Decoding words with ease would logically mean that children can read more text in a shorter amount of time. The ability to take in more words would then, theoretically, lead to the greater absorption of information. Yet, there are children who can easily decode words but can only comprehend a basic level of the textual meaning. There are also students who can read quickly and understand everything they read.

Reading speed is denoted by words read per minute. The average reading speed increases with grade level. Parents of children who are slow readers might be interested in how to increase reading speed to ensure their child is…up to speed.

But how crucial is reading speed? Are there ways to increase reading speed? Can slower readers be successful? Here’s what parents should know about words per minute, fluency and if speed is the road to reading success.

Literacy Expert: Reading Speed Might be a Symptom

There are data points for almost every educational benchmark. One way that educators might be measuring a student’s proficiency and fluency is by measuring the number of words a student can read per minute. So why is this important?

Reading speed might simply be one way for teachers to measure how well a child can decode words. But the importance of reading speed also could be a pressure point that doesn’t hold as much meaning when taken alone. According to reading expert Timothy Shanahan, reading speed may simply be a symptom of another problem. That is, while reading slower might not be a problem for all readers, some students might read slower because of issues related to decoding.

In addition, there might not be an accurate measure of a problematic slow reading speed. In other words, there isn’t a clearly defined words-per-minute measurement that has been shown to impact comprehension. Shanahan notes that this measurement could, hypothetically, be 30 words per minute, as this would mean that it would take a child two seconds to decode each word.

“Instead of trying to teach students to read faster, it is essential to make certain that they are able to decode easily and continuously, and to maintain their concentration,” Shanahan wrote.

What is the Average Reading Speed by Grade Level

Parents might be focused on encouraging their child to hit benchmarks. Yet, the definition of slower reading speed might still be debatable. However, there are still published data points related to the number of words per minute that a child in each grade will read. Data for reading speed is often presented as either a single number or a number range per grade level.

Reading A-Z offers a data table to help parents understand the range associated with each grade level. The site also breaks down the numbers throughout the year (so Fall, winter, spring). There are different tests that can measure reading fluency rates. By the end of each grade level, here’s the typical target range for readers (per Rasinski):

• First Grade: 30 to 90 words per minute

• Second Grade: 70 to 130 words per minute

• Third Grade: 80 to 140 words per minute

• Fourth Grade: 90 to 140 words per minute

• Fifth Grade: 100 to 150 words per minute

• Sixth Grade: 110 to 160 words per minute

There is overlap between grades related to the average words per minute. In addition, the range for other tests may differ.

By the time a student reaches the age of 18 (or college), the expected reading speed is about 280 words per minute.

Speed Reading vs. Reading Speed

Shanahan mentioned speed reading in his article and his experience with the class. He noted that the class didn’t increase his speed and explained that it focused more on scanning through the text. This probably isn’t the goal that parents have in mind when they want their child to read faster.

Parents also likely don’t want their child to read so fast that their brain can’t comprehend the ideas because it’s so focused on speeding up the process. Yet, parents do want their child to be able to easily decode text and understand what they read.

There are ways to help children become more fluent readers, and these exercises also could help them read a little faster, too. Some children, though, might need more time to think about text. And some passages may be more difficult to read than others…depending on content.

Practicing could help children develop fluency. One exercise that parents can use to help children boost their speed is to encourage their child to read a passage out loud. Parents set a timer for a minute and encourage children to read the passage. Parents will need to keep track of any mistakes during the exercise. Words that are mispronounced are counted off of the final words per minute tabulation. At the end of the minute, parents need to count up all the words the child reads correctly for their final ‘words per minute’ rate.

Sounds complicated? Parents also could take an easier approach. Encourage children to read aloud every day. This can help them hear their pronunciations and parents also could offer help. Practicing also can help children gain confidence.

There are unique ways to encourage children to read aloud, too. Some animal shelters invite children to read to the animals. Why? As many shelters note, pets won’t correct mistakes. Children can read to the animals without fear of judgment or embarrassment. This environment might help them feel more secure and confident. Plus, the animals receive attention. There may be a cost associated with these programs, though.

Children also can read aloud to younger siblings. Reading aloud to a younger brother and sister can introduce younger children to new stories while allowing the older sibling to practice reading. Again, younger siblings likely won’t judge.

Slow Reading and Decoding Issues

Slow reading rates could be associated with decoding issues. Children who struggle to pronounce words would obviously need to read slower as they work to decode each word in the text. When parents are reading with children, they may notice that their child is struggling to decipher the text.

Children might be identified by the school with reading struggles, or they might be diagnosed with a learning disorder (from a specialist). Some children might receive more intervention in the classroom, while others could be offered more intense reading assistance by a specialist at the school. Others, though, might not be far enough behind to qualify for additional help.

If parents notice that their child is struggling to read and is really having difficulty decoding grade-level text, the school might be the first contact. Parents might be told that their child is reading below grade level or the teacher might have additional data to share.

Whether or not a child receives additional help at school could depend on a number of factors. Parents might choose to help their child at home. Tutors, reading intervention programs and reading apps could help children with reading struggles.

