Figuring out how to improve kids' reading can feel surprisingly complicated once you're sitting beside your child during homework or story time. One expert recommends phonics. Another pushes sight words. Then someone else suggests leveled readers or daily reading logs. Meanwhile, your child may love books one day and resist them completely the next.
At Bjorem Literacy, we've spent years helping children strengthen literacy skills through engaging, practical tools designed for real learning. One thing we know for sure is this: strong readers develop gradually.
With consistent practice, supportive guidance, and enjoyable reading experiences, children can build the confidence they need to become capable, successful readers.
What this article covers:
Why Is It Important to Help Your Child With Reading?
Helping your child with reading is important because reading affects nearly every part of learning, communication, and everyday life.
Strong reading skills support academic success, but they also shape how children process information and interact with the world around them. Kids use reading to follow instructions, answer questions, learn new concepts, and express their thoughts clearly. When reading feels difficult, school can quickly become frustrating and emotionally exhausting.
We also know that literacy development is closely connected to language growth. As Speech-Language Pathologists, we often remind families that reading involves far more than recognizing words on a page. Children need strong vocabulary, listening comprehension, sound awareness, and memory skills working together while they read.
Most importantly, helping your child with reading builds confidence. Kids who feel successful during reading activities are more willing to participate, keep practicing, and stay curious about books as they grow.
10 Tips for Improving Your Child's Reading
The good news is that improving your child's reading skills does not require complicated lessons or hours of extra work every night. Small changes at home, paired with consistent support and engaging reading experiences, can make a meaningful difference over time:
1. Read Out Loud Every Day
Reading aloud remains one of the most effective ways to support literacy growth.
It introduces children to new vocabulary, richer sentence structures, and storytelling patterns long before they can read independently. It also helps children view books as enjoyable rather than stressful.
And no, you don't need to read for an hour. Even 10 to 15 minutes a day can help. Read before bed. Read while waiting at appointments. Read the same favorite dinosaur story over and over if your child asks for it again.
Repeated exposure supports comprehension while strengthening language development at the same time.
2. Focus on Sounds, Not Just Letter Names
Many parents begin by teaching the alphabet song. While that's helpful, reading requires much more than memorizing letter names.
Children also need to understand the sounds letters make. This skill, called phonemic awareness, plays a major role in reading success.
Instead of only asking, “What letter is that?” try asking:
“What sound does that letter make?”
You can practice this naturally throughout the day. Point out beginning sounds during snack time. Play rhyming games in the car. Stretch out sounds in simple words like “sss-un.”
3. Use Structured Reading and Phonics Programs
Sometimes families need more support and structure, especially when a child struggles with reading or becomes frustrated easily.
Structured reading programs for kids and phonics for reading can help children learn how sounds connect to letters in a clear, systematic way. Instead of guessing words from pictures or memorizing random sight words, children learn how to decode words step by step.
We're huge believers in making phonics engaging and memorable. That's one reason we love tools like the Bjorem Better Letters With The Laurie Berkner Band Card Deck. It combines letter-sound learning with movement, music, and multisensory support, which can be especially helpful for young learners and children who need more repetition.
Kids learn best when reading feels active and meaningful rather than repetitive or overly rigid.
4. Let Your Child Choose Books
One of the fastest ways to shut down reading motivation is forcing books that don't interest your child, and one of the major steps in learning how to get kids interested in reading is to follow their interests.
If your child wants books about trucks, sharks, princesses, space, or garbage trucks that transform into dinosaurs, lean into it.
Children are more likely to stick with reading when they care about the topic. Even graphic novels, joke books, and simple nonfiction texts count as valuable reading experiences.
We often remind parents that building a love for reading comes before building advanced reading stamina.
5. Use Closed Captions During Screen Time
Yes, screen time can actually support reading skills when used intentionally. Turning on closed captions while your child watches a favorite show helps connect spoken language with printed words in real time. Children begin recognizing familiar words, noticing sentence patterns, and matching sounds to text without feeling like they're doing formal reading practice.
This works especially well with shows your child already loves because they already understand the context and storyline.
We often recommend this strategy for reluctant readers because it feels low-pressure. It also increases exposure to print during everyday routines rather than limiting reading practice to books alone.
6. Reread Favorite Books
Parents sometimes worry when children want the same story again and again. We promise, this is actually helpful.
Repeated reading improves fluency, confidence, and comprehension. Familiar books allow children to focus less on decoding, so they can spend more energy understanding the story.
You may also notice your child “reading” parts of the book independently after hearing it multiple times. That's a wonderful sign that literacy skills are growing.
And honestly, confidence matters. Kids are more willing to practice reading when they feel successful.
7. Try “Echo Reading” Together
Some children become overwhelmed when asked to read an entire page independently. Echo reading can make reading feel much more manageable.
Here's how it works: you read one sentence first using clear expression and pacing. Then your child repeats the same sentence back to you.
This gives children a chance to hear fluent reading before attempting it themselves. It also supports confidence, phrasing, and smoother reading patterns without putting too much pressure on accuracy.
Echo reading works especially well for children who read word by word or lose confidence quickly during longer passages.
8. Stop Correcting Every Mistake Immediately
This one surprises many parents. When adults interrupt children after every reading mistake, reading can quickly start feeling stressful and overly monitored. Some children become so focused on avoiding mistakes that they stop paying attention to meaning altogether.
Instead, give your child a moment to self-correct. If the mistake changes the meaning of the sentence or causes confusion, step in gently and provide support.
Not every error needs immediate correction.
Strong reading involves confidence, comprehension, and willingness to keep trying. Sometimes protecting your child's motivation is just as important as fixing a missed word.
9. Build Vocabulary Through Conversation
Strong readers need strong language skills first. One of the best ways to support reading development is by talking with your child throughout the day. Describe what you're doing while cooking dinner. Ask open-ended questions in the car. Introduce new words naturally during play, errands, and family routines.
Children learn vocabulary through repeated exposure and meaningful interaction. The more words they understand, the easier it becomes to make sense of books later on.
And don't worry about using “big” words. Kids benefit from hearing rich language when adults explain it clearly and use it in context.
10. Create a Reading Routine
Try building reading into your child's daily routine, even if it's only for a few minutes at a time. Some families read before bed. Others fit reading into quiet time after school or during breakfast on weekends. The specific schedule matters less than making reading predictable.
Children often respond well when they know what to expect. A regular reading routine also helps reduce resistance because books become part of everyday life instead of feeling like extra homework.
Conclusion
Improving your child's reading skills does not require perfection or hours of stressful practice every day. Small, consistent reading moments can build confidence and strengthen literacy skills over time. At Bjorem Literacy, we believe reading support should feel practical and engaging for both children and parents.
If you notice ongoing speech or reading difficulties, don't wait - evaluate. Early support can make a meaningful difference in your child's communication and literacy development.
Looking for literacy tools created by speech therapists? Explore Bjorem Literacy's reading, phonics, and language resources designed to make learning fun and approachable at home.
