Target the Problem!

There are many reasons why reading can be hard

Target the Problem! describes the five components of reading and difficulties that kids experience within each area.

We hope this tool helps parents and teachers become aware of specific areas in which a child is having trouble and begin targeting ways to help. (In the Other Sources of Reading Difficulty section, you’ll also find information about other sources of reading problems, such as processing difficulties and attention issues.)

It’s important to note that struggling readers will often have problems in multiple areas. For example, children who have problems with phonemic awarenessThe ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds in spoken words. almost always have problems in word decodingThe ability to translate a word from print to speech by using your knowledge of sound–symbol (letter) correspondences. and phonicsReading instruction that focuses on the alphabetic principle — the systematic, predictable relationship between spoken sounds (phonemes) and written letters (graphemes) — to allow readers to identify or “decode” words. ; children with fluencyFluency is the ability to read a text accurately, at a good pace, and with proper expression and comprehension. problems usually have comprehensionMaking meaning from something that is heard (oral comprehension) or from print (reading comprehension). weaknesses; and a weak vocabularyKnowledge of the meaning and pronunciation of words. also impacts comprehension. Please read through all of the sections of Target the Problem! to understand these different factors.

If you suspect your child has a reading difficulty

The key thing is, don’t hesitate when you suspect a child has a reading difficulty. Trust your judgment and consider how a child does in comparison with other students. Although reading problems are best addressed when caught at a young age, it’s never too late to help a child. One thing to consider early on is whether hearing or vision loss is contributing to your child’s difficulties with reading. Be sure to talk with your pediatrician about having your child’s hearing and vision tested. This is particularly important for children with fluid in their ears or children with allergies.

Parents play a huge role in making sure that their child’s needs are being addressed by the school. Some kids end up being diagnosed with a learning disability. There is an even larger group of students, though, who never receives a diagnosis but who nonetheless needs targeted assistance to learn and read well. Because you care the most about your child, you need to understand your child’s needs and advocate for him or her.

A thorough reading evaluation can help determine a child’s reading difficulties. A good evaluation should clarify, for example, whether a child’s primary reading problem is poor fluency with comprehension problems secondary to it, or whether other problems that contribute to poor comprehension also exist. Please see Getting Your Child Evaluated for information on how to get a thorough reading evaluation for your child.

A good place to start

We hope you’ll use this information as a starting point. The best thing that can happen is for parents, teachers, and other professionals to begin talking and strategizing how they can help a child overcome or cope with his or her reading difficulties. It takes everyone working together to help a child strengthen the skills that are so crucial to learning to read.

Target the Problem! includes suggested things parents, teachers, and kids themselves can do. The idea is not to put more pressure on a child, but to offer him or her caring support and strategies that work. With a well-informed and engaged team of both parents and teachers behind him or her, your child will have the best opportunity to succeed at reading.