There are many programs that parents can use to help children at home. Readability provides a comprehensive approach to reading; the program helps children with both fluency and comprehension. Lessons require children to read aloud, and the program includes a built-in AI tutor that helps children if they struggle with pronunciation. The tutor will also ask questions at the end of each story to gauge comprehension.

Readability provides parents with a snapshot of their child’s reading data via a Parent Dashboard. Only parents have access to this section, and it includes a child’s reading rate (words per minute), their reading level and their time on the program. Parents also can compile all this reading data into a report that can be sent to the child’s school or teacher.

Not every program will be the perfect fit for each child. But parents can try out Readability at no cost for a week to better understand the features and capabilities. Sign up today!

In some districts, fourth and fifth graders begin to prepare for middle school in sixth grade. Around sixth grade, however, children begin to read more complex books and the grade-level standards of comprehension could require more abstract critical thinking skills. Later elementary years could prepare them for this shift.

In late elementary, students may be assigned certain books for class assignments; they may be expected to write short essays related to content. Some children could struggle with more advanced comprehension expectations. Here’s how to improve comprehension for children in the years leading up to middle school.

In the middle school years and beyond, the basic knowledge of ‘wh’ questions for comprehension might not be enough to demonstrate full understanding of concepts and the book itself. Students may be expected to use quotes to support arguments and dissect text to further analyze character motivation, metaphorical symbolization and even to compare stories to events in the present day.

Older elementary school students, however, will likely dip a literary toe into these types of analyses. A fifth grader, for example, might not be expected to analyze text in the same way as a middle or high school student. Yet, parents might start to see assignments asking children to write about how a character feels and if their choices were correct or not.

Parents might not feel that their child has reached a level that allows them to dig deeper or maybe they notice that their child struggles to look further into the story in a critical sense. Improving comprehension for children as they are about to nearing those middle school years might be a bit of a challenge for parents. However, there are a few ways that parents can help their older child at home.

Reread Text

As stories become more complex with changing character dialogue or sometimes even alternating points of view (from different characters), students could become confused or lost as they read. Rereading a chapter or even flipping back to earlier points of the book could help better students to better understand what they’ve read.

Sometimes stories are complicated; even adults could get confused while reading a book. Rereading can be a great strategy to use throughout grade levels. Students also could be thinking of something else as they read or maybe they are just distracted. Rereading text can help refresh the mind.

Reading and Writing Haven describes a re-reading strategy for middle and high school students to help them with comprehension. The strategy also could be used for fifth graders, too (depending on grade-level expectations). It uses color-coded sticky notes (or colored pens), and students will need to re-read text three times. Each time, they are looking for different information. For example, the first read is about a basic understanding (think ‘wh’ questions). The second read is focused on details about the story or text (or maybe even the chapter). While the third re-read delves into the intricacies; this is all about how the text connects to broader details.

Reading and Writing Haven uses this strategy for four different comprehension areas: summarizing, elements of the story, vocabulary and text structure. Each of these comprehension areas has three different subtexts of questions. The above example is related to summarizing.

Students might not need to use every comprehension area for each book or story. Sometimes assignments focus on summarizing, other times teachers are focused on vocabulary comprehension, etc. Check out the site and the questions related to each comprehension area to help children during assignments.

Listen to the Story

For books that are part of classroom assigned reading, teachers might also provide an audio book to children who struggle with reading or reading comprehension. Listening to the story as they follow along in the book may help some children to better understand what they are reading.

Audio books give children insight about characters’ feelings and the action of the book, because the narrator often invokes emotion as they read the story. Children may be able to better clue into anger, frustration or other emotions thanks to the narration of the book.

Thinking about the Story

By the time children are in fifth grade, parents likely won’t be reading aloud to them any longer. Students will read silently, or sometimes during class they may be asked to read aloud. While parents could sit and chat with their child about what they read, parents also might help their children find strategies to think about the story independently.

However, every child is different. Children with learning disorders might still depend on the support and help from parents during reading time. Parents should guide their child’s reading in a way that fits their child’s learning needs.

For children who don’t have special needs or who may just need a little more support with comprehension. There are many tools that parents can provide them that offer support and guidance during independent reading time.

The site Easy Teacher Worksheets offers many comprehension worksheets at all grade levels. There are comprehension worksheets designed specifically for fourth and fifth graders; there are even worksheets to help children when they enter middle school. These worksheets can be used to help students work on their reading comprehension skills and include a reading passage and questions related to the passage.

Even older elementary students might benefit from a reading comprehension bookmark. While these bookmarks for younger students might include comprehension-related questions, these bookmarks are blank for older students. Why? Each bookmark includes space for notes related to the topic at the top of the bookmark; these handy page-keepers were created by The Secondary English Coffee Shop.

Students can focus on writing facts as they read. The bookmarks will keep the notes and act as a visual reminder. When a child fills up the space of the bookmark, they might decide to print another one and take more notes for the next chapter. After they finish the book, they can review their bookmarks filled with notes.

