Reading is one of the most important skills that a child can learn. Reading can promote creativity, improve communication skills, help children understand the world around them, increase their concentration, and make them better students.

But sadly, it’s estimated that 1 in 4 children in the U.S. grow up without learning how to read, and many others grow up with poor reading skills. Fortunately, there are many reading programs for kids in elementary school that can help.

When Should You Start Teaching Reading?

Every child will learn at their own pace. But in general, most children will learn to read by the age of 6 or 7. Advanced readers may start reading at 4 or 5 years old. But this does not mean that parents should wait until their child has reached this age to start teaching them how to read.

A child’s brain develops very quickly from birth until they are three years old. During this time, parents should read aloud to their children on a regular basis. Reading aloud to children helps them understand the basic structure of stories, identify language patterns, become familiar with a wide range of words, and develop an appreciation for reading. 

Don’t wait until your child is entering elementary school to start thinking about their reading skills. It’s never too early to start reading aloud to your children. Reading to your children on a regular basis is the best way to help them become strong, independent readers in the future.

Common Types of Reading Problems in Children

It’s important for parents to understand the common types of reading problems that children may encounter as they are learning how to read.

There are three patterns of reading difficulties that are common among kids in elementary school. These patterns are:

• Specific Word Reading Difficulties (SWRD)
• Specific Reading Comprehension Difficulties (SRCD)
• Mixed Reading Difficulties (MRD)

Specific Word Reading Difficulties (SWRD)

Children with SWRD have poor word-reading skills even though their vocabulary and comprehension skills are average. If your child is experiencing SWRD, parents should focus on helping them understand the link between letters and sounds. Improving these skills is the key to overcoming these difficulties.

Specific Reading Comprehension Difficulties (SRCD)

Children with SRCD have average word-reading skills, but struggle with reading comprehension. There are several strategies that can be used to help children overcome these difficulties.

Read along with your child and ask them questions about what they’re reading throughout the story. Encourage your child to stop and ask for help when they run into a word, sentence, or paragraph they don’t understand.

Or, create Venn diagrams and storyboards together that clearly illustrate the relationships between characters and events that took place in the story. All of these strategies can help your child improve their reading comprehension skills.

Mixed Reading Difficulties (MRD)

Children with MRD are struggling with both word-reading skills and understanding what they are reading. Because this is a combination of SRCD and SWRD, children need to focus on improving both phonics skills and comprehension.

How Can Reading Programs For Kids Help?

Many parents aren’t sure where to begin when it comes to teaching their children how to read. If you’re looking for the best way to teach your child to read, consider using online reading programs or apps for kids in elementary school.

Using a reading program or app is just like working one-on-one with a private reading tutor. These apps give kids the opportunity to either listen to stories being read aloud or practice reading aloud on their own. If they mispronounce a word while reading aloud, the virtual tutor will immediately correct them so they can learn from their mistakes. This exercise helps them improve their phonics skills, broaden their vocabulary, and become stronger readers.

Kids will have access to a wide variety of stories through reading programs and apps. With so many options to choose from, they won’t have any trouble finding stories that they actually want to read. Having a diverse selection of stories available ensures that kids never get bored of reading, so they’ll keep practicing and improving their skills.

There’s no need to stress about teaching your child to read. Teaching children to read has never been easier thanks to online reading programs and apps for kids in elementary school.

What is the Best Program to Teach Reading?

There are a number of different reading programs for kids to choose from, but none that can improve your child’s reading skills quite like the Readability app. Using this app, kids can connect with a virtual tutor to receive instant feedback as they read aloud. This app is designed to help kids improve their phonics, spelling, pronunciation, and other important reading skills. Download the app to start your free 7-day trial today.