There are many ways parents can help children with reading at home. Parents can help children sound out words as they read, review sight words with flash cards and even play games to help with letter recognition (for early readers). However, when comprehension is an area of literacy weakness parents may find helping their child to be a bit of a challenge.

Helping a child understand the meaning of stories may take a bit of practice. Reading worksheets and apps may help provide enrichment at home. Should children be reading far behind peers before parents take the leap into a reading program?

There is no set standard for when to use apps to help with reading comprehension at home. In fact, any child can use reading apps!

Use Apps to Help with Reading Comprehension During Long Breaks

Summer vacation for many students is about three months long. Ideally, parents should encourage that children practice reading and practicing math skills to ensure that they don’t fall behind; the dreaded summer slide refers to a decline in reading and math skills during the summer break. Some teachers send enrichment packets home at the end of the school year to encourage kids to keep learning (and practicing skills) during the long break.

Parents who are concerned about children who struggle with reading comprehension could use reading apps at home during this time to encourage and facilitate additional reading instruction. Apps like Readability include a built-in AI tutor that asks questions at the end of each story to gauge understanding. Children don’t move on to the next level of reading until they demonstrate proficiency at the set level.

An app like Readability provides more than just books and stories that encourage reading practice. Since the tutor tests comprehension, students are encouraged to think about each story as they read. This helps them understand that reading involves more than simply decoding; to fully understand the story, readers need to think beyond the basic text and make predictions, infer meaning and develop an abstract understanding of character and plot connections. Apps may help them develop this skill.

Use Apps to Help with Reading Comprehension During Virtual Learning

Virtual learning may be different for every school district. Some students may even be back in the classroom, while others may be meeting with their class via virtual conferencing platforms. Parents also may have mixed feelings about their child’s learning during the pandemic or may notice their child falling behind.

Reading apps can be used at home to complement school reading assignments. Parents who feel like their child may benefit from the extra enrichment could research different reading apps to find one that best meets the needs of their child.

Depending on the child’s struggle, an app could focus on phonics (decoding), comprehension or both. An app like Readability that helps with both phonics and comprehension could be a catch-all platform for at-home reading enrichment.

Readability also helps children improve their vocabulary skills. When a child reads a story via Readability, they can click on any word to hear the pronunciation and discover the meaning. As a child reads a story, they can acquire new words to their vocabulary list; Readability will save each word a child discovers to create a unique vocabulary list.

What if a Child Isn’t Behind? Can Parents Still Use a Reading App?

Reading apps don’t have to be used just when kids fall behind. Parents can use a reading app at home so children receive extra instruction and practice.

Children in elementary school might benefit the most from a reading app. Readability, for example, can be used for readers in kindergarten through sixth grade. However, if a sixth grader is reading at the appropriate level, they might not receive much benefit since the program’s content doesn’t extend beyond sixth grade. Readability could still be used to complement grade-level work for sixth graders, though.

Parents who want to use a reading app to move their child ahead or to practice need to understand the limitations of the program. Most programs will be best suited for particular grades.

Children in younger grade levels could help to strengthen their reading skills using an app like Readability. A third-grader could use the program to increase vocabulary and reading fluency, even if the child is reading at benchmark.

Extra reading work or practice can be beneficial to a child’s confidence and to simply ensure that they continue to receive ongoing instruction even when school isn’t in session. Teachers are stretched thin during remote learning; a reading app could be used as virtual one-on-one instruction. The built-in AI tutor with Readability offers feedback, guidance and accountability. Children aren’t just reading and putting the book down; the virtual tutor asks them questions about the book to ensure that they understand what they’ve read.

What is the Best Reading Comprehension App?

Finding the best reading comprehension app depends on the child’s needs and perhaps grade-level, too. Readability helps with both phonics and comprehension, so children who struggle with one or both of these issues could benefit from the program.

Even if an app is designed to address the child’s reading struggles, if it isn’t engaging children won’t want to use it. Parents also should look for these features in a reading app:

Colorful Illustrations

Apps shouldn’t just feature text-heavy lessons and stories. Pictures can help children to better understand a story. Colorful illustrations also help break up text and provide a visual depiction for children to visualize characters and the plot. Look for apps that include graphics and illustrations!

Interactive Features

Feedback is important during any lesson. Apps should be interactive in that they provide ways to explore the story and to receive help when struggles arise. Readability includes a built-in tutor that helps correct pronunciation. In addition, the app lets children click on words to learn their meaning—this helps build vocabulary!

