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10 Tips for Reaching Your Struggling Learner

a struggling learner featured graphic

When your child is a struggling learner, it can be scary.

My son struggled with reading and spelling, so I know firsthand what that fear feels like.

You feel responsible for making sure your child grows up being able to read and spell proficiently, because you know that your child’s future options will be limited without those essential skills.

You don’t want to see your struggling learner blocked from reaching his full personal potential, and you would do almost anything to help him overcome his struggles.

What Is a Struggling Learner?

A struggling learner has to work harder than others around him in order to accomplish the same task or learn the same thing. The child may be a year or more behind grade level in one area or in all subjects.

There are many possible reasons for the child’s struggles. He may have physical disabilities that affect sight, hearing, mobility, or coordination. Or he may have learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or auditory processing disorder. Interestingly, a struggling learner may be gifted in some areas, such as a child who is amazing with math but does not read.

One very common reason for learning struggles is that the child has not yet been taught in a way that works for him. For example, he may need the structure and logic of a phonetic approach to reading, but he is being taught with a whole language approach.

struggling learner quick guide graphic

10 Tips for Teaching a Struggling Learner

There are very specific teaching methods that you can use to help your struggling learner succeed. One of the most important things you will want to do is to use curriculum and teaching strategies that can be customized to meet his needs.

Even if other methods have failed to work for your child, the ten tips that follow will help you reach your struggling learner.

  1. Teach Through Direct Instruction

    Direct instruction is a proven method in which the child is taught exactly what he needs to learn. With direct instruction, the information is presented very clearly through well-tested materials that rule out the possibility of misinterpretation and confusion. And your child is shown exactly how to apply the information, too. The explicit teaching of language rules and patterns means that your child doesn’t have to guess or struggle to figure out how to read or spell a difficult word.

    Pages from All About Spelling Teacher's Manual
  2. Choose an Incremental Approach to Lessons

    Incremental means that lessons start with the most basic skills and gradually build up to more advanced skills. Each lesson builds upon previously mastered material, and gradually increases in difficulty.

    Incremental instruction provides a “no gaps approach” that allows your child to learn one new piece of knowledge at a time in a well-thought out, logical sequence. With this approach, kids can successfully climb to the top of the learning ladder—step by step by step—and reap the rewards of mastery in reading and spelling without all the struggles along the way.

  3. Understand the Importance of Multisensory Instruction

    Multisensory learning happens when sight, sound, and touch are used to learn new information. Children learn best when they can use all their senses. When children can see a concept as it is explained, hear about it, and then do it with hands-on activities, it is easier for them to learn and retain the new information.

    In a multisensory spelling lesson, for example, your child can see a new word spelled out with letter tiles, hear and see a demonstration of a related spelling rule, try out the spelling rule for himself by manipulating the letter tiles, and say each sound of the new word as he writes it out on paper. This combination of activities uses multiple pathways to the brain.

    Image representing seeing, hearing, doing
  4. Give Your Child an Advantage by Teaching the 72 Basic Phonograms

    Kids who struggle with reading and spelling often have a misconception: they think that the key to reading and spelling success is memorizing strings of letters. But the fact is that it’s very difficult for children to memorize words this way. They often just get frustrated and give up.

    There’s a better way. Teaching phonograms helps kids see spelling as a doable task. A phonogram is a letter or letter combination that represents a sound. For example, CK is a phonogram that says /k/ as in clock; OY is a phonogram that says /oi/ as in oyster.

    Woman holding Phonogram Card 'ck'

    Each sound in a word can be represented by a phonogram. If your child learns the phonograms and which sounds they represent, reading or spelling the word will become so much easier. If he knows that the sound of /j/ at the end of a short-vowel word is spelled with DGE, the word bridge becomes simple to read and spell.

  5. Teach Just One New Concept at a Time

    When you dump too much information into your child’s mental “funnel,” your child’s memory can only attend to a certain amount of the new information. Teaching one concept at a time respects the limitations of your child’s short-term memory, and allows concepts and skills to be more easily stored in the long-term memory. And that means significant amounts of meaningful learning can occur.

  6. Teach Reliable Rules

    Children are really helped by knowing a few reliable spelling rules. For example, knowing the rules about doubling consonants at the end of words can help them spell words like floss, sniff, and fill. When your child learns trustworthy spelling rules—like the Floss Rule—he’ll have some guidelines to help him make the right letter choices.

  7. Teach Reading and Spelling Separately

    On the surface it may seem to make sense to teach reading and spelling together. But in reality, although they are similar, reading and spelling require different teaching techniques and a different schedule. Reading is easier than spelling, and teaching these subjects separately is much more effective for most kids. Separating these subjects allows kids to progress as quickly as possible through reading while taking as much time as needed in order to become an effective speller.