Writing Assignments Related to a Book or Story

In late elementary school, teachers might assign reports or writing assignments that focus on a book or reading passage. If children struggle with comprehension, writing these reports or essays could be a struggle. Not all teachers will let a student bring these assignments home.

However, some teachers might allow children to work on writing assignments at home. Parents also might want to ask if they can work with their child on the assignment. Perhaps they can read it over or help their child create an outline. Guiding children could help them better organize their thoughts about what they’ve read.

Again, though, some assignments must be completed without any parent involvement. If there is a question about if a parent can provide assistance, drop an email to the grade-level teacher.

What about Reading Apps and Programs?

Students who are reading below grade level and struggling with benchmark comprehension standards might need more focused help to guide their reading. Are reading apps or programs appropriate for students in late elementary school?

The answer really depends on the program that parents wish to use. Some programs—like Readability—are designed to be used through fifth grade. If a student is reading beyond this grade level, a different type of program might be necessary. However, children who are reading below grade level might use a program like Readability to guide their reading proficiency to a higher grade level.

Reading apps and programs can be beneficial for students struggling with reading comprehension, because they focus on a multimodal approach to reading. With Readability, students read the stories aloud. This helps them hear the story as they are reading it. The program also features a built-in AI tutor that is programmed to understand each user’s unique voice. When students read aloud, the AI tutor will understand when a child is stumbling or when they have mispronounced a word. The tutor will provide assistance when this occurs during a lesson.

The AI tutor also has another function during Readability lessons, though. After the child has finished a story, the tutor will ask questions about what the child read. This is how the program measures comprehension proficiency.

Children do not advance to the next reading level in the program until they have demonstrated mastery of both reading proficiency and reading comprehension. Some children might take longer to progress through to the next level…this is ok. Every child is unique, and some will need more time.

What Reading Program is the Best Choice for a Child in Fourth and Fifth Grade?

If parents want to use a reading program to help their child with reading comprehension, there are many options. Parents might want to zero in on programs that are designed to help their child’s struggles, though.

Some programs are designed to focus on reading proficiency or phonics. Other programs like Readability might focus on both comprehension and reading fluency. There are even programs that are designed to help children that need help with processing skills (this could dovetail on comprehension).

Parents also could decide to meet with their child’s language arts teacher to gain a bit of insight about their child’s unique struggles and to find recommendations on how to help at home. Perhaps the district has resources or programs available that can help.  However, in the latter elementary school years, teachers might not use the same programs that they did in earlier years. Students might focus on individualized reading assignments, instead. There may be less of a focus on computer programs designed for reading or literacy skills. However, it never hurts to reach out to the teacher.

Some programs—including Readability!—offer free trial periods that allow parents and their child to use the program and understand how it works. The trial period also can help parents determine if the program is a good fit for the child and their struggles. Readability provides an entire week of use for free!

Interested in using Readability at home? Sign up today to schedule a free trial.

Children might read on benchmark, their reading standardized scores might be just fine. Yet, maybe they don’t like to read or they don’t feel confident while reading aloud. Adults, too, might have dropped the reading habit. While reading those books might come back to them (a bit like riding a bike!), adults also could feel that they need to improve their reading skills.

Looking for ways to improve reading skills for children and adults, too? While some tools might be designed for children, others can be used by adults who want to get back into the reading groove. Here’s how to improve reading skills for children and adults.

What are Reading Skills?

Reading isn’t just about decoding words; readers also have to understand what they are decoding. While early literacy might simply begin with decoding, as children move into higher grade levels they are expected to not only understand what they read but also to read between the lines. Children learn to make predictions about what will happen next and decipher the intentions of characters.

Metaphors begin to emerge. And not everything is as it is written. Often, stories and books take on a deeper meaning or many different meanings. Symbolic use of imagery also weaves into the difficulty of the story itself. A setting sun, for example, could represent foreshadowing of death.

Reading skills might encompass everything needed to understand and decode stories. Not every reader struggles with the same concepts. Some children (or adults) could decode text and understand the general meaning of a story. However, perhaps abstract concepts are more difficult for them to understand.

Some children might stumble on words. This could be related to problems with phonics and decoding or maybe even timidness related to reading aloud. Some children and adults also might need to re-read text to understand it.

There are so many individualized challenges that could be associated with reading. One solution might not work for each individual. Children with pronounced reading struggles might qualify for school-based programs or other accommodations. If parents notice their child(ren) struggling with reading, though, parents might reach out to their child’s pediatrician or the school for guidance and to perhaps begin evaluations.

General tips to help improve reading skills could be used by children and adults who might just want to boost their confidence or fluency.

Basic Tips for Comprehension

Scholastic provides some basic tips to help children with reading comprehension. Scholastic’s tips included reading aloud, rereading text, discussing the story, and sticking to the right leveled books. Scholastic also advises talking to the teacher, too (for children) and reading beyond just the classroom (most children, though, are asked to read nightly).