Entertaining Content

Children want to read stories and books that capture their imagination and hold their interest. Fiction and nonfiction stories should be well written and keep kids hooked on the story. Older children with reading struggles don’t want to read below grade-level stories even if their reading level is below grade-level. Readability’s stories are age-appropriate but never too easy or too difficult. All stories fit the child’s age and their reading level.

Lessons Should Go Anywhere

Reading practice and lessons shouldn’t require kids to sit at a computer all day. Books are portable, and an app should be, too. Readability can be downloaded on mobile devices including phones and tablets. The app is available on both Google Play (for Android) and the App Store (for Apple). Kids can use Readability while waiting for their sibling at a sports practice, on a road trip, in a park or even at their grandma’s house. If there is a cell signal, a mobile hotspot or a wireless network, children can practice reading! Parents should be aware, however, of any applicable data charges for their cell network.

Proof of Progress

If parents are paying for an app or program, they want to know that it will benefit their child. Parents can follow their child’s progress on Readability via the Parent Dashboard. This offers insight about a child’s reading level, their progress and how long they engaged with the app. The data also can be downloaded and sent to the child’s teacher.

Free Trial Period

Not every app is right for each child. Parents shouldn’t pay for an app that doesn’t help their child. To find out if an app is a good fit for a child’s reading struggles, parents should look for apps or programs that offer free trial periods. Readability offers a free seven-day trial period that allows children to access all the features of the program.

What Else to Consider

Parents on a budget may need to investigate app prices even before they sign up for a free trial period. Fees may vary per program. Understand what each app offers and how much it will cost. There could be different levels with different price points, too.

Apps may require parents to enter their billing information when signing up for a free trial. If the parent doesn’t cancel the trial within a certain amount of time, typically the credit card or payment method associated with the account is billed for the month. Always check the payment stipulations even when signing up for a free trial. Understand the cancellation policies of each app before signing up.

Is a Reading App for Comprehension a Good Fit for Every Child?

Many children can benefit from using a reading app to help boost comprehension. Even children that are reading at grade-level might see improvement when using an app. Parents may want to sign up for a reading app for extra enrichment during long breaks (like summer!) or during remote learning when one-on-one time with the teacher is limited.

Reading apps like Readability that includes a built-in tutor may provide the extra help children need to become better readers and help boost their reading confidence. Ready to try Readability? Sign up today for a free seven-day trial!

Understanding why a child is struggling to read may help parents provide reading help at home. Some children may struggle to read because of an underlying medical condition (perhaps a hearing impairment), while other children might have fallen behind their peers in reading because of other reasons.

Dyslexia also might be a concern for parents; the Mayo Clinic explains that some of the signs of dyslexia include struggling to identify sequences, reading below the expected grade-level benchmarks, and struggling to distinguish similarities/differences between letters and words.

Properly diagnosing a child’s reading struggles may be vital to helping them to gain proficiency. Parents may incorrectly believe a child is struggling to read when in fact they are reading at an expected level; siblings who had precocious reading skills might have set a high benchmark that is causing undue stress or worry.

So when is it time for parents to intervene? Typically, parents can stay on top of reading progress via reports from a child’s teacher. Many districts test students’ reading levels throughout the year to ensure that they are meeting benchmark standards. These test results should be sent home with students, although schools might not send home every report.

The best way to find out if a child is struggling and to better understand their reading level is by engaging in a dialogue with the teacher. Ask if a child is reading at grade level and if the teacher has any concerns. Parents may discover their worries are for naught, or they may find out that their child is struggling. 

It is important for parents to understand the severity of their child’s struggles. A child who is only a few months behind their peers might need less intervention than a child who is reading several grade levels behind their peers.

How to Better Understand Reading Struggles

When a parent learns their child is struggling, what are the next steps? Parents may react very differently and may pursue their own unique solutions. There is no right or wrong solution; every family’s needs and resources may differ.

Some parents may make an immediate appointment with the pediatrician to diagnose any potential medical concerns or for guidance on finding specialists or clinicians who also can help. Pediatricians can be a resource for referrals to hearing specialists, psychologists and other professionals who could potentially diagnose an underlying medical condition or learning disorder. A 2019 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics provided “…guidance to the pediatrician to help families achieve a good evaluation for their child who is struggling in school while facilitating the feasibility for the pediatrician to provide this support.”