  8. Make Review a Priority

    Consistent review is the key to getting spelling facts and spelling words to “stick.” Teaching something once or twice does not mean your child has actually mastered it. Mastery takes time—and practice.

    Review doesn’t have to be boring, either. Have your child practice spelling concepts with letter tiles and flashcards and through dictation. Use a variety of techniques to ensure that your child retains what you are teaching.

    Child using a hands-on game from All About Reading
  9. Keep Lessons Short but Frequent

    Short, frequent lessons are much better than longer, sporadic lessons. In a short lesson, your child’s attention is less likely to wander, and you’ll find that you can actually accomplish more. Keep the lessons upbeat and fast-paced, and use teaching tools and activities that engage the child’s interests.

    Start with 15-20 minutes per day, five days a week. You can adjust the length of the lessons up or down according to your individual child’s attention span and specific needs. (Here are guidelines for lesson length for teaching reading and teaching spelling.)

  10. And Finally, Recognize the Power of Encouraging Words

    In the ups and downs of the daily grind, we sometimes get so focused on teaching and “improving” our kids that we forget to encourage them. The first nine tips are all built into the All About Reading and All About Spelling programs, but putting the power of encouraging words to work in your homeschool is all up to you!

    For many people, using encouraging words doesn’t always come naturally, so we created a way to help moms and dads remember how important it is. Be sure to visit our blog post on 7 Ways to Be the Teacher Your Child Needs and download the free poster as a reminder.

Teaching a struggling learner can be difficult, but the tips above can help make it a lot easier—and I know that from experience. Just take it one day at a time. Before you know it, your struggling learner will be doing things in life that you never dreamed were possible!

Is your child struggling in reading or spelling? We’re here to help! Post in the comments below, give us a call (715-477-1976), or send us an email (support@allaboutlearningpress.com).

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Ruth

says:

Thank-you very much for developing a comprehensive program for struggling readers.

Robin

says: Customer Service

You are so very welcome, Ruth! Marie knows what it is like to teach struggling learners, and teaching her own son led directly to her developing All About Reading and All About Spelling. You can see a video where she shares her son’s story here, Failure is Not an Option.

Shelley Scoll

says:

I have used AAR with all 5 of my child and all of my children are avid readers. I credit AAR with the reason they excel so much in reading.

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m excited to hear that all 5 of your children are such great readers, Shelley! It’s wonderful to know that All About Reading played a part in that too. Thank you.

Kim Slease

says:

Number 9 was the key for us while using AAR and AAS. It felt like it took forever to get through a level but it worked!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Kim,
Yes! Short lessons done consistently is a powerful tool for struggling learners!

Catherine

says:

My daughter has been struggling to read for a while. I hope this kind of approach will make a difference. Being in Australia makes it a huge investment for us….

Robin

says: Customer Service

Please let me know if you have questions or if I can help you with anything, Catherine.

Kaleh Sampson

says:

Such good tips! My kids respond so well to the multi sensory approach.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Kaleh,
I’m happy these tips will be helpful for you! Yes, the multisensory approach is key for so many learners!

MargaretMargaretanne Ingle

says:

This program has helped my struggling reader/speller tremendously!!! He has really gain a strong foundation that I am already seeing him reap the rewards. This program makes it so easy to teach the skills he will be able to utilize for years to come!

Robin

says: Customer Service

This is so amazing to read, Margaret! I love that the program is easy for you to teach, and that his foundation will be solid for future learning. Keep up the amazing work!

Mamta

says:

We tried another curriculum that we stopped midway because my son was not enjoying it at all. Looking forward to the AAR1 and using these tips!

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m sorry to hear that your son was not enjoying learning to read before, Mamta. I hope All About Reading makes all the difference in his enjoyment! Let me know if you have questions or need help with placement or anything else.

Katelyn Evans

says:

Both of my boys have struggled reading. AAR has helped so much!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Wonderful to hear that All About Reading has helped both of your boys, Katelyn!

Jenny S.

says:

I love the FLOSS rule poster that you provided! It really helped both my daughters. Thanks!

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m glad to hear the FLOSS Rule poster was helpful for your daughters, Jenny! Thank you.

Jenny S

says:

I love the FLOSS rule poster that you provided! It really helped both my daughters. Thanks!

Samantha Stuard

says:

I have a child who struggles and this post is very encouraging. I am looking into this program for the future.

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m so pleased to hear that this blog post encouraged you, Samantha! Let me know if you have questions about placement or need anything. I’m happy to help!

Shelby Cleland

says:

Love the tip on remembering to use encouraging words.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Shelby,
Oh, yes! Encouraging words are so important!

Cari

says:

Thanks so much for the great tips!

