Guiding Light: Strategies to Navigate Reading Challenges and Support Your Child

Home is where literacy takes root, and family involvement in reading education is known to boost children’s literacy skills. Learners with reading challenges can benefit greatly from a guiding family member who provides the structure and support they need to succeed. But families also need a guiding light. 

The search for answers and specialists trained in detecting learning differences, such as dyslexia can be difficult and intimidating.  Neuhaus Education Center resources and referral services provide families with a welcome first step in unlocking a path to reading success. 

The Importance of Reading 

Reading is a substantial part of modern life. It allows us to learn school lessons, engage with the world, and cope in the workplace. Most adults take reading and writing for granted, but those who struggle with literacy skills often face serious consequences in their education and emotional lives. 

Reading proficiency in children is important because it helps to foster healthy self-esteem. It also helps them keep up with their peers. However, reading difficulties can be slippery, making an affected learner feel isolated and frustrated. Without help, they might struggle with reading for the rest of their education and adult lives. That is why family support for struggling readers is invaluable.

What Is Family Advocacy for Reading Difficulties?

This term refers to the proactive support and effort given by a child’s family members. It calls for advocating for children with reading disabilities in the home, school, and community to ensure they receive appropriate structure, resources, understanding, and accommodation to improve their literacy skills. 

But as with all things, starting at home and exploring the methods you can employ as a parent or family member to uplift a child with learning difficulties is a good idea. This will give you the experience to discuss the matter with teachers and other important figures in your child’s life when advocating for their rights. 

What Are the Best Strategies to Navigate Reading Difficulties?

Although the following strategies are proven to assist learners with reading difficulties, remember that every child is unique. 

• Seek an evaluation from a qualified professional either from your public school or a private evaluator Most children can improve their literacy skills with the help of a specialized, trained instructor. The instructor should present a multisensory, structured literacy program, which is systematic, cumulative, deliberate, and diagnostic. A structured literacy program will teach phonology (sound system of language), sound-symbol recognition, syllables, morphology, syntax, semantics, and how they work together to achieve effective literacy skills.  Your child may qualify to receive dyslexia instruction at their public school or may work privately with a trained dyslexia therapist.
• Assistive Technology As a parent, you can read to your child to help them develop listening skills and an appreciation for books. The exposure to text will grow their vocabulary, build their world knowledge, and enhance their comprehension skills. This can take the form of you reading to your child or shared reading with your child. You can also take advantage of recorded audiobooks like those from Aprendiendo aliado. Para estudiantes de secundaria y preparatoria Academia Neuhaus proporciona recursos. 
• Use a Multisensory Approach Children with reading disabilities tend to avoid reading and writing abilities because of the effort, frustration, and grind of struggling through a reading lesson. This is why a parent needs to make lessons more fun and engaging. One way is to rely on multisensory methods and games. The Orton-Gillingham method and phonics-based learning are two trusted options to base your lessons on.
• A Personalized Learning Plan Children with reading difficulties flourish when parents and educators collaborate to design a bespoke learning program that bolsters their strengths and weaknesses.
• Focus On Empowering Your Child Once a child realizes that they have a learning disability, it can knock down their self-esteem. As a parent, you can empower your child by celebrating their small successes, teaching them to self-advocate, setting realistic goals, and promoting a growth mindset.

Neuhaus Education Center is a leader in supporting families of learners with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. Connect with us to learn more about how we can help your child reach their skilled reading goals.