3 Things to Watch Out for in Online Reading Programs for Struggling Readers
by Mary Follin
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Many parents have experienced the sinking feeling of finally Googling “online reading programs for struggling readers.” Perhaps they’ve suspected for a while their first or second grade child wasn’t ‘getting it’—hoping the problem would go away given a little more time—but they’ve now decided to face the issue and do something about it. If your child is not showing clear signs of reading confidence as the school year progresses, please consider getting on it right away.
What you do at home can never hurt, but more importantly, it can be a game-changer, especially if you start early. The first step is to determine whether or not your child is learning to read using phonics at school. If your child knows phonics, great! But many schools are not using a direct-instruction phonics-based program to teach reading, so that would be a number one criterion when reviewing online reading programs for struggling readers. Aside from phonics, there are many other reasons your child may be struggling with reading, so early on, do have your child tested by professionals to see if there is a physical, emotional, or learning component involved. |
Is it time to start researching online reading programs for struggling readers?
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Online Reading Programs for Struggling Readers—3 Key Things
Now let’s go back to that Google search for online reading programs for struggling readers. What are some key things to consider?
Once you get started with whichever of the online reading programs for struggling readers you’ve chosen, you may be shocked to find out how little phonics your child actually knows. You will also be delightfully surprised how quickly reading skills can improve once your child is able to associate sounds with letters and blended letters.
You will also find something new in your self—a sense of empowerment, no longer overwhelmed by a situation you felt you had no control over. Teaching your child to read with phonics is one of the most rewarding things you can do, especially if your struggling reader appears to have no other options. Now go ahead and start wading through online reading programs for struggling readers!
- The first thing to look for is a direct-instruction, phonics-based approach to teaching reading. There are a lot of good ones out there, so as you sift through them, try to consider which one your child will most likely respond to.
- DON’T look for an ‘age appropriate’ program. If your child has missed out on phonics instruction, you will need to choose a program that may feel remedial—especially to your child. Unfortunately, your child will need to go back to the ‘baby stuff,’ learning the sounds of individual letters and blends.
- Avoid programs that encourage your child to work alone. By this point, your child has probably developed the idea that reading is hard, an internalized belief that creates doubt, stress, and even low self-esteem. At this stage of learning, your child needs you to be there, side-by-side. Besides, if your child is working independently, you may find yourself back in the same situation you were in before: not seeing progress and not knowing why.
Once you get started with whichever of the online reading programs for struggling readers you’ve chosen, you may be shocked to find out how little phonics your child actually knows. You will also be delightfully surprised how quickly reading skills can improve once your child is able to associate sounds with letters and blended letters.
You will also find something new in your self—a sense of empowerment, no longer overwhelmed by a situation you felt you had no control over. Teaching your child to read with phonics is one of the most rewarding things you can do, especially if your struggling reader appears to have no other options. Now go ahead and start wading through online reading programs for struggling readers!
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Founder and creator of Teach Your Child to Read™, Mary Follin was a systems engineer with IBM early in her career. Over the course of her career, she has worked in a variety of industries: market research, product design, service innovation, and multiple professional services firms. She also wrote Ethyr, which won the the Moonbeam Children's Book Award and the Gertrude Warner Book Award. Mary currently writes a column titled ASK MOM, an advice column featured every other Friday in Fredericksburg Parent & Family magazine. ASK MOM won a 2021 Parenting Media Association award.
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