Read Like Rocky

You can build your child’s vocabulary at home by talking with them often, reading aloud books that are a little above their own reading level, and explaining new words in simple language right when they come up. Most children learn new words best through many short, friendly conversations and repeated use, so a few minutes a day of word play and shared reading can make a real difference over time.

Maybe your child reads a page out loud with hardly a mistake, and then you ask, “What does enormous mean?” and get a shrug. Or your child uses the same few words for everything: the movie was “good,” the dinner was “good,” the day at school was “good.” You can tell there is more going on in that head than the words coming out.

If that sounds like your house, you are in good company. Vocabulary grows slowly and quietly, one word at a time, and parents have more power to help than they often realize. All it takes to start is conversation, books and a little curiosity.

What It Can Look Like

You might notice your child:

• Reads words correctly but can’t tell you what they mean: the sounds are right, but the meaning isn’t there yet.
• Uses the same few words over and over: “big,” “good,” “stuff,” and “thing” do most of the work.
• Gets lost in a story when one key word is unfamiliar: one word they don’t know changes the whole page.
• Skips over new words without asking: they keep going instead of stopping to wonder.
• Has trouble explaining ideas: they know what they mean but can’t find the words to say it.

These are clues about where to focus. None of them on its own means something is wrong.

Why Vocabulary Matters for Reading

1. Reading is about meaning

Sounding out a word is only half the job. If a child sounds out “harbor” perfectly but has never heard the word before, the sentence still doesn’t make sense. Knowing what words mean is what turns reading into understanding.

2. Words help children understand new words

The more words a child knows, the easier it is to figure out new ones. A child who knows “kind” has a head start on “kindness” and “unkind.” Each word becomes a tool for learning the next one.

3. Books use words we rarely say out loud

Everyday conversation tends to use a fairly small set of words. Books, even picture books, often use words that don’t come up at the dinner table, like “glimmer,” “stumble” or “fierce.” Reading aloud gives children a chance to hear those words in a story where they make sense.

How to Help at Home

Try a few of these and notice which ones your child enjoys most.

Talk more, and stretch the conversation

Ask questions that need more than a one-word answer, like “What was the funniest part of your day?” or “How did you build that?” When your child answers, add a little more: if they say the dog is big, you might say, “Yes, he’s huge! He’s enormous!”

Read aloud, even after your child can read alone

When you read to your child, you can choose books that are more challenging than the ones they can read by themselves. Pause now and then at an interesting word and explain it in a few simple words: “Exhausted means really, really tired.”

Explain words the kid-friendly way

Skip the dictionary definition. Give a short meaning your child understands, then use the word in an example from their own life: “Curious means you really want to know something. You were curious about what was in that box!”

Use new words again and again

Children usually need to hear and use a word many times before it becomes their own. Choose one or two “words of the day” and try to use them at breakfast, in the car and at bedtime. Notice when your child uses one, and celebrate it.

Be a word detective together

When you come to an unfamiliar word while reading, look at the sentence around it for clues before you explain it. The Grades 4-6 Read Like Rocky lessons do this too: each passage has a short “Words to know” list, and children practice explaining an unfamiliar word using those notes and the sentence around it.

Play quick word games

In the car or while waiting in line, try “Say it another way”: you say a plain word like “happy,” and your child thinks of other words, like “glad,” “cheerful” or “thrilled.” Or play “Which is bigger?”: “Is a puddle or a lake bigger? A pond or an ocean?”

Connect words to real things

Name things while you cook, shop or walk outside: the “whisk,” the “receipt,” the “gutter.” Real objects and real moments help new words stick.

When to Ask for More Help

Vocabulary grows at different speeds for different children, and it often grows with steady, everyday talk and reading. It may be worth talking with your child’s teacher if:

• Your child often has trouble understanding what people say, not just what they read.
• They have a hard time following simple directions or answering questions about a story read aloud.
• Finding words to explain their ideas seems much harder for them than for other children their age.
• Reading time often ends in frustration because the meaning just isn’t coming through.

