 years old are at a critical age where their language skills are quickly evolving, and they are constantly absorbing information.

Parents often think that the actual act of reading only begins when their child begins reading actual books. However, the reading process starts long before that.

Learning to read actually begins once your child starts becoming aware of language and phonemic awareness. This starts as early as the womb, when parents talk to read their soon-to-be baby.

The key to raising a reader is giving them opportunities to learn different reading skills early on. Toddler reading programs can help young children acquire the foundation to become a successful reader in the future.

Getting your toddler to use a reading program can be a helpful way to make sure their language skills in general, not even just reading skills, are on track.

Here are some of our favorite toddler reading programs that truly work wonders:

Readability – Readability is a great app for school age children to practice and enhance their reading skills, but it can also work great for very young children as well.

The app has a massive collection of original content that is constantly being updated, so your child will never run out of stories to read.

This reading app is especially great for toddlers because it has the ability to read the stories to your child so that they have a model for reading whenever they want.

The app also provides an interactive reading experience with colorful and engaging illustrations that your toddler will love.

ABCMouse Early Learning Academy – ABCMouse has fast become a go-to for preschool and kindergarten teachers to help facilitate learning in the classroom with tablets.

It is a great reading program to use at home as well because it “grows” with your child.

The program has different levels and can help your child build their skills no matter what grade they are. They start off with learning phonemic awareness and the alphabet. As your child grows older they can access more advanced levels.

FirstWords: Animals – This fun and interactive game is meant to help your child learn to recognize letters and enhance their phonemic awareness.

Your child has to match the letter tiles to spell out the names of animals. If they get the spelling right, the illustration makes the sound of the animal.

This app also helps enhance your child’s fine motor skills when they are matching the tiles.

Interactive Alphabet – Learning the alphabet is often the beginning steps of teaching your child to read.

This highly interactive app makes learning the alphabet fun and engaging. The app provides various activities for your child to stimulate their learning in different ways.

Your child can hear songs and singalong to learn the alphabet. They also get a little bit of writing practice by tracing letters and you can even customize it to upload your own photos and images.

Homer – This award winning app takes the approach of content-learning to help your young children learn to read.

You can choose from topics that your child is interested in such as their favorite TV show or activity. There are thousands of lessons on phonics, sight words, and other reading skills.

This is another app that your child can use as they grow up. The app provides specific lessons for specific age groups.

Reading Raven – This interactive reading program helps your toddler build their reading skills by focusing on their phonemic awareness.

This phonics-based program uses fun games to help your child become familiar with the sounds of the letters and also helps them to learn to spell words.

There are also lessons to help build their sight words familiarity, which is often the first step to vocabulary building for young children.

Exposing your children to reading skills early on can help ensure that they are successful with learning to read when they are in school. In fact, children who are exposed to reading and reading is set as a priority in their households usually end up doing better when they are learning to read.

Learning the alphabet, sight words, and building phonemic awareness are the building blocks to successful reading in the future. When they learn these skills early, they are able to actually enjoy the act of reading quicker and end up becoming enthusiastic readers.

Using effective reading programs like Readability can help get your child ahead in the reading game and can also enhance other skills such as writing. These research-based toddler reading programs are effective ways to help your child build the necessary reading skills even before they enter 1st grade.

How a Reading Skills Program Can Be Integrated Into Virtual Learning

September 22, 2020

Schools across the country have switched to online learning during the pandemic, and parents may be supervising these lessons from home. While parents once struggled to manage work-life balance, now they need to balance work, home and virtual learning.

If a child is struggling in a core subject like reading, parents may feel an additional educational burden, especially if the district or school cannot provide more assistance.

Providing extra reading enrichment may be up to parents; kids, though, may push back against their parent-teacher piling on more work. Here’s how a reading skills program can be integrated into distance learning without overwhelming your child as they are adjusting to their new virtual normal.

Let Kids Explore the Program

Apps and online reading skills programs are popular. If parents wish to use virtual platforms for reading skills programs, they should sign up for a free trial of the program (if it’s available) and let kids explore the features.

Giving kids a bit of freedom to explore the reading skills program can help them understand the layout and design, and, of course, how the program can help them to become better readers. Exploring the app or program may reveal that the child simply isn’t engaged or excited about the design or format.

For a program to be impactful and beneficial, the child needs to engage. If a trial reveals that the child is completely underwhelmed by the program, then parents can rethink the option and try out other programs.

Sometimes finding the right reading skills program is a bit of trial and error. The first program might not be the best fit, and that’s ok. Ask your child questions about the program and talk about what they like…and what they really don’t like about the program. Try these conversation starters:

What’s your favorite feature of the program?
Tell me about the program…was the app easy to use? If it wasn’t easy, what made it frustrating?
Were any of the features not working? Which features didn’t work or had problems?
Do you like the stories or books? Were the books too easy or too hard for you?

