Helping Your Child Overcome Reading and Writing Struggles

Learning to read and write are tough skills! There are so many elements involved, and it can all feel overwhelming. Thankfully, there are so many qualified people and well-researched strategies to help children overcome struggles. It is essential to remember that when helping your child overcome reading and writing struggles, practice and patience are key. No single strategy will work with everyone, so it is crucial to be flexible and adaptable. 

Finding a Qualified Tutor

Finding a qualified tutor and maximizing tutoring sessions can greatly enhance the process. Here are some strategies to ensure you get the most out of tutoring:

1. Assess Needs:

• Academic Goals: Identify your goals (e.g., improving grades, mastering specific concepts).

• Learning Style: Consider whether you need a tutor who is more hands-on, visual, or verbal.

2. Check Qualifications:

• Academic Background: Find a tutor with expertise in the specific content area and relevant qualifications (degree, certifications, experience).

• Experience with Similar Students: Look for a tutor who has worked with students at your level or age group.

3. Get Recommendations:

• Referrals: Ask teachers, other students, or parents for recommendations.

• Online Reviews: Use tutoring platforms or local forums to read reviews from previous clients.

4. Interview the Tutor:

• Approach and Philosophy: When helping your child overcome reading and writing struggles, it is crucial to interview the tutor. Understanding their teaching style and ensuring it aligns with your learning preferences is essential.

• Availability: Make sure they can accommodate your schedule.

• Trial Session: Try a short session to see if their teaching style works for you.

By following these steps, you can ensure that you select a tutor who fits your needs! 

Home-Based Learning Activities 

Here are some simple and fun home-based learning activities for helping your child overcome reading and writing struggles. 

Reading Activities:

1. Story Time with a Twist:

• Activity: When reading a story, pause occasionally to ask questions. This includes, “What do you think will happen next?” or “How would you solve the problem?”.

2. Read Aloud Relay:

• Activity: Take turns reading pages or sentences from a book aloud. You can make it fun by using different voices or reading with emotion.

3. Sight Word Scavenger Hunt:

• Activity: Write sight words (e.g., “the,” “and,” “can”) on index cards and hide them around the house. Have your child find the words and read them aloud when discovered.

Writing Activities

1. Create a Personal Journal:

• Activity: Encourage your child to write a daily or weekly journal. They can draw pictures and write a few sentences about their day, a favorite activity, or something they learned.

2. Alphabet or Word Puzzles:

• Activity: Create a puzzle by writing a sentence with missing words. For example: “The cat ____ on the mat.” Then, have your child fill in the blank with the correct word.

3. Storyboard Drawing:

• Activity: Have your child draw pictures representing the beginning, middle, and end of a story they make up. Then, they can write captions for each drawing.

Be sure to check out this FREE Writing Graphic Organizer!  

Phonics Activities

1. Phonics Hopscotch:

• Activity: Create a hopscotch grid on the floor with different letter sounds (e.g., "a," "b," "sh," "ch"). As your child hops from one square to the next, they say the sound out loud.

2. Phonics Sound Sorting:

• Activity: Create cards with pictures and words. Have your child sort them by their starting sounds, for example, sorting “bat,” “ball,” and “book” under the "b" category.

3. Sound Detective:

• Activity: Choose a target letter sound (e.g., "m") and challenge your child to be a "sound detective" by finding objects around the house that start with that sound.

Incorporating these activities creates a fun learning environment at home that fosters strong reading, writing, and phonics skills!

Literacy Support 

Our literacy tutoring works for students with dyslexia as well as students who are struggling with reading and writing and falling below grade level. Follow up with scheduling academic screening offers to see how your child is doing in reading and writing. Are they on grade level? What are their strengths? Set up a calendar to call to book your child's session. Be sure to reach out for a Free Consultation! 

Reading and writing are life skills. So, when helping your child overcome reading and writing strategies, never give up. Whether it is finding a tutor or exploring new strategies, children will appreciate the extra support.