The report recommended that doctors conduct a medical exam and also account for previous background details like medical history (and the mother’s pregnancy history, too), developmental/behavioral history, sleep patterns/history, and family/social background. The report also recommends observing a child’s behaviors in the office…how they talk, interact, etc. Past history, exams, and observations may reveal the need for more evaluations or an appointment with a specialist.

Parents also can ask for intervention options from the schools. Teachers may recommend evaluations to help determine if the child may qualify for additional reading instruction or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Helping at Home

Medical appointments and evaluations may reveal no underlying causes or explanations for reading struggles. Parents also could discover that while their child is a little bit behind peers in reading proficiency, they might not struggle enough to receive the additional intervention.

Unfortunately, parents may feel that their child is falling through the cracks. Parents can provide reading help at home to ensure children don’t fall further behind. Even when children don’t qualify for additional help from the school, teachers may still recommend resources for parents to use at home. Reach out to teachers for advice on providing reading help at home.

Worksheets

There are many online sites that provide free reading worksheets that parents can use at home to help children. Parents can do a quick search to find these worksheets. Some may focus on reading comprehension, but others may be focused on phonics.

Read with Kids

Children who have trouble sounding out words or comprehending larger chunks of text may benefit from parents reading with them. Parents can help children read the story out loud, or children and parents can alternate reading roles. During the story, ask questions related to comprehension. Focus on the ‘wh’ questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Let Children Pick Books…on Their Level

Children have different interests, and their reading enjoyment may increase when they read a book they want to read. However, parents should ask teachers about their child’s reading level to ensure that books aren’t too easy or too difficult.

Make Reading Fun…with Games

Reading lessons don’t have to be completely instruction-based. That is, lessons don’t have to feel like lessons. Children who have difficulty with phonics might have fun playing word games to better understand their letters. Parents can purchase reading games at stores or online.

Apps also are available online that serve as reading games. Some may help children identify sight words. Others can be crossword puzzles. Do a quick search to find games relevant to a child’s struggle. Just make sure that the game is appropriate, and parents also may want to disable in-app purchase options (if they don’t want a surprise bill). 

Engage in Activities that Support Interest in Stories

Some activities don’t help boost literacy in the traditional sense, but they may help children become more engrossed in their book and immerse themselves in the story. Embrace the five senses of the story with these activities:

• Parents and kids can cook recipes or sample foods from the book/story. Eating a food that a character munched on in the book takes the child into the story.
• Watch the movie. After reading a book/story, let children watch the big screen adaptation and ask them to spot the differences between the book and the movie. What did kids like better?
• Take a book field trip. Visit a place from the book. Or take a virtual tour of a place from the book’s setting online.
• Embark on a word scavenger hunt. Make a list of a child’s vocabulary or sight words and go on a scavenger hunt for each word. Children might earn a prize or special privilege when they find every word on the list. 

Use a Reading App

Sometimes parents don’t have the time to sit with children to help them read. Or maybe they are unsure how to provide appropriate help. A reading app like Readability provides children with a built-in AI reading tutor that will help them during lessons. The AI tutor will correct any pronunciation errors and also ask questions related to comprehension. Children advance through the program as they display proficiency at each level. Books are never too easy or too difficult, and stories provide engaging content and interactive features to keep children interested. 

A reading app can be a great resource to help children boost their proficiency and help parents understand their child’s progress. For example, Readability’s Parent Dashboard lets parents see their child’s reading level and how long their child engaged with the app.

When parents see their child struggling to read, there could be many reasons for their child’s struggle. Underlying medical conditions or a learning disorder could be impacting their child’s proficiency. However, parents may discover that there isn’t a definitive reason for their child’s struggle.

Parents also may find that their child isn’t falling behind enough to receive help. There are many ways that parents can provide reading help at home, and parents might wish to reach out to the child’s teacher for resources or ways to provide that help. When parents don’t have the time or resources to help their child, a reading app like Readability can provide additional assistance to struggling readers who need to gain proficiency.

Reading problems can be caused by many issues, and the reading help children need may differ because of the underlying causes of their struggle. Children could have a medical condition like a hearing impairment that affects the way they understand language. A learning disorder called dyslexia also could be the cause of reading struggles.

According to the Mayo Clinic, children with dyslexia may exhibit many symptoms, including reading avoidance, spelling difficulties, problems related to identifying sequences, and a reading level that is below the expectation of their grade.  