Rereading text is a great way to help focus on comprehension. Sometimes children (or adults) might be distracted while reading. They might miss key information from the story without knowing it. Many adults have read something only to realize that nothing really stuck. Rereading can be a great strategy to give the brain another chance to process the text. Parents can also teach children to ‘chunk’ the text. This can help them focus on smaller bits of information at a time. Adults can use this strategy, too, if they find that they’re losing focus while reading.

Talking about the story helps children process what they’ve read. Parents can talk to their child after each chapter to ask them what is happening with the characters or just ask children to summarize what they’ve read. Parents also can ask the ‘wh’ comprehension questions.

Reading aloud can be beneficial for anyone. Reading aloud allows readers to hear the story while decoding. Scholastic also explains that reading aloud slows down the reading. We all might rush through text when reading silently. Reading aloud might help readers slow down the process…and this could help the brain process it.

Children move into different reading levels after they become proficient at their current level. If a child is reading a book that’s too difficult—maybe the vocabulary is beyond their understanding—they are likely going to have a problem understanding the book. Even if a book is written at their level, the story content might be beyond them. Themes could be too mature, and children could be completely lost. Make sure books are at the appropriate level.

Could Disinterest be a Problem?

Sometimes parents are well-meaning and focused on making their child commit to all those reading minutes. Reading daily is important, but parents—in their attempt to motivate children to open a book—might just give a child a random book from the library or the family bookshelf.

Interest and disinterest could affect the child wanting to read that book. Many adults probably remember a time in middle school, high school or college when they were assigned a book that they had to read. After finishing the book…there was the dreaded five-page paper to write with a full literary analysis.

There might have been a book that sticks out in memory that was almost mentally painful to read. It’s ok to admit this! Not every book resonates with every reader. Unfortunately, trying to trudge through a book that just isn’t holding interest could mean that even adults had to re-read the chapters…and maybe even re-read them again!

Children aren’t any different. Just because parents give them a book doesn’t mean they’ll like it. Yes, reading a few pages might be recommended…some books start off slow. However, if the child really doesn’t like what they are reading, they probably won’t be excited to read.

One of the easiest tips to follow for readers of all ages is to choose books that are interesting. Go to the library and let children explore the books. Let them pick out a few. Maybe they will love every book they pick, but maybe one might be tossed to the side.

Adults need to give themselves a break, too. When visiting the library, choose a few books that sound interesting. One might not be a great read. Instead of getting frustrated, understand that it’s ok to stop reading a book. The site Forces of Habit addresses how to know when to close that book. Reading should be fun, it should be an adventure. If a book doesn’t hold interest, move on to one that does.

Over time, and maybe after reading many different genres and authors, children and adults might find themselves gravitating to a certain section of the library or to a favorite author. Everyone has their own taste in books, music and even style. It might take time to find that individualized literary groove…for children or adults.

If adults haven’t read a book in a while, they may need to explore what they love. Children and adults can make an interest list. This can help track down books that might be a good fit. Or adults can look at their internet history. Was there a particular subject that was researched? Adults can find books about their hobbies, or how-to books. There are books for tourist destinations…read a book about the next vacation destination!

Beyond the Basics for Helping with Reading Skills

Adults who really struggle with reading might need to investigate programs that can help with adult literacy. It’s never, ever too late to learn how to read or to gain more proficiency in reading. Reading is for everyone, and there are programs for adults that could help.

Parents who have children who struggle to read, who might not read on grade-level and might lack reading confidence might reach out to the school or their child’s pediatrician. The school might initiate evaluations or other tests. A pediatrician might recommend a specialist to rule out any medical conditions or to perhaps help diagnose a learning disorder.

However, even if children do qualify for additional reading intervention through the school, parents can use reading programs or apps at home to help them gain proficiency. And parents could also use these programs if their child doesn’t qualify for additional help at school.

Readability, for example, helps children with both fluency and comprehension. The program includes an AI tutor that guides the lessons. The tutor recognizes the child’s unique voice and will help them correct any mistakes if they stumble while reading. The AI tutor also quizzes a child after each story to gauge comprehension. With Readability, children only move on to the next level if they can demonstrate proficiency with both fluency and comprehension.

Parents can follow their child’s progress through the Parent Dashboard, which is not visible to children. The Dashboard shows the child’s current reading level, the words read per minute and other reading data. Parents can even create a reading report within the Dashboard that can be sent to the child’s teacher—this can help ensure that the school knows how the child is progressing at home.

However, parents might wish to keep lines of communication open with the school to ensure that reading progress is demonstrated in the classroom, too. Parents can also reach out to their child’s teacher to discuss their child’s current reading level and any pertinent achievement test scores.

All reading programs are designed differently, and parents might investigate several programs to find the best one for their child. Readability provides parents with a free seven-day trial to help them become familiar with the program and to let their child explore the stories and use the AI tutor.

Ready to try out Readability? Sign up for a free trial today!

Apps can help make the journey of learning a bit more fun for children. Parents can download apps for almost every subject and interest, transforming the child’s mobile device into a mobile learning center. Children who don’t like to read or who may struggle with reading also might benefit from reading apps or apps that focus on letter and word recognition.

Reading apps can include games, immersive lesson-based content and more. Try these apps to improve reading and take the journey of books and stories…mobile!

