QUESTION: Why is it so hard for my child to read aloud fluently?

ANSWER:

Reading can be hard for some children. They may have trouble understanding it because it needs different parts of the brain to work together.

There are several reasons why they may struggle to read fluently. Here are 3 common reasons:

1. Poor Word Recognition:
   • This is the ability to identify and read words accurately and quickly. It involves decoding the letters or letter combinations in a word and connecting them to their corresponding sounds, knowing spelling rules, and retrieving the meaning of a word from memory. Word recognition is crucial for fluent reading because it allows readers to process and understand written text efficiently.

Word recognition includes two main components:

• Decoding: This is using sounds to figure out how to say a word. It helps your child know what sound each letter makes so that they can read new words.
• Sight Words: These are words that your child sees often. They don’t sound like how they look, so it is best to learn them by looking at them and remembering them.

2. Reduced Reading Comprehension:

• Being able to understand what they read is important for your child to be a good reader. If they have trouble understanding what they are reading, it can be hard to read in a smooth and fast way.

3. Learning Differences:

• Some children may have specific learning differences, such as dyslexia, that can affect their reading fluency. These learning differences may impact their ability to decode words, process written information, or develop automaticity in reading.

To improve your child’s reading fluency skills at home, you must expose them to new words, help them to understand letter-sound relationships, and read aloud together.

Remembering that each child is different, you must tailor your approach to their specific needs.

Reach out to me here for a complimentary, personalized Learning Clarity Breakthrough Session to work out specific strategies for your child.