Some children may have no underlying medical cause for their literacy struggles. Perhaps they simply do not like to read and fall behind their peers. Children could struggle with phonetic decoding, comprehension or both. And providing reading help to children may need to be tailored to the areas of literacy in which they struggle.

When parents need to provide reading help, they need to understand why their child is struggling and how they can best guide their child to overcome these difficulties. Unfortunately, watching a child struggle to read may make a parent feel powerless to help them.

However, understanding how to advocate for their child may help to empower parents. For some children, reading may be difficult to master. Parents may need to be patient and may need to try different solutions, resources and interventions to find what works for their child.

How Can I Help My Child Who Is Struggling to Read?

Not all children have a medical condition that is causing the reading struggle. However, ruling out medical conditions may be one of the first steps parents can take to help diagnose the problem.

Parents may need to find out more details about their child’s struggle. That is, they may want to approach their child’s teacher to ascertain their child’s reading level. Is the child reading at grade level? Sometimes parents may perceive that their child is struggling because they may have a different view as to what their child should be able to read. Maybe an older sibling read far beyond grade level and parents hold this as the baseline of normalcy.

However, if parents discover that their child is reading below grade level, then they may want to initiate further conversations with their child’s teacher. How far below grade-level is the child’s ability? Is the teacher concerned? Parents may ask a teacher for recommendations about how to help at home.

Teachers are not going to give a medical opinion, and parents should not expect this from an educator. Parents can inquire about possible interventions that may be available through the school. Districts may offer testing that can help a child receive additional reading support at school or perhaps even in a more specialized classroom.

Seeking medical intervention and guidance may be a parent’s next step to help diagnose a reading problem. If a parent suspects that a child may have an underlying medical condition that could affect reading, parents may make an appointment with the child’s pediatrician. A doctor may recommend other specialists or diagnosticians for any additional testing or evaluations.

Medical professionals may diagnose an underlying learning disorder that may be affecting a child’s ability to read. But medical evaluations also could leave a parent without a reason for the struggles. Ruling out medical concerns is simply one step to understanding why or how a child may struggle.  

Even when evaluations reveal no underlying medical concerns that could affect literacy, clinicians and specialists may be able to provide resources or recommendations to parents to help them find additional help for their child.

Children with or without medical diagnoses also may qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  An IEP will outline all the services for which a child qualifies and also includes any educational support a child might need/receive. For example, an IEP for a child with a hearing impairment might include hearing support services like an FM system and support from an audiologist. Qualifying for an IEP often requires an evaluation process. Parents interested in pursuing an IEP for their child need to reach out to the school for guidance.

What is the Best Way to Help a Struggling Reader?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to helping a struggling reader. Helping a child who struggles to read may include multiple strategies, depending on the underlying cause of their struggle. The tools and tactics used to help a child with dyslexia, for example, may differ from helping a child who simply struggles with comprehension but has no issues decoding. 

Parents who are trying to help their child at home can use a variety of strategies. If a child receives reading intervention at school, parents may ask teachers or instructors how they can mirror the lessons at home.

Some simple ways parents can help children read at home include:

• • Talking about the story. Ask ‘wh’ questions related to comprehension (who, what, where, when, and how).
  • Creating a reading habit. Make a reading schedule; this could mean that children always read before bed. 
  • Choosing the right books. A child should read at their level, not too far above or below. If a parent doesn’t know a child’s level, they can ask the child’s teacher.
  • Asking children to read aloud. Help them correct pronunciation errors and sound out words they don’t know.

• Letting children choose their books when possible. 

What are the 5 Reading Strategies?

There are a number of educational reading strategies parents can use to help children. Some educational resources may list five strategies, seven strategies or more. According to Reading Rockets, some common comprehension strategies include:

• Asking questions. This goes back to talking about what is read. Parents should ask questions related to comprehension from the ‘wh’ list.
• Making predictions. Comprehension isn’t just about being able to retell the story. Children should be asked to make predictions about what they read. This shows another level of understanding. 
• Inferencing. Hidden meanings add to the story. Inferencing is all about finding the underlying meaning of an action or a dialogue. 
• Providing a summary of the text. Retelling is a key component of comprehension. Children should be able to summarize the plot of the story. Younger children may simply retell in the basic sense, but older children may be able to delve a bit deeper in their summarization. Parents may want to chunk chapter books and encourage children to summarize after each chapter.