Parents Should Explore the Program, Too

Let your child use the app or program first, but parents should explore the program, too. If a child is expressing frustration about an app or program feature, parents should research this to better understand any glitches.

Parents also need to gain insight about how the app will measure a child’s progress and reading levels. Reading apps and reading skills programs should provide some type of reporting mechanism for parents to gauge the benefits of the program. Parents need to see a benefit for their money.

Create a Schedule

A child who is struggling with reading and perhaps overwhelmed with a new online school environment might not be so excited to add yet another virtual assignment to their schedule. Remember, teachers also are assigning reading work—most likely, 20-30 minutes per day. Plus, depending on grade level, children may have writing assignments for language arts.

Don’t overwhelm kids with extra work, but provide enough enrichment to complement daily school lessons. Parents can—and should—sit down with kids to better understand the virtual schedule and nightly homework assignments. Together, parents and kids can carve out enrichment sessions with reading skills programs that help kids to boost their proficiency…but doesn’t burn them out.

Maybe reading skills programs are utilized a few days a week for half an hour. Parents also can teleconference with the child’s teacher to better understand the online curriculum and ask for advice on how often to utilize a reading skills program at home.

Consider a Reward System

Both kids and parents are stressed and anxious right now. To say that 2020 has been difficult is an incredible understatement, and we all need something that makes us happy and brings joy to the day. Kids can’t be so stressed and overwhelmed that they have no time for fun or to just be a kid. There needs to be balance…for everyone.

Keep reading skills programs from feeling like an assignment by creating a rewards system that is tied to the lessons. Rewards don’t have to be expensive or anything monetary. And the goals for earning rewards should be individualized for each child—they could be tied to reading minutes, books read or reading level progress. Don’t make goals unattainable, though.

Some reward ideas include:

Movie night
Extra screen time
A special treat
A later bedtime (just not on a school night!)
A treasure chest full of little prizes (erasers, stickers, etc.)

Read Brightly states that reading rewards “…work if they’re small and immediate.” This means that kids should be rewarded once the goal is achieved. The site also notes that goals shouldn’t be too easy. A reward, after all, should feel like an accomplishment. Parents can download the Reading Rewards app for kids to track their progress.

Parents should review different reading skills programs to find the best one for their child; many reading programs—including Readability—offer a free trial period to get acquainted with content.

Use this trial period to let kids explore the program first and talk about what they liked about the program. Parents also need to feel comfortable about how results and progress will be measured; the goal of a reading skills program is to help a child improve their reading, and the program should be able to document progress.

As virtual learning is now the norm in many school districts, parents should set realistic goals for kids and consider offering a rewards program. Motivation is key, and kids shouldn’t be so weighed down with extra work that they burnout.

Ready to explore Readability? Sign up for your free seven-day trial.

Reading Programs for Special Education Students

September 21, 2020

Every child is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching children how to read. This is especially true when it comes to teaching reading to children with special needs. Learning to read can be a struggle for children with special needs. But fortunately, there are many effective reading programs for special education students available.

If your child has special needs, it’s important to learn about these programs so you can get them the help they need to succeed.

What Are Some Reading Disabilities?

Kids with special needs may suffer from reading or learning disabilities that make it more difficult for them to develop reading skills. There are many different types of reading and learning disabilities, including:

Dyslexia: This is one of the most common and well-known reading disabilities. Children with dyslexia may struggle to sound out words and comprehend written words, which significantly impairs their ability to read.
Hyperlexia: Kids with hyperlexia actually are above average readers, but they struggle to understand what they read.
ADHD: Kids with ADHD have trouble concentrating, which can make reading far more difficult.
Autism spectrum disorder: This is a developmental disorder, but it can negatively impact a child’s ability to read. Children with this developmental disorder may be strong readers, but they often struggle with reading comprehension.

These are some of the many reading and learning disabilities that can hinder a child’s ability to learn to read.

How Do You Teach A Special Needs Child to Read?

Enrolling in a reading program for special education students is one way to help special needs children improve their reading skills. But there are other steps that parents can take to help their children blossom into better readers. Follow these tips:

Let your child read books that interest them. If your child loves sports, for example, find a way to incorporate books on sports into every reading lesson.
Keep lessons short. Cramming too much material into a single lesson can overwhelm a child with special needs.
Structure each lesson with three separate parts. Start by reviewing what you covered the day before. Then, introduce and teach your child a new concept. Finally, end your lesson by practicing the new concept with your child.
Create a multi-sensory learning environment. Try to engage more than one of your child’s senses when teaching them how to read. Ideally, each lesson should engage your child’s sense of touch, sight, and sound.
Make sure your child stays motivated. Struggling readers often become frustrated, which makes them want to give up on reading. Don’t let this happen to your child—reward them for their progress, recognize their achievements, and encourage them to practice, practice, practice.