Reading Apps that are Virtual Books

We Are Teachers reports that less than one in five children reads 30 minutes or more each day. While many schools assign nightly reading homework—ranging from 15 to 30 minutes—some children might not crack open those books at home.

All reading can be beneficial. Whether a child loves comics, graphic novels, newspapers, magazines or standard bound books, encourage them to read something! Many parents forget that technology could be yet another gateway to a love of literacy.

Call them ebooks, virtual books or just books online, many favorite titles can be downloaded to ereader apps to take kids on a virtual reading journey. Not sure how to download books? Most phones and tablets already have an ereader downloaded. Click the ereader (usually a book-type icon) and this can help parents navigate to an online library. Some books are free, but others might range in price.

Children and adults, too, may prefer reading a book that requires actual page flipping instead of virtual taps to turn the page. However, some gravitate towards technology and might enjoy reading a virtual book. An online library also could help kids explore different titles, genres and authors.

If a child’s device did not include an ereader, these apps are easy to find and easy to download. Just search for ereader via the App Store, Google Play or the Microsoft Store.

Reading Apps that are Games

Some children simply need additional reading practice or extra enrichment for sight words or phonics. Many apps are designed as games to help make mastering these fundamentals much more enjoyable. While, yes, parents can create standard flash cards to help children identify sight words, sometimes playing a game is more entertaining.

What game-based apps are the best for reading practice? Parents might want to first find out the grade-level expectations for their child’s school year. For younger children, this might include a list of sight words and perhaps hitting a specific reading level. Search for games focused on sight word identification, letter recognition, letter tracing, and/or match games.

Narrow down app searches to the areas of focus that pertain to the child’s unique needs. Some of these apps may be free, others may have a price.

PBS Kids is a great app that includes many different games and activities. Plus, it’s free to download! Children who watch PBS programming will enjoy seeing the faces of familiar characters and interacting with lots of fun content.

Learning-Based Reading Apps

There are different apps that are focused on helping children become better and more confident readers. These apps may be advertised as “evidence-based” and may offer features that are designed to  help children who struggle with various aspects of reading. Apps may include help for improving or gauging reading comprehension and/or help improve phonetic and phonemic awareness.

These apps include reading lessons leveled for the needs of each child. Readability, for example, includes books and stories that increase with difficulty as the child masters each level. However, mastery is based not just on reading finesse but comprehension, too.

So how do apps like Readability test the child’s ability and understand when the child can advance? Readability is a verbal-based reading program. Children must read stories aloud, and a built-in AI tutor will learn to recognize the child’s voice.

The AI tutor listens for pronunciation, reading fluidity and will help the child correct any reading errors. After each story/book, the tutor also tests the child on what they have read. If the child struggles to grasp the content and cannot demonstrate comprehension proficiency, then they do not move to a more difficult level.

When parents begin to use Readability, they can set up their child’s reading level so the program knows where to begin. How does a parent know their child’s reading level? This is information the school or the child’s teacher can provide. Reading levels can be referenced as numbers or letters, and the child’s teacher can help parents understand what these codes and levels mean in reference to grade-level correlation.

Once parents set the reading level, the lessons begin. Children then read books at their level and are tested on the knowledge of what they have read. As the child moves up, the stories will become more difficult. Again, though, children only advance as they show proficiency. This ensures that the content is always appropriate. Stories also are designed to meet the grade-level interest of children; older elementary school students won’t necessarily read the same stories as a younger child.

How can parents understand that programs like Readability are making an impact on a child’s reading journey? This answer depends on each unique app. Parents may have the option of numerous reading apps, and each app may report a child’s progress differently. Readability provides parents with a Parent Dashboard that only they can view. This dashboard includes all the reading data associated with their child. Parents can view their child’s current reading level, how long the child reads on the app, reading accuracy and words per minute.

A child’s reading journey may bridge between home and school. Children will be tested on their reading proficiency in the classroom, and teachers have this data throughout the year. To facilitate communication between school and home, parents also can send progress reports from Readability to their child’s teacher.

Reading improvement should be observed in the classroom, too. These reports generated from the app help parents communicate what they see about their child’s reading progress. Teachers can then compare this to what they observe in the classroom.

What is the Best Improve Reading App?

Kids respond to different content, learning styles and maybe even different media too. Some kids might not love technology, so apps may be of little benefit. Other children, however, cannot get enough of those screens.

Parents can find the best reading app or learning app for their child by understanding the unique needs of their child. Some children need to practice sight words, letter recognition or sounds. Others need more focused help on decoding and reading comprehension.

Game-based apps can help children who need to recognize sounds and words. Parents can find many apps that make learning phonics or sight words more enjoyable. Kids may love playing these games and practicing their skills.

For children who need more help and who struggle with reading in general, more focused apps like Readability could be an ideal solution. Readability helps with decoding, phonics and phonemics and comprehension. Stories include colorful illustrations and keep children engaged.

