Children who have difficulties reading can often feel overwhelmed in school and may begin to develop anxiety or low self-esteem if they are unable to keep up with their peers in the classroom. Luckily, there are literally thousands of resources for struggling readers out there to help your children. From online forums; to books; to apps you can purchase for your mobile device; there is no limit to the help that you can find for your struggling reader. Here is a starter list of a few of our favorite resources.
Related: Top 3 Reasons to Make Time for Mirror Reading.
Resources for Struggling Readers
Affiliate links included below.
“Parenting A Struggling Reader: A Guide To Diagnosing And Finding Help For Your Child’s Reading Difficulties” by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats
This is such a great resource for parents of struggling readers. Many books written to help young readers are designed with teachers in mind, yet this one is meant specifically for parents. Children who have difficulty with reading often struggle for years in the school system. This book is a fantastic resource for parents who want to address reading problems head-on and be proactive. You can find this super book on Amazon.
Tumblebooks
Tumblebooks are animated and talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format that they’ll love. Tumblebooks are electronic books made from existing picture books, adding animation, music, sound and narration which children can read or have read to them. Tumblebooks are available through many public libraries as well as in many schools. You can find out more about them here.
Starfall Education Foundation
Starfall is a publicly supported charity, which provides free and low-cost learning experiences for children to learn through exploration, wonderment and play. Essentially, Starfall’s goal is to help children have fun while they’re learning to read. Starfall’s curriculum includes a well-rounded pre-Kindergarten program right up until Grade Two. With an emphasis on English and Language Arts, as well as songs, books and mathematics activities, Starfall is a fantastic resource for children who struggle with reading. Check out their website here.
Literacy Apps For Struggling Learners
So many of us are plugged in daily with our smartphones and tablets, so why not take advantage of the fabulous learning apps out there for your children? With many apps available either for free or at a very low cost, check out this list compiled by the Central Coast Children’s Foundation, a non-profit organization based out of California which provides support and services to young people with disabilities and low-income families.
Readingrockets.org
Readingrockets is a national multimedia literacy initiative with offers information and resources for young children learning to read; why some children may struggle; and what parents can do to help their kids. Their website is wonderful and comprehensive, including a section whereby parents can “Target The Problem” and learn exactly how to help their own child. Not all struggling readers have the same difficulties, and this website guides parents in the right direction. You can check out this awesome website here.
Hi-Lo Readers
It can be challenging to find a book which will appeal to a fourth grader who only reads at a first-grade level. Books that are at their reading level are likely to be babyish, further dissuading the child from wanting to read for pleasure. This is where Hi-Lo readers come in, which are essentially books which are of high interest (more mature and complex themes) for children who are at a lower reading level. This combination is much more likely to engage readers, as they can find books which are of interest, yet are at their level! Hi-Lo readers are available through most major online book retailers, as well as educational retailers such as Scholastic.ca and Scholarschoice.ca.
Just as every child’s personality is different, it’s important to remember that all children learn in different ways and at different rates. If you feel as though your child is struggling with reading, check out any of the above resources for help. The above resources will surely get your child on the path towards reading at their own pace.
Ya gotta love technology, Hi-Lo sounds awesome. I love reading and Have no difficulty, thank God, yet I know people who do! So thank you for sharing!
My niece and nephewe use ABC mouse. they love it and they are progressingf orward nicely.
So many children struggle. Thanks for sharing some great resources.
I’m glad to hear your resources it looks it’s really useful and helpful to you and to your daughter i hope she will learn more lessons from you.
I am so glad that we have so many such reading resources available that could come handy for parents like me. Tumblebooks sounds amazing as kids always love animated and talking pictures so much & Literacy Apps also could be so helpful as well.
Oh, this is really great! They all learn differently and it would be nice to know what techniques would work for your kids. Awesome list!
Early reading can be such a struggle for some kids! These are great and helpful resources!
I know a lot of people when I was in school that could have used these resources to help themselves. It’s great that kids today have these available to them.
Books is so good for me i love reading different kinds of books like this. I’m enjoying reading books.
Reading books is really good for kids. They will learn something beautiful conducts about it!
Really love reading books with my daughter. She really likes reading too this is great for us! Thanks for tips.
I wish some of these options were available when my son was struggling to read. A lot of tears could have been prevented.
This is an excellent resource. As a third grade teacher I had the problem of finding reading material that was similar to what the majority of the class was reading yet was on their level. I appreciate learning about this.
These are helpful! Each child learns differently and it would be nice for parents to help them out with areas like reading. I’m sure that a lot of parents will appreciate this list!
I had no idea there were so many great reading resources available. The technology really does help provide more access to readers of all levels.