This content is sponsored by McLean School.
If your child is struggling to learn to read, you are not alone. Only about 30 percent of students in the United States are reading proficiently, a decline from 2019, before the pandemic disrupted learning everywhere.
Alarmingly low reading rates reveal a big problem: most schools are not providing the kind of instruction children need to become fluent readers. Decades of research show that nearly all students can learn to read if they receive explicit, systematic instruction in letters and sounds. Unfortunately, many classrooms still rely on outdated myths – with devastating consequences for students.
Myth No. 1: Reading is as natural as speaking
Reading is not natural. Scientists have demonstrated through brain scans that reading requires three brain regions working together to recognize letters, associate them with sounds, and blend those sounds into words.
Unlike speech, which children acquire without formal instruction, reading must be taught. Teachers need specialized training in how to teach the sounds of our language and the patterns that represent them. This step-by-step approach, called structured literacy, enables nearly all students to read proficiently. Yet most schools do not train teachers to use it.
Myth No. 2: Children learn to read by being read to
Reading aloud is a wonderful way to build a love of stories and language. But listening to books does not, on its own, teach most children how to read. Only about 5 percent of students will learn to read simply by following along with a fluent reader.
Roughly half of all children require direct, systematic instruction in letters and sounds, the type of instruction typically delivered in a structured literacy program, to become independent readers.
Myth No. 3: “Just wait and they will catch up.”
When children fall behind in reading, parents are often told they just need more time. Unfortunately, struggling readers rarely “catch up” without targeted support.
Intervention must start early. Research from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that bringing a struggling fourth-grader to grade level takes four times longer than helping a kindergarten student. Without early identification and structured instruction, children fall further behind each year, making school increasingly difficult.
Myth No. 4: Schools are experts at teaching children to read
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting structured literacy, many schools still rely on a “balanced literacy” approach. Balanced literacy emphasizes a love of books but neglects the explicit teaching of sounds and symbols.
Students are often asked to read books filled with words they cannot yet decode. When they stumble, they are encouraged to guess based on pictures or context, skip the word, or fill in something that “makes sense.” These guessing strategies, which have been dominant in classrooms for more than two decades, slow down progress and leave most children unable to read accurately or fluently.
You can help your child
Reading, like playing piano or basketball, requires practice and feedback. Set aside 10-15 minutes a day to:
- Teach the sounds that letters make
- Break words into syllables and sounds
- Play word or sentence games
- Take turns reading aloud from decodable books or early readers, focusing on sounding out words instead of memorizing them
Make sure you have the right support
If your child is behind in reading, there is hope. With structured literacy, about 95 percent of students can learn to read proficiently. However, if your school does not offer this approach, you may need outside support.
When evaluating schools, ask about their reading programs and look closely at reading test scores. Whether you switch schools, engage a tutor, or work with your child at home, it is never too late to put them on the path to reading success.
Complimentary Reading Screenings at McLean School
Wondering if your child is reading proficiently? McLean School, in Potomac, Maryland offers Complimentary Reading Screenings for children in kindergarten through grade 4 to help parents understand and support their child’s needs.
McLean serves bright K-12 students, including those with dyslexia.