It takes time—and patience—to teach your child with special needs how to read. Stick to these strategies to help your child improve their reading skills and reach their goals.

What Are Some Reading Programs For Special Education Students?

There are countless reading programs out there, but certain programs are better suited for special needs children than others. Some of the most effective reading programs for children with special needs include:

Readability: This smart reading and comprehension learning app is designed for children at reading levels K-5. It is designed to help struggling readers improve their phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills. The settings can be adjusted to accommodate your child’s special needs. For example, parents can adjust the speed that the app reads the text aloud to your child to ensure they can keep up. This is an effective reading program that kids can use anytime, anywhere.
Learning Ally: This reading program is designed for children with dyslexia. By signing up for Learning Ally, children can access a library of audiobooks that they can listen to independently in order to develop a love of reading and improve their reading skills.
StudyDog: This reading program helps readers of all abilities improve their skills and become more confident, independent readers. The program uses games, interactive videos, and other fun tools to teach kids crucial reading skills.
SpellRead: Special needs children who are grade 2 or above may benefit from the SpellRead reading program. This program uses both visual and auditory teaching methods to help children master vital reading skills.
Zane Education: This online reading program is designed for children with special needs. It caters to various learning styles, gives users the opportunity to choose topics they are interested in reading about, and allows readers to work at their own pace, which is ideal for children with special needs.

If you’re ready to help your child become a better read, download the Readability app on your smartphone or tablet and start your free 7-day trial today.

Help 2nd Grader With Reading Chapter Books

September 18, 2020

Seeing your child finally be able to read on their own can feel like a big accomplishment for both your child and yourself. By 2nd grade, your child is ready to move on from reading mostly picture books to full on chapter books!

However, making that transition can be daunting for new readers, but there are simple ways to help 2nd grader with reading chapter books that will get them motivated and excited to read.

What is the reading level for 2nd grade?

2nd grade is when your child is able to read independently. They should be able to identify over 200 sight words.

They can read and create complete sentences as well as should be able to read short paragraphs on their own.

They are able to read much more fluently and have an expanded vocabulary. They also are using reading comprehension skills so they should be able to easily understand and make connections to the reading.

Should second graders be reading chapter books?

Since your child has much more advanced reading skills by now, it would be a great time to introduce them to reading chapter books. Many parents might wonder if their child is ready to be reading chapter books in the second grade.

There are many great beginning chapter books that are appropriate for your second grader to begin reading. Getting them to read chapter books is a great way to enhance their reading skills and to improve their reading levels.

According to Judy Packhem, a certified reading specialist and consultant, instead of considering the right age for reading a chapter, you should find the right match of book to the reader, “A good match holds a child’s interest and can be read with 95 percent or higher accuracy.”

Packhem recommends using the 5-Finger Rule when introducing new books to your child. The 5-Finger Rule is a way to measure if a book is too challenging or the right level for your child.

Have your child begin reading a book, every time your child runs into a word they do not know they raise one finger. If they raise five fingers before they get to the end of the page, the book is too challenging for them to read.

Some relatively new readers might feel too intimidated to start reading chapter books. Really it is a matter of choosing the right book for them to read. Finding the right one can help them feel motivated to read.

How can I help my 2nd grader with reading chapter books?

Choose a series – Chapter books can feel intimidating to new readers at first. The key is to find a book that will interest them and keep them wanting to read more.

You should consider getting your child a book series. These often help kids to keep wanting to read more and helps to invest them into a story.

Read the book in sessions – Never rush your child to finish a book. In fact, you should encourage them to go through the book slowly when they are first getting into chapter books.

They can start off by reading one chapter each week. Then, if they enjoy the book, you can bump that up to a chapter a day. Reading the book slowly can help them get through it easier and at their own pace.

Practice remembering the story – The big difference between picture books and chapter books is obviously a longer story. This, however, should not be seen as something challenging. Instead, this is a great way for your child to practice good reading comprehension and retention skills such as reviewing what they have read and recalling information.
Do not stop reading picture books – Once your child has made the transition to chapter books, it does not mean they have to stop reading picture books. In fact, picture books also bring many benefits to the reading process that chapter books often do not.

Picture books help your new reader understand the reading better because of accompanying illustrations. They also help to advance language skills and review established reading skills.

