The majority of kids are not natural readers. Reading is something that many children avoid like the plague. To them, reading can seem difficult, boring, or just not as much fun as the new game they downloaded last night. Finding the best online homeschool curriculum for struggling readers can seem like a never-ending challenge for parents.

The majority of homeschool curriculums are just not very exciting or interactive. Children expect more nowadays. Simply put, they expect education to be enjoyable and entertaining.

This makes homeschooling a real challenge for parents and carers. Not only are they trying to achieve the levels expected, but also need to keep things exciting and interesting.

Creating a fun online homeschool curriculum for struggling readers doesn’t need to be as tricky as you might think.

Let us show you a few shortcuts that can help parents get the breaks they deserve while helping children across the country to read better.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Causes Homeschooling Boom

As a parent, if you weren’t already into homeschooling, then chances are you have suddenly been introduced to it and kinda dropped in at the deep end when schools closed.

COVID-19 has led to large increases in homeschooling. With school closing to protect children from COVID-19, many households are juggling jobs and school from home.

However, this has also resulted in a revolution in the education industry. Not only are schools adapting and providing study-from-home online classes, but educational technology is also forging ahead in what appears likely to be a long term effect on schooling and life in general.

Companies such as our own have adapted and developed online resources to help make it possible for children (and adults) to study from anywhere.

Which Homeschool Program is the Best?

This will vary by state and school options. If your child is already studying, it might be worth seeing what your school provides for online studies. However, if you are considering signing up for homeschooling long term, you need to select a homeschool reading curriculum that is manageable and meets state requirements.

This current pandemic is changing how people think about education, and for many parents, the idea of sending “the center of their world” back to a packed school is not as attractive as it used to be.

Sure, parents want a break! But, the concerns over COVID-19 transmissions in enclosed and crowded spaces is not something to brush off lightly.

Anyway, getting back to the topic of reading, what works best as an online homeschool curriculum for struggling readers?

Basically, a FUN and DIVERSE curriculum to grab and hold the attention of a struggling reader. Preferably one that adapts to the reader and changes with their interests.

But, this isn’t a simple thing to create.

An Effective Homeschool Curriculum for Struggling Readers

Regardless of their age, state, or existing curriculum, there are some important factors to include in any homeschool curriculum. As parents may not have experience as a tutor or teacher before COVID-19, here are a few things to consider and make sure are included:

1. LOTS of interesting material! – Don’t let them get bored or have to re-read books they don’t like. This is one of the fastest ways to turn homeschooling into a nightmare battle of the wills.
2. Level appropriate content – While content should challenge the reader to develop, it also shouldn’t be so difficult that reading becomes an unpleasant chore.
3. Listening practice – Listening to a story and following the words can help a child learn new words and improve on the ones they already recognize.
4. Reading with feedback – Children can’t improve if they are never corrected. By getting feedback on what they read, they can learn the correct pronunciation of words.
5. Comprehension checking – Reading words aloud doesn’t mean your little genius knows what they mean. After all, how many times have they mimicked you and not known what they are saying? This is why it is vital that their understanding of the story is also checked.
6. Flexible schedule – Daily practice is important, but it is also important that reading happens at the right time. When a child is tired or really not in the mood for reading, they are likely to learn less anyway.
7. Reports and rewards – Never punish them for struggling, but always celebrate their successes. What you celebrate is up to you, from learning 10 new words to being able to read a story on their own for the first time. Recognition matters!

All of the above come together and support reading development. While there are other aspects, depending on age, the above list helps to cover most of the key areas.

What if I’m Struggling to Find the Time to Teach Reading?

Don’t feel guilty and let us take on most of the workload. Our Readability app supports all of the areas listed above and includes live reports for parents.

The advanced built-in AI is like your child having their very own private tutor that never sleeps. The AI will talk to them about stories to ensure they understand what the story is about and it will provide live feedback as they read.

Of course, you can teach other stuff too and also join them with their Readability studies. Our point is, with our app, you can take a break from teaching and allow the AI to provide the support that they need.

For a 7-day free trial, why not sign up today?