Children that have struggles related to phonics or phonetics may use other strategies to help guide their understanding. To help with phonics skills, We Are Teachers recommends these strategies in the classroom, but some can be used at home, too:

• Matching pictures to sounds.

• Using music to teach sounds. The show “The Letter People” used songs to teach children the sounds of letters in a fun way. For example, Mr. M had a munching mouth!
• Get moving with sounds. Incorporate exercise into the lesson.
• Tactile exercises can make sounds fun, too. We Are Teachers uses a pool noodle activity, but stringing letters on a necklace could be another crafty exercise. Just make sure kids are old enough for beadwork, as small pieces can be a choking hazard
• Grab a partner. Kids can work with a sibling or a parent at home.

How Can I Improve My Child’s Reading?

While there are many tips and tactics that experts may recommend to help struggling readers with comprehension and phonics/phonemes, parents also can create activities at home to complement the reading journey and help young readers immerse in the story. These activities might not be conventional, but they can make reading more fun for children.

Parents can support, encourage and liven up the reading journey with these fun ideas:

• Make recipes or meals from the book. Eat what the characters eat, or try a new food that children learn about in the story. Even orange marmalade can be a new taste for a young child. Cooking recipes or helping parents with recipes may help children work on comprehension, too. And measuring may help with math skills. 
• Watch a movie adapted from the book. Many children’s books have been developed into movies. After a child reads the book, have them watch the movie, too. The family can discuss how the book and the movie differed. Were plot points missing in the movie? Did the characters look how the child pictured them in the book?
• Take a reading field trip. Visit a key location from the story or book. Parents may need to get creative with field trips, especially during Covid. Even if families can’t visit museums or historic sites, some tours are available online. Take a virtual reading field trip!
• Play games related to phonics or reading. Word games may help children think about letter patterns and sounds. Parents can make their own games or buy a favorite board game.
• Go on a vocabulary scavenger hunt. Children who have a list of vocabulary words or sight words can venture on a scavenger hunt for their list of words. Take a scavenger hunt in a store or even at home. Once children check off all the words, parents can reward them with a small prize or a special privilege.

Other Tips to Provide Reading Help  

Games and activities can enhance the joy of reading, especially for kids who view regular reading time as a chore or a burdening homework assignment. Parents can make the reading journey even more exciting for kids in other ways, too.

Young children might enjoy building a reading fort for a special place to curl up with a book. Create a reading fort by placing a blanket over two chairs. Or parents can stack a huge pile of pillows or maybe even set up an indoor tent. Grab a flashlight to shine a light on the book! 

What about timing reading lessons and sessions? Most schools encourage or even mandate that children read a specified number of minutes each night. Some parents find it helpful to chunk these minutes over a few days so children aren’t seemingly burdened by the clock. 

For example, if a teacher wants students to read 20 minutes each night (five days per week), then children should log a total 100 minutes of reading each week. Some children might read for 45 minutes for two days and then 10 minutes for another day. Or maybe a child really becomes engrossed in the book and reads for two hours one night. This could count for the week’s reading minutes.

Parents differ in how they view reading minutes. Some may be adamant that children read nightly. The clock can be complicated, though. If the timer goes off and the child is still reading, does the alarm encourage them to stop mid-chapter? Children must read consistently, and parents should encourage a reading habit. Setting reading goals could be a great approach to ensure that children read their specified number of minutes and still enjoy their book.

Reading goals should be set according to a child’s ability. Parents can talk to teachers about how to set meaningful, yet challenging, reading goals for their child. Goals could be related to pages read each night or maybe a chapter goal. Work with a child’s teacher to set realistic goals.

Technology for Reading Help

Many children now have access to a smartphone or some type of mobile device. Many schools also utilize one-to-one computing, which means children may have their own laptop. As screens and technology have become such an integral part of education, parents may have their own policies at home related to how much screen time is appropriate (outside of the classroom).

The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t set firm mandates on screen time for older children. The AAP instead emphasizes that children should have a healthy balance of activities beyond the screen, and staring at the screen should not interfere with eating, sleeping or other health indices.

Technology has its benefits, however. Apps and educational programs can help children with subjects like math, science and reading. Online research-based reading programs could be useful for children who struggle with reading and need more intervention related to phonics or comprehension. Before committing to an app or online program, parents should investigate the features and benefits to ensure that it fits the needs of their child.

Many online programs—including Readability—offer a free trial period. During this time, children can explore the features and benefits of the programs. Parents can then decide if the program or app is worth the price of a subscription.

