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15 Signs Your Child Might Be Struggling With Reading

Anne Hauth • June 5, 2025

If your child was struggling with reading, their teacher would let you know, right? Not always. Sometimes even the best teachers will fail to notice a struggling reader. Often, an undetected struggling reader is a student who behaves well in class and seems to focus quietly during independent reading time. The student’s grades might be decent and their standardized test scores in reading, while not as high as you might hope, are not overly concerning yet. A lower test score could be explained away as a fluke or just a bad day. Especially in lower grades, a bright student can often compensate for reading struggles by guessing and using context clues. During independent reading time, they know how to make it look like they’re reading when they’re not. This is often the type of student who is struggling more than they let on, and whom a busy teacher may not notice.


Thankfully, as a parent, there are some key signs you can watch for. If you suspect your child might be struggling with reading, look for the following:


1. Avoiding Reading

Struggling readers would rather not spend their time reading. If your child seems uninterested in books or frequently has an excuse such as “I’m too tired” or “I don’t feel like it,” this could be a sign that reading is challenging for them. Also notice if they’re hesitant to read aloud.


2. Difficulty With Phonics and Pronunciation

If you notice that your child frequently mispronounces words when reading age-appropriate material aloud, they might be behind in phonics. Next time you notice them mispronouncing a word, ask them to sound it out for you. If they struggle to decode (sound out) the word, they may have gaps in their phonics knowledge that make reading difficult.


3. Substituting Words

When a child has trouble decoding words, they’ll sometimes replace them with different words that look or sound similar. Notice if they tend to replace a harder-to-decode words, like “house,” with easier synonyms, like “home.”


4. Skipping Words

Similarly, pay attention to whether your child tends to quickly skip past hard-to-pronounce words, hoping you won’t notice. Especially as texts become more challenging with a higher number of multisyllabic words, struggling readers often won’t attempt these difficult words.


5. Frequent Guessing

Does your child frequently guess at words without trying to sound them out? Rather than using their skills to decode, many struggling readers rely on context to guess. Some kids become so good at guessing that their reading difficulties go undetected for years.


6. Reading Slowly

When a fluent reader reads aloud, they sound like they do when they’re speaking. Struggling readers tend to read slowly, haltingly, and lack expression. They also take longer than their peers to get through texts when reading silently.


7. Trouble With Comprehension

When your child finishes reading a passage of text, are they able to explain to you what the text was about? If the answer is no, comprehension could be an issue. Often, struggling readers are working so hard to decode the text that they don’t have the capacity to comprehend it at the same time. They may need to read the same text over and over again before they’re able to understand it.


8. Spelling Mistakes

Spelling and phonics go hand in hand. If your child struggles to spell most words—especially straightforward, phonetically easy words—it is often a sign that they do not have an adequate grasp on phonics patterns and rules.


9. Writing Struggles

Reading and writing are also closely connected. If your child struggles with reading, chances are they won’t be eager to write. Notice if they struggle to put their thoughts into words on paper, if they tend to write the bare minimum on assignments, and if their writing is full of spelling mistakes.


10. Mixing Up Letters

Many kids will confuse visually similar letters, like b and d, as they are first learning to read. If you notice that your child struggles with this year after year, however, it could be a sign of dyslexia or other reading challenges.


11. Difficulty With Written Instructions

Consider a child who aces all the problems on their math worksheet except for the word problems. Reading difficulties make it hard for kids to understand the instructions on their assignments. Watch for this as you help with homework. If your child needs you to explain the assignment or to read the problem to them, it might be because they’re struggling to read it on their own.


12. Physical Signs of Stress

Some kids who struggle with reading will show physical signs of discomfort. They may squint, rub their eyes, fidget, or seem tense. This could be related to tracking or vision problems, which make reading difficult. It could also indicate frustration with the task of reading itself.


13. Inconsistency

Notice if your child can read certain texts at their level but not others. Often, kids will sound fluent reading books they’ve read many times before, or they’ll be able to easily read text that is supported by pictures and repetition. But they need to be able to read unfamiliar, unpracticed text too. Proficient readers should be able to consistently read text at their level that they’ve never seen before.


14. Lack of Progress

Keep tabs on whether your child’s reading skills are improving over time. If they seem stuck at the same level for a long period, they may need additional help. Concepts and vocabulary become increasingly difficult from grade to grade. Steady progress in reading is important, and intervention when they seem to have plateaued can keep your child from falling behind.