If you have any concern about a learning difference such as dyslexia, or about vision, hearing, speech, language, attention, or anxiety, talk with a qualified professional, such as your pediatrician or a school specialist. Only a qualified professional can evaluate or diagnose these.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest way to build my child’s vocabulary at home?
Talk with your child often and read aloud to them every day. Stop at interesting words, explain them simply, and use them again later in the day.

Should I read to my child even if they can already read on their own?
Yes. Reading aloud lets you share books with richer words and ideas than your child can read alone, and you can talk about new words as they come up.

How do I explain a new word without a dictionary definition?
Give a short meaning in everyday words, then connect it to something your child knows. For example, “Exhausted means really, really tired, like after a long day at the beach.”

Are vocabulary flashcards a good idea?
Most children learn words better through conversation, stories and real use than from lists. If you use cards, keep them short and fun, and always use the word in a sentence too.

Can a small vocabulary affect reading comprehension?
It can, because a child needs to know what the words mean to understand what they read. Building vocabulary through talk and reading aloud supports comprehension along the way.

Find Out Where Your Child Is Today

When a child reads words without knowing what they mean, vocabulary is often the missing piece, and it is one of the easiest skills to build at home through everyday talk and reading. Read Like Rocky, the 12-week at-home reading program created by Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D., who has 49 years in education, starts with a free reading assessment that helps you see where your child is now and where to begin.

Take the free reading assessment

Want more on this? Read our guide to vocabulary development.

Your child is reading a page about a horse. The word is house, but they say “horse.” Or they glance at the picture of a puppy and say “dog” when the word is pup. Sometimes the guess is close. Either way, you can tell they aren’t really reading the word. They’re guessing.

Guessing is one of the most common habits in young and struggling readers. It’s also one of the most fixable. Guessing is not a sign that your child is lazy or not smart. It usually means they’ve found a shortcut that worked for a while and haven’t yet built a better tool to replace it.

What Guessing Usually Looks Like

Parents often describe it in a few ways:

• First-letter guessing: The child sees b and says any b word that comes to mind: ball, big, bed.
• Picture guessing: The child looks at the picture instead of the word and names what they see.
• Story guessing: The child says a word that fits the story but isn’t on the page, like “kitten” for cat.
• Shape guessing: The child mixes up words that look alike, such as was and saw, or house and horse.
• Freezing, then guessing: The child stops, looks at you, and tries a word to see if you nod.

If you notice the same kind of guess over and over, you’ve found a useful clue.

Why Kids Guess Instead of Sounding Out

1. Guessing worked in early books

Very simple books often repeat the same sentence with a picture that matches. “I see a cat. I see a dog.” A child can “read” these by memory and pictures. That feels like success, so the habit sticks. When books get longer and pictures help less, the habit stops working.

2. They don’t yet have a reliable way to decode

To read an unfamiliar word, a child needs to know the sounds letters make and how to blend those sounds together. If any part of that is shaky, sounding out feels slow and hard. Guessing feels faster. When a child guesses on most new words, a gap in phonics skills is often part of the picture.

3. Blending is still hard for them

Some children know their letter sounds but can’t yet smoothly push them together. They say “/m/ /a/ /t/” and then say “map” or “man.” The sounds are there, but the blend isn’t. This is a specific skill, and it can be practiced.

4. They want to be fast

Many kids believe good readers are quick readers. Stopping to sound out a word feels like failing, so they grab a guess and keep moving.

5. They’re looking to you for the answer

If a guess gets a quick “yes” or a quick correction, children learn that guessing gets them help. Without meaning to, adults can keep the habit going.

How to Help at Home

You don’t need special materials. Pick two or three of these and use them for a week.

Cover the picture (sometimes)

Pictures are wonderful for enjoying a story. But when your child is practicing reading words, slide a card over the picture for that page. Then uncover it after they read the sentence to check: “Does the picture match what you read?”

Say “Look at every letter”

When your child guesses, try a calm, consistent phrase: “Look at all the letters. Start at the beginning.” Then point to the first letter and slide your finger across the word. This teaches them to look at the whole word, not just the start.