Before settling on an app—even a game—parents should look at price points. While games are fairly inexpensive, some can include ‘in-app purchases’ that can add surprise charges to an account if parents aren’t watchful. Thankfully, though, devices allow parents to disable in-app purchases so that these surprise charges don’t take their toll on the monthly bill.

Reading apps focused on a lesson-based approach, however, might bill differently. Readability requires a monthly subscription at $19.99 per month. This allows parents an account that can be used for up to three children in the household. Families who have multiple children that can benefit from this type of reading app, parents are spending less than $7 per child per month for reading instruction.

Try Out Apps First!

Parents who are unsure what app would be a good fit for their child can research different apps to better understand their features, but trial periods also could be offered that allows parents and children to use the app before committing to a subscription. Readability offers a free seven-day trial period; during this time, parents and their child have access to all of the app’s features and books.

During the trial period, parents might wish to sit with their child as they use the app. Shadowing a few lessons can help parents gauge their child’s interest in the app and also better understand both the reading content and other tools. With Readability, parents can sit with their child and hear how the AI tutor interacts during lessons.

While lesson-focused apps might offer trials, games might not. However, since many games are free or require a nominal cost, parents might not be too concerned. With games, parents also can check out the reviews or the information provided by the developer that offers additional details.

So how can parents sign up for free trials—if they’re available? To sign up for a free trial with Readability, simply complete the free trial information form, follow the prompts to begin the online reading journey!

Americans don’t crack open enough books. According to a 2019 survey by Pew Research Center, about one out of four Americans (27 percent) hasn’t read a single book in a year. Parents or caregivers who don’t read could be unintentionally showing children that reading isn’t fun or entertaining. Children learn by example, after all.

Parents who are trying to help their child learn to read or to become better readers might need to start looking at their own relationships with books. Here’s how to improve your child’s reading skills by starting your own reading habit.

Create a Reading Schedule

There could be a million reasons why we fall out of the reading habit. Time is precious, and most adults—parents and caregivers especially—just don’t seem to have enough time to do everything. Trying to develop a reading habit after falling away from books can be a challenge…and a big change.

So how can busy adults find time to read? The answer is pretty simple. When we encourage children to read, this could be a good time for adults to read, too. If children normally read at night before bed, perhaps the family can gather together in the living room or rec area and have family reading time.

Parents may still read to children. If this is the case, then when do adults read? Before bed might be a good time. Wait for kids to fall asleep and then pull out a book. Many adults may play on their phones, watch television or engage in other screen time at night. The blue light from devices can actually throw the body’s circadian rhythm out of whack. Reading, though, could have a positive effect on sleep. According to the Sleep Advisor, reading before bed has many benefits: it helps zap stress, it boosts creativity, it can improve your mind (new information!), provides a sense of peace…and much more!

Drop the devices, and crack open a book!

Choose a Book You Love

One of the tips that are often given to help children learn to like reading is to let them choose their own books (within reason, of course). For adults, the same advice should apply, too. To get into the reading habit, figure out what type of subjects are interesting.

Make a list of authors that you know you’ve read (and liked), subjects that you want to explore and other general interests. Maybe there are some literary classics you’ve always wanted to read. Make a list! Then go online to the local library and reserve a few books. Don’t have a library membership? Contact the library in your area and find out how to become a member!

If money is tight, think about buying books at thrift stores or secondhand bookstores. You might find some great titles at low prices!

Set a Goal…But Be Realistic

Parents or teachers may encourage children to set a reading goal. Adults can do the same. Maybe the goal is based on minutes, pages or chapters. Setting a goal could help with accountability.

Try not to go overboard with goals, though. While setting big goals is admirable, don’t make them unreasonable. If it’s been years since a book was opened, you might need to start off lighter. Every reader is different. Some of us read slowly, others can fly through books. Concentration could be an issue, and it’s ok to go back and reread. Figure out what works, but be kind to you! Remember…reading is fun. Don’t make it a job!

Accessorize!

How in the world do you accessorize a book? Bookmarks! Little things can boost the mood. Think about walking through a park and spotting that first spring flower. Or seeing a rainbow after a big storm. Create a little happiness and design a bookmark to keep track of the pages. Or go buy one.

Yes, you could grab a paperclip, but creating a bookmark is a nice little nod to childhood. Get artsy. Have fun. And let the kids join you. So how do you make a bookmark? It’s simple, and you can buy supplies cheap (dollar stores!). You’ll need:

• Construction Paper
• Stencils
• Glitter
• Markers
• Crayons
• Stickers

Bookmarks can be created by simply cutting a piece of construction paper into strips. Typically, a pad or pack of construction paper includes many hues. Choose your favorite color, and let kids do the same. Then design your bookmark! Maybe it includes your name, monogram or just a crazy design! Have fun!

Read Childhood Favorites

Want to ease into reading again? Start by going backwards…all the way back to childhood. Many of us had favorite books from elementary school that stuck with us decades later. Maybe it was a popular series or just a classic book.

No matter the age, it’s ok to reread literature from our childhood. And, actually, it might be emotionally soothing. There’s something comforting about reading a book or re-experiencing something from childhood. Who says you can’t go back? Books are a window to different worlds, but they also may help transport us back to younger, simpler times.