Practice with reading apps – Getting your child to read chapter books is great, but it is best to ease them into the process. To help them get used to reading chapter books, you can use reading apps such as Readability which help enhance your child’s independent reading.

Readability actually helps your child read a story just like a private tutor. The app gives the option of reading the story to your child as they follow along or they have the option of reading the story aloud as the app listens to them. The app then gives them feedback and error correction.

Familiarize them with chapter book structures – Chapter books often have additional areas that picture books do not have. Before introducing your child to chapter books, it is important to familiarize them with how chapter books are structured such as additional headers, chapters, and paragraphs.

Your child might be struggling to read these longer books at the beginning but that is normal. You can help them along the way to learn to read chapter books easily and be able to actually enjoy them.

Using tools such as Readability can make the process even easier and can help your child enhance their reading skills in general to become a better reader.

Should Parents Use Apps to Help Kids Read?

September 17, 2020

School for many children has gone virtual. This means that many kids are spending at least five hours staring at a screen, whether it’s for a virtual class or to do homework.

Parents of children who need a little extra help in reading may be eyeing all their options for enrichment, and reading apps could be an option. However, parents wary of even more screen time may wonder if they should allow kids to use apps for reading.

Should parents use apps to help kids read? There is no correct answer on this. Some parents may not want to download yet another app that keeps children staring at a screen. Others may have no issue with using apps.

When parents are weighing their options, here are a few reasons why using an app may be beneficial…yes, even during virtual learning.

Apps Are Engaging

Today’s kids have grown up with screens, and phones and tablets may simply be the normal way they engage. This doesn’t mean they should spend every waking hour staring at a screen, but as the world has embraced a virtual connection, these devices are the key to connectivity.

Reading a book via an e-reader or using apps to help boost fluency may be a more entertaining option for children. Sometimes children who struggle to read may avoid reading; some children may feel embarrassed, or their struggle may cause them anxiety.

Some reading apps are designed to keep kids engaged and may utilize a game-type of format to encourage reading. Other apps—like Readability—feature interactive stories and colorful illustrations to bolster attentiveness.

The big benefit of apps—and technology, in general—is the interactive features that can be utilized. Standard books may feature colorful pictures and drawings, but they may lack other click and explore interactive features that help the story come to life. For kids who struggle and who may simply be bored with the book, apps may be a more engaging option.

Some Apps Track Reading Minutes

Every parent knows the drill: read for 20 to 30 minutes a day! That’s great, and it’s the ideal recommendation, but those minutes can be difficult to track for busy parents. Were they really reading? Who knows? They might have simply stared at the pages and counted down the minutes. Finished! What did they learn? That’s the underlying concern for many parents when reading can’t be tracked accurately.

Apps like Readability track how long a child reads and engages with the stories and books. With Readability, children are reading aloud, and the built-in AI tutor picks up every word. This allows the tutor to not only make corrections when a child mispronounces a word or stumbles, but the auditory feedback helps track engagement via the app.

Apps Can Go Anywhere

Parents may have screen time limitations, and those limitations may vary per household. There is no right or wrong policy regarding screen time. Some may limit screen time outside of school to only an hour. Others are lax.

Even when screen time is limited, parents can still utilize reading apps when they go on a road trip or on vacation. Apps can go anywhere and can be downloaded on most mobile devices. Instead of playing games or listening to music, children can practice their reading!

Reading Apps May Provide Reading Instruction

Apps like Readability are designed to help children improve their reading. Readability uses Interactive Voice Based Questions and Answers (IVQA) to ensure that children understand what they have read. The AI tutor asks questions related to the story, and this is how the app tests for and gauges a child’s comprehension.

For some children, reading struggles are tied to phonetic or phonemic difficulties, for others comprehension is a challenge. Some children have difficulty sounding out words and understanding the context of the story. Readability can address all these concerns and struggles, and lessons don’t progress in difficulty until a child demonstrates proficiency at their level. Lessons are never too easy or too hard.

Reading Apps Come in Different Formats

Reading apps can be focused on reading instruction, but some apps are just used for reading digital books. E-reader apps allow kids (and adults) to download and read a favorite book or novel. While they are still apps, their purpose is to provide yet another medium to facilitate reading.

Other apps are developed as educational games. These apps may help children sound out simple words, better identify sight words or help boost other fundamental reading skills.

Is a reading app right for your child? Only you know the answer. However, reading apps can be an engaging way to keep children reading when they hate to pick up a book.

Reading apps that provide instruction, though, should offer a free trial period so that parents can understand if the app is a fit for their child. With Readability, parents can sign up for a seven-day trial; this provides their child with access to content and all the app’s features. Ready to try Readability? Sign up for a free trial today!