Not all apps are created equal, however. Some free apps may be structured as an educational game and may not focus on boosting a child’s reading level. Free apps or games also may be interrupted by ads, and this may distract children.

Reading Help: Final Thoughts for Parents

When parents notice that their child is struggling to read, they may want to take immediate action. Reaching out to a child’s teacher to explore these struggles and figuring out a child’s reading level can help parents better understand if their child is meeting grade-level expectations and benchmarks. Parents also may wish to schedule an appointment with the child’s pediatrician to rule out any medical issues that could be causing a reading struggle. In addition, parents may request additional evaluations from the school.

Parents also can provide reading help at home using different strategies. Teachers can help provide guidance on how parents can complement their child’s school lessons at home. However, parents also can use online resources and/or reading apps (or programs) to help children become more proficient readers. Games and other activities can help children find greater joy in reading, too. Parents needing additional resources for reading help and guidance also can visit the Learning Disabilities Association of America; this site is especially helpful for parents whose child received a specific diagnosis like dyslexia or dysgraphia.

Much of the curriculum in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade is focused on decoding, which is the ability to understand the sounds that letters make and blend these sounds together to create words. But in third grade, the curriculum shifts to focus more on reading comprehension.

Reading comprehension is defined as extracting meaning from text. In other words, it’s the ability to understand what you read. Learning how to understand and analyze text is challenging for many children—even those who are strong decoders and fluent readers.

If your third grader is struggling, it’s important to help them overcome this bump in the road so they don’t fall behind. Here’s how to help your third grader with reading comprehension at home:

What Are the Signs Of Poor Reading Comprehension Skills?

The first step in helping your third grader is knowing how to spot the signs of reading comprehension difficulties. After all, it’s hard to help your child improve their reading comprehension skills if you aren’t aware that there’s a problem. Here are some of the signs that could indicate your third grader is struggling with reading comprehension:

• No interest in reading
• Unable to answer questions regarding what they are reading
• Difficulty following a simple set of instructions
• Cannot summarize the main events of a story
• Leaves out important details when discussing what took place in a story
• Retells stories out of sequence, meaning the events are not in chronological order
• Struggles to connect the main ideas of a story
• Poor writing skills

Remember, many children with strong decoding and fluency skills struggle with reading comprehension. Because of this, you should never assume that your child is not experiencing reading comprehension difficulties simply because they are strong readers.

How Can I Improve My Child’s Reading Comprehension?

There are plenty of strategies that you can implement to help your third grader improve their reading comprehension skills at home, including:

• Form A Family Book Club
• Use Graphic Organizers
• Let Your Child Choose
• Tap Into Their Background Knowledge

Form A Family Book Club

Helping your child become a better reader is a team effort, so get everyone in the family to come together for a weekly book club. Choose a different book for your family to read every week. Then, bring the family together to discuss the book as a group.

Use this time to ask your third grader questions, share opinions, and make predictions about what would happen next if the story continued. This exercise will help your child improve their reading comprehension skills by challenging them to think about and analyze the text in a new way.

Use Graphic Organizers

If your child is a visual learner, creating graphic organizers is an effective way to help them improve their reading comprehension skills.

For example, work with your third grader to create a Venn diagram that compares and contrasts the two main characters in a book. You can also create this type of diagram to compare and contrast a book to its movie adaptation.

Flowcharts can be useful, too. For instance, create a flowchart that shows the sequence of events that took place in a story. This will help your child break down a complex story, identify the main events, and put them in chronological order to better understand what happened in the text.

Let Your Child Choose

Some children struggle with reading comprehension simply because they are not interested in what they are reading. To solve this problem, let your child choose their own reading materials. It will be much easier for your child to focus and extract meaning from the text if they are genuinely interested in the topic.

However, make sure the books that your child chooses are on grade level. Trying to understand the text in a book that is too advanced may frustrate your child and hurt their confidence.

Tap Into Their Background Knowledge

Before your child starts a new book, ask them to think about what they are about to read. Encourage them to use their background knowledge on the topic to better understand the text.

For example, say your third is about to read a book about a family that takes a camping trip. Before they begin reading, ask them to talk about what they know about camping. Remind them of the time that your family went camping together and get them to talk about their own experience on this trip.

Tapping into this background knowledge will help them extract more meaning from the text once they begin reading.

What is the Best App to Improve Reading Comprehension?