Hunt down the old favorites!

Create a Family Book Club

Motivate a reading habit in the whole family by starting a family book club. Choose books at a level that everyone in the family can read.

Plan to meet to discuss book options and select several titles for the family to vote. Adults might consider choosing books that also have been adapted into movies. Why? It’s fun to watch how the book plays out as a movie, and the family can compare the two as part of the book discussion. Wait until after everyone finishes the book to watch the movie, though.

Adults can set reading goals for children for finishing the book. The ‘club’ could meet once or twice a week to discuss chapters and the plot. This could be the ideal time to get children to talk about what they’ve read and to discern if they are having any problems reading the book.

Looking for books that have been turned into movies? Imagination Soup offers a fairly comprehensive list of children’s books that have made it to the screen.

What About Yearly Goals?

If about a fourth of American adults haven’t read a single book during the course of the year, how many books should be a yearly goal? Setting a yearly reading goal by aiming to read a set number of books for the year can be a great way to boost reading, too.

Again, though, everyone reads at their pace. And time could be limited. Maybe aim for a book a month? If the book is incredibly long (perhaps 1,000 pages), opt for a little more time…and don’t stress! Twelve books for the year is still a great number. After reading for several months, the pace may quicken and reading could become a beloved habit.

When the Book is…Not Interesting

Sometimes even adults pick a book, read a few chapters and just can’t go on. Do you push through it? Do you opt for something else?

Some books just aren’t what we expect. Not every story, character or plot may resonate. Obviously if a book offends or is simply too much for whatever reason, adults don’t need anyone’s permission to put it down.

Depending on why the story doesn’t resonate may impact if you continue to read it or not. Don’t stress either way. Remember…reading should be fun. This isn’t an assignment!

Fiction or Nonfiction?

Want to keep the literacy journey interesting? Try mixing up fiction and nonfiction books. One month pick a favorite fiction author, the next month pick a book exploring a destination or topic of interest.

Have you always wondered about ancient Egypt? Maybe you wanted to read about a famous person? Grab a biography or choose a book that highlights a destination.

When kids see adults reading a variety of books, it may make them more curious about the world, too! And they may begin to explore their world by reading more books. Start a habit of reading exploration, see where it takes you, and invite kids to go on their own journey!

How Does Your Reading Improve Your Child’s Reading Skills?

Reading can be beneficial to all ages. But how does a parent’s reading habit help improve a child’s reading habit? When parents start reading more or even begin reading daily, this habit could show children that reading is fun and a form of entertainment.

When parents read, perhaps kids begin to simply see the habit as something everyone does. Of course, when children see their parents reading, they also can’t throw back at them: “Why should I read? You don’t read.” Parents of older children might have heard these words.

Parents who begin to adopt a reading habit also may be able to share reading tips. Or maybe parents can share their own struggles and how they overcame those struggles. This could open up conversations about re-reading or chunking text…and how every reader may need to find their own strategies.

Reading also may bridge a gap between generations. Reading the same book can give kids and parents a fun commonality. Parents also can recommend books to their child; maybe rereading a book from childhood makes parents realize that their own child would love the story.

Whether it’s been years or a decade since you opened up a book, now is a great time to peek at the bookshelf, visit the library and hunt down some favorite books. Start your own reading journey and help children discover why reading is so much fun!

Parents of second graders may be eying third-grade expectations, and, for some students, third grade may be the beginning of a more demanding curriculum. What reading level should second-graders hit to be prepared for third grade?

According to Scholastic, the reading level for the beginning of third grade is J; this corresponds to a Lexile® of around 520. If a child struggles with comprehension, they may struggle with chapter books in third grade. Here’s how to improve reading comprehension for children in the 2nd grade.

How Can I Improve My Child’s Reading Comprehension?

Whether a child is in 2nd grade or in a higher grade, reading comprehension can affect the understanding of the story or book. If a child reads fluently but is unable to recall the plot or important details, summarize the main ideas or begin to inference (in later grades), they may be struggling with reading comprehension.

Try these tips at home to help children improve their reading comprehension:

Sight Word Scavenger Hunt

In second grade, children probably still have a list of sight words that they are expected to memorize and recognize on sight. Parents can make flashcards with these words to help children identify these words. Sight word scavenger hunts also can turn identifying these words into a game; make a list of the sight words and encourage children to find them during errands.

Ask ‘Wh’ Questions

Parents can read with children and ask key questions about the book after a chapter or every few pages. Focus on the ‘wh’ questions of comprehension: who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Comprehension Bookmarks

In second grade, chapter books may be short. Parents can also encourage children to make a comprehension bookmark to help them ask questions and think about the context of the story as they read. There are many great resources for creating comprehension bookmarks on the web; the site What I have Learned in Teaching offers many great examples. 

Read…Then Re-Read!

Scholastic also recommends that children reread passages to help them with fluency and understanding. Even adults sometimes need to reread paragraphs or maybe even multiple pages if they lose their focus while reading. It’s always ok to go back and reread for understanding. This could become a good strategy for children who need repetition to gain mastery.