15. Difficulty With Foreign Languages

Learning a foreign language is difficult for most people, but struggling readers will have an especially hard time. Languages like Spanish, for example, are highly phonetic. Kids who have a good grasp of phonics will often be able to decode words in these languages even before they’ve learned the meanings of the words. Kids who lack phonics skills will not be able to do this. Without the ability to rely on context clues, decoding words in foreign languages will be extremely difficult.


Note that many struggling readers will have some of these signs but not all of them. If you suspect your child might be struggling with reading, pay attention to your instincts. Inquire about extra support at school, and work with them at home if possible. For kids reading at a first through fifth-grade level, One Minute Reader is a great tool for building fluency. If you’re concerned dyslexia might be the culprit, the International Dyslexia Association is a helpful resource that includes a free screener.

Highlighted Posts

By Anne Hauth September 23, 2025
Reading fluency is a crucial skill that bridges the gap between decoding words and understanding their meaning. One effective strategy to build fluency is repeated reading —a technique where a student reads the same text multiple times until they achieve a level of fluency that feels natural and confident. What Is Repeated Reading? Repeated reading involves selecting a short passage at an appropriate reading level--ideally at or slightly above the student's instructional level. The student reads this passage several times, focusing on improving speed, accuracy, and expression with each reading. This practice allows for mastery of the text, leading to fluent and confident reading. Fluent reading should sound like conversational speaking--natural and expressive. Why Does It Work? Research shows* that repeated reading can lead to significant improvements in reading performance. The benefits include: Improved Word Recognition : By encountering the same words repeatedly, students become more familiar with them, leading to quicker and more accurate recognition. When these words become automatic, the students no longer need to put effort into decoding them. Increased Reading Fluency : Reading the same passage multiple times allows students to build fluency--each time reading it more smoothly and with greater expression. Enhanced Comprehension : As fluency improves, students can focus more on understanding the text, leading to better comprehension. This improvement in comprehension extends to unpracticed passages as well. Increased Confidence : Repeated reading is a form of mastery learning. Many beginning or struggling readers don't often get the opportunity to hear themselves sounding like fluent readers. After reading a passage multiple times, they've mastered it--and they sound great! This is a huge confidence boost that motivates them to keep reading. Repeated Reading at Home Incorporating the repeated reading strategy into your child's home reading routine doesn't have to be complicated or boring. In fact, many kids already do it! You've probably noticed that they often want to read the same book over and over. Don't discourage this--as long as they haven't totally memorized the entire text, they're building skills each time they read it. To work on repeated reading with your child at home, here's a simple strategy: Use an Appropriate Passage : Have your child choose a new short text that is slightly challenging but still within their level. Listen to Your Child Read : Have your child read the passage aloud to you. Note any words that are difficult for them to decode. Read Aloud Together : Read the passage aloud with your child, modeling fluent reading. Do this one to three times. Identify the difficult words together, and provide definitions. Independent Practice : Encourage your child to read the passage independently a few more times, focusing on improving their expression with each reading. Celebrate Progress : Affirm how much your child improved from the first reading to the final reading. Acknowledge their hard work and progress to build confidence and motivation. Additional Tips Keep Sessions Short : Aim for 10- to 15-minute sessions at first, to maintain focus and prevent frustration. Consider Using a Timer : If your child is open to the idea, set a timer each time they read the passage. Note their improvement in time, and celebrate their fluency growth. Make the timing element a fun challenge, but emphasize that this exercise isn't about speed reading--it's about building fluency. Repeated reading is a powerful strategy that can significantly enhance your child's reading ability. If you're looking for an easy-to-use program that incorporates this research-proven strategy, check out One Minute Reader . This program uses repeated reading and gamified learning to help kids at various reading levels build fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence. * Dowhower, S. L. (1987). Effects of repeated reading on second-grade transitional readers’ fluency and comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly , 22(4), 389–405. Kuhn, M. R., & Stahl, S. A. (2003). Fluency: A review of developmental and remedial practices. Journal of Educational Psychology , 95(1), 3–21. LaBerge, D., & Samuels, S. J. (1974). Toward a theory of automatic information processing in reading. Cognitive Psychology , 6(2), 292–323.
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