Robin

says: Customer Service

You’re welcome, Cari!

Kylie

says:

I love the great advice given here. As mum to a dyslexic child, this is a must!!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you, Kylie!

Veronica Demski

says:

I’m so excited to start AAR this summer with my daughter

Robin

says: Customer Service

Wonderful to hear, Veronica! Let me know if you have questions about placement or anything else.

Melissa Cook

says:

Love this post. I will do a better job incorporating this concepts in our reading time

Sarah K

says:

These are great tips! My daughter loves this program and I appreciate the practical advice to help her succeed.

Jenny Peterson

says:

I am hoping this will be the program that finally helps my 8 year old who wants to read so badly but has always struggled.

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m sorry to hear that your child is struggling, Jenny. Please let me know if you have specific questions. I’d be happy to help!

Megan

says:

Short and frequent lessons have been great for us. Sometimes cutting the lesson in half worked better than powering through it all.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Yes, that is an important point, Megan! We recommend working just 20 minutes a day on reading instruction. For most students, that means two to three days per lesson, sometimes more.

Karen S

says:

I love your programs! I have taught three kids to read using it, and now our youngest child is making his way through the books. I will miss using your program when he is done!

Robin

says: Customer Service

It’s great to hear that All About Reading has worked so well for all of your students, Karen!

Ashley Brown

says:

I found these tips very helpful thank you!

Jenifer

says:

These are great tips. Thank you for sharing.

Robin

says: Customer Service

You’re welcome, Jenifer!

Charity

says:

I have a child to who is turning 6 years he recognise all the letters and numbers but can’t sit down to write either he scrab the whole paper and break it in to pieces or starts eating the paper

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m sorry your child is having such difficulties, Charity. Have you seen our blog post on Dysgraphia: How can I help my child? It may be helpful.

Sinethemba

says:

Hi

I was reading your blog i think it might help me a lot,I have a 11 years old child she’s struggling so much to read to write nd she is forgetful and when ever you push her to do something she cries, she’s too sensitive but since I’ve read your article I’m going to start doing some lessons with her although it hurting to me too because I don’t know what went wrong with her nd I also don’t know how to help her😭😭😭😭😭

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m so sorry to hear that your child is struggling so much, Sinethemba.

It is very important to make sure she doesn’t have gaps in the foundational skills and knowledge. If a student has not learned the beginning information, the higher level reading and writing will impossible. So, even though she is older, she may still need to learn beginning reading and spelling. Work on the level she needs to be successful, and I think you will find she doesn’t need to cry because she will be able to do the work.

Here are some articles you may find helpful:
The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling
How to Teach Phonograms
Helping Kids Sound Out Words

If you have specific concerns or questions, I would be happy to help.

Lebogang

says:

I have a nine years son I teach him A up Z when I ask him to show me letter A he doesn’t even know no meter how many times we repeated please help me😭😭

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m sorry your child is having such struggles, Lebogang.

Have you tried working on just one letter at a time?

Work on one letter for as long as it takes for him to master that one letter. You could do alphabetical order, or you could start with the first letter of his name. Do activities focused on that letter. Check out the many free Letter Learning activity downloads we have on our blog.

Write the letter in Salt Trays or other stuff like shaving cream, paint, chalk on the sidewalk, whatever. Send him on a search in favorite books for that one letter.

Sing the ABC song to him and have him point to the letter you are working on when you come it. You will likely need to cue him when to point but encourage him to also sing the letter name with you.

Do all of this and more for days on end, until he can write the letter without having to see it or be told how it looks. Until he can find the letter easily in a page of writing. Until he can name the letter without hesitation when you point to it.

Only then start learning a second letter. Review the previous letter daily. Sing the ABC song and cue him to sing the letter names for the previous letter and for the new one, helping as much as he needs. Have him form the new letter in dough or write it on the window or whatever multiple times a day, but also have him write the previous letter a couple of times. Again, keep working on the new letter until he can write it and find and name it easily, but always reviewing the previous one daily.

Do this for each new letter, taking as much time to master each letter, and reviewing all the previous letters daily. In time, some of the previous letters will get really easy. As you near the end of the alphabet, you can try not reviewing every letter every day. But be sure to review every letter at least a couple times a week. At any time if he has difficulty with a letter, it should go back into daily review for at least a week, preferably two.

This incremental, mastery-based approach is often the only way struggling learners can master the alphabet. For some children, all the letters are just too easy to confuse with each other. The names make no sense. Why is a B “bee” and a C “see”? And so many of them look alike. A and H, N and M, B and P, C and O. It’s a wonder more children don’t struggle!

I hope this helps. It can take a lot of time with this method, but it does work.