What are the Seven Reading Comprehension Strategies?

Parents may wonder how teachers provide guidance to help children master reading comprehension. Reading Rockets includes seven strategies for helping with reading comprehension; the article is geared to the classroom. However, parents could integrate these strategies at home. The list of strategies includes:

Monitoring Children

According to Reading Rockets: “Research shows that instruction, even in the early grades, can help students become better at monitoring their comprehension.” While this is geared towards teachers, parents can monitor and help children better understand where they struggle. Then children and parents can create solutions to aid those struggles. This could include rereading or other helpful aids.

Metacognition

What does this mean? Basically, the site explains that it is “thinking about thinking.” Students will peruse what they are about to read and have an idea about why they’re reading the text. Then they will adjust their reading for the text; that is, they may read slower for more difficult material. Children also could ask questions as they read.  Reading Rockets lists a number of strategies for metacognition.

Graphic Organizers

These visual aids could greatly help children with comprehension. And, yes, parents and children can make them at home! Visit Reading A-Z for printable organizers.

Asking Questions

Another strategy from Reading Rockets is Answering Questions. This is beyond the ‘wh’ questions, however. Instead the questions include more intricate reading strategies to test comprehension. These questions, per the site, include:

“Right There:” These can include simple scavenger hunts through the text. Like what is the stuffed bear’s name?

“Think & Search:” The point of these questions is that children need to “search” the text to find the answers. Examples can include questions about a character’s emotions.

“Author & You:” This makes children think about the book or characters and the events. These are ‘why do you think…” types of questions. Reading Rockets used the question: “How do you think a frog felt when he found a toad?” as the example of this strategy.

“On Your Own:” These questions relate personal experiences to the story. For example, a story where the main character’s father loses his job could prompt a question on how a child would feel if this happened to them.

Brainstorming Questions

Children can come up with their own questions about the story and see if they can answer those questions. This could help them test understanding. This could delve back into those key ‘wh’ questions. 

Story Composition

How a story is composed can be a crucial part of comprehension. Reading Rockets focuses this strategy more on the meat of a story—so characters, problem, setting, resolution, etc.

However, to expand on Reading Rockets’ summation, it’s also important that children recognize different types of narration. Some stories include flashbacks or background information. Identifying how narration changes or how points of view change throughout the story may impact comprehension. If a child can’t understand that a story is composed of numerous narrators, they may miss key points of the story.

In Summary

The final strategy, per Reading Rockets, is summarizing. Children need to be able to summarize what they’ve read. Summarizing includes understanding the main ideas and being able to filter out the info that isn’t so important to the story.

What Level Reading Should a 2nd Grader Be At?

There isn’t an exact and precise answer regarding ‘what level reading should a 2nd grader be at.” Reading levels typically progress throughout the year, and teachers like to see growth. Scholastic notes that children could begin third grade at a reading level of J. Some children could be reading at a much higher level, others could be below this level.

When should parents be concerned? Every parent is different in what concerns them. However, if a parent notices that their child doesn’t seem to be advancing in their reading levels, they might open up a dialogue with the teacher. In addition, standardized tests or reading assessments could indicate that a child is reading below grade level.

Can Reading Apps Help With Comprehension?

Parents who notice their child is struggling with reading comprehension could use tools and resources at home to help them gain proficiency and confidence. Worksheets and apps could help children who perhaps don’t qualify for extra help at school. 

Parents can talk to their child’s teacher about enrichment reading worksheets to use at home. Teachers could have some additional materials that they could send home for enrichment, too. It never hurts to ask!

Parents who feel their child needs one-on-one help also could use a reading app at home. These apps should focus on helping to address the child’s individual struggles, however. While apps designed as games can be fun and entertaining, they might not help a child delve deeper into the context of a story or provide assistance to a struggling reader. 

Readability is designed to provide children with help in both phonics and comprehension. The app includes a built-in AI tutor that provides feedback with pronunciation and helps children when they struggle during lessons. The tutor also asks questions about the story to gauge comprehension. Children advance to a higher level as they show mastery in both reading fluency and comprehension.

How Do Parents Know That an App or Reading Program Works?

Apps and reading programs can be an investment for parents. The cost could be a monthly commitment. Parents may wonder what to expect from their investment. How do you know if an app or program works for the child?

With Readability, parents can access the Parent Dashboard to gain insight about their child’s progress. Via this dashboard, parents can view a child’s progress, current reading level and other pertinent data. Parents can also check to see how long the child used the program.

Data from the dashboard also can be sent to a child’s teacher. Parents can talk to the teacher to inquire about progress at school. While improvement and advancement via the app is important, parents also want to know that the child is making similar progress at school.

Parents also may look for programs that offer a free trial. Not every program will be a fit for every child. Parents should feel empowered to try out a program to ensure that it meets their needs…and can help their child’s unique struggles. Readability offers a free seven-day trial; children have access to all the stories and features in the program for one week at no cost. At the end of this period, parents can decide if they want to continue with a monthly subscription.

Ready to try Readability? Sign up today for a free trial…and get reading!