Let your third grader work on their reading comprehension skills anytime, anywhere with the Readability app. This app’s Interactive Voice-Based Questions & Answers feature is designed to test your child’s comprehension and keep them engaged as they read. It is also designed to read aloud to your child, listen to your child read aloud, and correct their pronunciation errors, which can help them improve their decoding and fluency skills.

Get your third grader the reading comprehension help they need to succeed by downloading the Readability app today.

Teaching reading is not an easy task and often one reading strategy might not work for some students.

However, elementary school teachers have to undertake this big task for dozens of students. It is inevitable that some children might fall behind with reading.

When your child needs help learning to read, it is important to make them feel empowered and motivated to improve. Your child might already be frustrated with reading and needs every bit of encouragement they can get.

Luckily, there are tons of activities, strategies, and tools you can use at home to make reading and learning fun. 

Why is learning to read important? 

Reading is an essential skill that your child will improve and continue to learn in school. Learning to read is so important because it is a skill that your child will use beyond school.

But as mentioned, learning to read can be frustrating for a struggling reader. Your child might ask you why learning to read is so important in the first place.

While we all know reading is important, it can be difficult to even explain why. There are tons of reasons why learning to read is important, but here are five main reasons to tell your child:

1. Reading helps to develop other language skills – learning to read can help your child enhance their writing, speaking, and listening skills. Reading introduces them to new vocabulary and grammar that they can use in the other language skills.
2. Reading is a primary way to learn – In the beginning, your child is learning to read. Eventually, they will make the switch to reading to learn. Reading is the main way they will learn new information and concepts.
3. Reading can bring you new adventures – Reading can help your child develop their creativity and even learn about new cultures and countries without even leaving their home.
4. Reading enhances your social skills – With reading, your child can build common connections with other people. Reading gives the background knowledge and curiosity to meet new people and broaden their horizons.
5. Reading is used everywhere – Your child will continue to use their reading skills well beyond school. They will use it when they are grocery shopping, at their jobs, ordering at a restaurant, and just in their everyday lives.

Why is my child struggling with reading?

With reading being such an important life skill, not just academic skill, helping your child learn to read is especially important if they are struggling.

Before even figuring out how to help your child, you should try to figure out why your child is struggling with reading in the first place. Here are some common reasons why children struggle with learning to read:

• The reading material is too difficult for your child. Some kids just do not learn as quickly as others, so the reading material your child is reading might just be too advanced.
• The reading material is too easy. On the other hand, some kids actually are more advanced readers and end up getting bored with the reading material they are being provided.
• Your child might have an undetected learning or reading disability. If you suspect your child might have dyslexia or a learning disability, you should discuss it with your child’s teacher to see if they should be assessed and tested. 
• Your child’s phonological and phonemic awareness still needs to be improved and developed. The groundwork for reading starts with your child being able to associate specific sounds to letters. If they have not had enough practice or familiarity with this, they will likely struggle with decoding words and reading all together.

How can I help my child learn to read?

Helping your child learn to read is just a matter of incorporating reading practice into their everyday routines. Here are some tools and activities than help your child learn to read:

• Use reading apps – There are tons of reading apps available, and there are even some that target specific reading skills.

However, a good reading app like Readability helps to improve several reading skills at once.

In fact, Readability can help improve reading skills and other language skills like speaking and listening. The app allows for your child to listen to the app as it reads to them, giving them a model for good reading.

Yet, the app also allows for your child to read the story aloud and the app will catch any pronunciation errors and provide them instant feedback. This can especially help with enhancing your child’s reading fluency.

1. Make reading goals – Reading goals can help your child feel more motivated and actually see the progress they are making. You can set one big goal for them such as finishing a book all by themselves, or you can set smaller weekly goals like learning a new vocabulary word and using it.
2. Get in the kitchen– Cookbooks are a great source for reading practice because they use simple grammar structures and create a task-based activity that integrates reading skills. You and your child can pick a recipe to make together. When you cook together, have them be the person to read the instructions on the recipe.
3. Create a reading nook – Sometimes a big reason your child is not feeling motivated to read is because they are too easily distracted from the things around them. Creating a special reading nook for them can give them a special quiet area for them to concentrate on reading.
4. Read a book series as a family – Kids learn best when the rest of the family is involved in the learning process with them. Your family can choose a book series that is appropriate for all reading levels to read as a family. You can have book discussions over dinner and it is a great way to create stronger family bonds.
5. Make your own story books – If your child cannot seem to find a book that interests them, encourage them to create their own stories and books instead. This can help them improve their reading and writing skills as well as gives them a creative outlet.