Eva

says:

I have been using your program with my 8 year old since the beginning of last year. We just finished Level 1 before Christmas. Initially, he seemed to be doing great with your program, but as of this past mid-Sept/oct., I noticed that his progression hasn’t really improved. We have continued with the lessons, and he does fairly well with them, but I can tell it’s painstaking for him and he no longer enjoys reading the stories that go along with the program. He is frequently mixing up his b’s, d’s, p’s, m’s, w’, etc…and I he pretty much still sounds out every single word before reading it…as opposed to just fluently reading. The very small words will be usually just read, but anything bigger than 2 and sometimes 3 letters he continues to sound out first. He complains that it’s very exhausting for him and says he hates reading. I don’t know how to help him. My other two boys did great with your program…and he is just really struggling. Any suggestions?

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m sorry your son is having such trouble, Eva. My daughter had similar difficulties, so I understand.

Some kids really need a lot of extra practice in the decoding stage, so spend as much time as needed. Students may need to read a word thirty times or more before they can read it fluently without having to sound it out! So, just know that some beginning readers do need a lot of practice and review.

Please know that he will need to have some fluency with All About Reading Level 1 before moving into Level 2. Level 2 assumes a student is fluent with most of the Level 1 words, and the stories will quickly become dishearteningly difficult if a child does not have that fluency.

Students who struggle with fluency need to be rereading the same story two or three days in a row to gain fluency and confidence. Sharing the reading with your son, reading one page then having him read the next (aka Buddy Reading), can be very powerful in helping students who are in this stage of struggling with fluency. The second day you can switch the pages you read.

Rereading the stories will help accomplish these goals:

– Increase word rate
– Improve prosody. Prosody is “expressive reading.” It involves phrasing (grouping words into meaningful phrases), emphasis, and intonation (raising pitch at the end of questions, lowering pitch at the end of sentences)
– Improve automaticity (be able to recognize most words automatically without having to sound them out each time)

You can also do a variation of buddy reading called “echo reading.” You read a few sentences with full expression, and then your child reads the same sentences, matching your expression as close as possible. Do this for approximately five minutes a day, or whatever is a comfortable length of time for your child. Add in lots of praise when your child shows even a bit of improvement.

The fluency pages can be reread as well, although you don’t have to have him read them multiple days in a row.

The Change-the-Word activities in the Teacher’s Manual are especially helpful for working on increasing speed with blending and paying attention to letters in a word. Change one letter at a time, starting with simple 3-sound words like: bat-sat-sit-sip-tip-top…and so on. They are also really helpful for working on consonant blends. You can do this activity as often as is helpful; no need to wait until it is scheduled in the Teacher’s Manual.

The Word Cards allow you to track what has been mastered and what still needs work. Keep word cards in daily review until your student can read them easily, without needing to sound them out. The cards will stack up as you go, so just rotate through a portion for 2-3 minutes each day and then pick up in the book wherever you left off previously. Shuffle the cards occasionally so they are not all in order–that way, the student truly gets decoding practice and doesn’t just guess or memorize them in order.

The “Fun with Emojis” article gives an enjoyable way to work on reading with expression too. This can be a great way to make reading fun that also sneaks in some extra practice from the fluency pages or readers.

Links with more information and help:
Buddy Reading with Your Child
Overcoming Obstacles When Reading AAR Stories
12 Great Ways to Review Reading Word Cards
Here’s a fun little video explaining what to do when the Word Cards stack up.
Fun with Emojis: An “Emotional” Fluency Activity
Reading with Expression: 5 Teaching Tips and a Free Printable
How to Solve Letter Reversals

I hope this helps. But please let me know if you have additional concerns or questions. I’d love to hear how things go over the next week or two as well.

Katie GINDIN

says:

I love the way you empower parents. Parents so often ask how they can help and you give good information and concrete steps.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you, Katie!

Chris James

says:

I have homeschooled my children and blog like these have always helped me. Keep sharing such great blogs.

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m so pleased that blog posts like this are helpful for you, Chris! Thank you!

Ashley Wright

says:

Great read!!! Thanks for sharing such a great blog.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Glad you liked it, Ashley!

Priya

says:

My son is in 3rd standard and he doesn’t likes to sit read and write,if he does so he can’t remember anything,he will be so confused with the answers so am trying very hard to help him out in this some times I feel am failing to teach him so please help me

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m so sorry your son is having such difficulties, Priya! I hope you find the tips in this blog post helpful.

Often older students like your son struggle because they have gaps in the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for reading and spelling success. Check out The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling.

Let me know if you have specific questions I can help with.

Jack calvonce

says:

Good content.It was really helpful for my assignment.

Robin E.

says: Customer Service

I’m glad this was helpful for you, Jack!

Jack calvonce

says:

Good content.