Practice blending out loud

Blending is the bridge from letter sounds to real words. Say sounds slowly and have your child push them together: “/s/ /u/ /n/… sun!” Start without any print, just listening. Then try it with small written words. In Read Like Rocky’s early lessons, children connect a few letters to their sounds and blend them into tiny words before moving on to short sentences. Building step by step like that helps at home too.

Use “sound it out, then check it”

Teach a two-part routine. First, sound out the word. Second, ask, “Does that make sense in the sentence?” This keeps decoding first and meaning as a check, instead of meaning replacing decoding.

Wait before you help

When your child gets stuck, count to five in your head before saying anything. Give them space to try. If they guess, don’t say “no.” Say, “Let’s check it,” and point to the letters together.

Choose books with words they can decode

If your child is guessing on nearly every page, the book may be too hard for practice right now. Decodable books, which mostly use letter patterns your child has already learned, give them a fair chance to sound words out. Keep harder books for you to read aloud to them.

Praise the effort, not just the right answer

Say “I love how you looked at every letter” or “You didn’t give up on that word.” That tells your child that careful reading is what you value.

When to Ask for More Help

Some guessing is normal while kids are learning. It may be worth talking with your child’s teacher if:

• Your child guesses on most words, even simple, short ones.
• They have trouble learning or remembering letter sounds.
• They know letter sounds but can’t blend them into words after plenty of practice.
• Reading time often ends in tears, anger, or avoidance.

If you are worried about a learning difference such as dyslexia, or about vision, hearing, or attention, talk with a qualified professional, such as your pediatrician or a school specialist. Only a qualified professional can evaluate or diagnose these. Guessing words on its own does not mean something is wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal for my child to guess words when reading?
Yes, it’s very common, especially in early readers. What matters is how often it happens and whether your child is building the skills to replace guessing with sounding out.

Should I let my child use pictures to figure out words?
Pictures are great for enjoying and understanding a story. For word-reading practice, it helps to have your child read the word first and then use the picture to check.

My child guesses but usually gets the meaning right. Is that okay?
It can work in simple books. As texts get harder, guesses tend to be wrong more often, and small mistakes can change the meaning. Building decoding skills now helps later.

How do I stop my child from guessing without making reading stressful?
Keep sessions short, use the same calm phrase each time (“Let’s check the letters”), and praise careful tries. Avoid saying “No, that’s wrong.” Turn it into checking together instead.

Does guessing mean my child has a reading problem?
Not necessarily. Many children guess because of habits from early books or a skill they haven’t learned yet. If you have ongoing concerns, talk with your child’s teacher or a qualified professional.

Find Out Where Your Child Is Today

Guessing is a clue. It often points to a skill your child still needs, like letter sounds or blending. Read Like Rocky, the 12-week at-home reading program created by Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D., who has 49 years of experience, starts with a free reading assessment that helps you see where your child is now and where to begin.

Take the free reading assessment

Want to learn more about building strong sounding-out skills? Read our guide to phonics gaps.

Most children read slowly because they are still sounding out many words one at a time, so their brain has to work hard on each word before it can move on to the next one. Slow reading is common while reading skills are growing, and it usually gets smoother with short, regular practice that builds quick word reading and lets children reread the same text until it flows.

Your child sits down with a book and the first page takes forever. Every word gets its own pause. By the end of a sentence, you can see them working so hard, and you may wonder whether they even know what the sentence said.

If that sounds familiar, you are not doing anything wrong, and neither is your child. Smooth reading is built step by step, and there is a lot you can do at home to help it along.

What It Can Look Like

You might notice your child:

• Reads word by word: each word is said on its own, like a list, instead of in groups that sound like talking.
• Sounds out words they have seen many times: a word like “with” or “said” still takes a long pause.
• Loses their place: they stop, look back, or skip lines when a page has a lot of text.
• Reads in a flat voice: there is little expression, and periods and question marks don’t change how it sounds.
• Gets tired quickly: a page or two leaves them worn out or ready to quit.
• Can’t tell you what they just read: so much effort goes into the words that the meaning slips away.