Learning to read is so important for your child to be successful academically. But, it is also an important skill that needs to be practiced often.

Reading can help to open up doors in the future for your child. It is not just struggling readers that should be getting reading practice either.

All new readers can benefit from getting practice whenever and wherever they are. Readability is a great way to have access to reading practice 24/7. The app can help struggling readers to read more fluently and gives them a model of good reading skills whenever they need it.

Second grade is a critical time where learning is accelerated. Your child is learning more complex and advanced skills and concepts.

In all subjects, they are learning more and faster than ever before. This can be both an exciting and challenging time for your child.

Although they are still learning how to read longer and more advanced texts, this is the grade that your child will begin using reading as a tool for learning new information.

For many parents with children who are struggling to keep up, they might be looking into and searching for “how to help my second grader with reading”. Helping your child improve their reading skills can help them improve their learning in other subjects as well.

There are many different activities and strategies parents can use at home to help their child improve their reading. However, before working with them at home, it is a good idea to know what level your child should be aiming for and what specifically they should be learning in second grade.

What should my child know in second grade?

In second grade, your child is advancing their reading skills quickly.

They should by now have some familiarity with phonological and phonemic awareness, the relationship between sounds and letters, and they should have a relatively advanced vocabulary knowledge.

By this time, your child likely has the basics of reading mastered and is now working on improving and building advanced reading skills such as:

• Read more complex and multi- syllable structured words.
• Understands the meaning and usage of common prefixes and suffixes.
• Has a sight word vocabulary bank of over 150 words.
• Reads a variety of genres and can distinguish between them such as fiction, nonfiction, and poetry
• Understands the structure of a story and the purpose of story organization. 
• Has advanced reading comprehension skills and can identify the main ideas of a text and can answer the “5 Ws” and “How” of a story. 
• Able to discuss the differences between characters and the events of a story as well as make connections within a text. 
• Can compare and contrast the differences between stories 
• Reads more fluently with an grade level appropriate pace, correct accuracy, and expression.
• Identifies their own reading errors and re-reads when they need to.

Many second graders are able to meet these reading objectives and goals, but there are also a number of students who struggle and end up behind many of their peers.

Luckily, with early intervention and additional practice at home, struggling readers in the second grade can easily and quickly catch up.

How can I help my second grader with reading?

If your second grader is struggling with reading, they can benefit from some extra practice at home. But, many parents might find it difficult to convince their children to do even more homework.

Instead of making reading feel like just more school work, you can make the learning experience much more fun and casual at home.

Here are some activities to make reading fun and engaging:

• Create their own stories – Writing is another primary language skill that your child is likely practicing and improving in second grade.

Using writing helps your child improve their reading skills as well because they are reciprocal processes. You can have them write their own stories and create their own homemade books then have them read them to you.

• Learn about the author – Children enjoy reading when they become engaged and want to learn more.

With your child, pick one author from one of their favorite books and do some research about them. Many children’s books authors also do book tours or reading session. This can help your child become invested in reading.

• Go on a reading field trip – A reading field trip can be a trip to the library to pick up some books or to meet with a librarian. It can also be going to a local museum and reading about the exhibits beforehand. Either way the focus is to practice reading in a practical way.
• Cook together – Another practical way to practice reading is to use a cookbook or recipe. Recipes often make for great reading materials for children because they use simple language and create a task-focused activity. Find one recipe to cook together and have your child read the instructions aloud as you follow along.
• Pick a favorite word – Building vocabulary is essential for building reading skills. Each day pick a favorite word with your child and see how many times you can use that word throughout the day.
• Use reading apps – Children need stimulation and engagement to become interested in reading. Reading apps are a great tool to use for creating a fun and interactive learning environment.

One great reading app to use is Readability which helps your child get the reading intervention they need anytime and anywhere they need it.

Readability has the ability to read stories to your child as they follow along on the screen or it can even listen to your child read aloud then gives them error correction for pronunciation and feedback.

Second graders are learning so much in such a short period of time. It is almost inevitable that your child might struggle with one or more skills along the way. However, with early intervention and using the right strategies and tools such as reading apps like Readability, your child can gain steady improvement in their reading skills. Improvement in their reading skills will help them to learn better and actually enjoy learning in school.