These are clues about where practice can help. None of them on its own means something is wrong.

Why Kids Read Slowly: Common Reasons

1. Sounding out is still doing all the work

When children first learn to read, they sound out words letter by letter. That is an important step. Over time, words they read many times start to feel automatic, so they no longer need to sound them out. Until that happens for lots of words, reading stays slow.

2. Some letter patterns aren’t solid yet

If a child isn’t sure about patterns like “sh,” “ee,” or “ar,” they may stop and guess, or start over. Each pause slows the whole sentence down. Filling these small gaps often speeds reading up more than any reading-faster trick.

3. The book is too hard right now

If a child stumbles on many words on every page, the text may be a stretch for practice. Hard books are fine for reading together, but for building smooth reading, a child needs text where most words feel easy.

4. They haven’t heard what smooth reading sounds like

Some children don’t yet know what reading is supposed to sound like. Hearing an adult read with expression gives them a model to copy.

5. Worry about mistakes

A child who is afraid of getting a word wrong may slow way down to be careful. Feeling rushed or watched can make this worse.

How to Help at Home

Try a few of these for a week or two and see what helps your child most.

Reread the same short passage

Pick a short passage and have your child read it two or three times. Each time, the words feel more familiar, and the reading gets smoother. This is a big part of the Read Like Rocky lessons: in the grades 4-6 lessons, children reread a manageable section “for accurate words and meaningful phrasing.”

Read it first, then let them try

Read a sentence or two aloud with expression, then have your child read the same lines. This lets them hear how it should sound before they try it. You can also read together at the same time, with your voice leading and theirs following.

Practice tricky words before the story

Before reading, look for a few words that might trip your child up. Read them together on cards or a sheet of paper until they feel easy. In the K-3 Read Like Rocky lessons, children read word cards first and then read a short text that uses those words.

Read in “talking chunks”

Show your child how words go together in small groups, like “the big dog / ran / to the park.” Draw light slashes between chunks in a practice sentence and have them read one chunk at a time, like they are talking.

Choose easier books for practice

For practice reading, pick books where your child knows most of the words. Save harder books for reading aloud to them, so they still enjoy stories they can’t read on their own yet.

Keep it short and calm

Ten minutes of relaxed practice most days often helps more than one long session. Avoid timing your child in a way that feels like a race. The Read Like Rocky grades 4-6 lessons remind children that “accuracy and understanding matter more than speed,” and that is a good rule at home too.

When to Ask for More Help

Many children read slowly for a while, and it often improves as their skills grow. It may be worth talking with your child’s teacher if:

• Reading stays very slow even after plenty of short, regular practice.
• Your child still has trouble linking letters to sounds or blending sounds into words.
• They have to sound out the same common words again and again from day to day.
• Reading time often ends in frustration, headaches, or tears.

If you have any concern about a learning difference such as dyslexia, or about vision, hearing, speech, attention, or anxiety, talk with a qualified professional, such as your pediatrician or a school specialist. Only a qualified professional can evaluate or diagnose these.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal for my child to read slowly?
Yes, many children read slowly while they are still learning to read words quickly. Reading usually gets smoother as words become familiar through regular practice.

Should I time my child to make them read faster?
It’s usually better not to make reading feel like a race. Focus on reading words correctly and with meaning, and speed tends to follow with practice.

How can I help my child read more smoothly?
Have your child reread the same short passage a few times, read it aloud to them first so they hear how it sounds, and practice tricky words before the story. Short, calm practice most days works well.

Does reading slowly mean my child has dyslexia?
Not by itself. Many children read slowly while learning, and only a qualified professional can evaluate a child for dyslexia, so talk with your child’s teacher or pediatrician if you have concerns.

Why can’t my child remember what they read when they read slowly?
When a child works hard on every word, there is less attention left for the meaning. As word reading gets easier, it often becomes easier to follow and remember the story.

Find Out Where Your Child Is Today

Slow reading is often a sign that word reading isn’t automatic yet, and that’s a skill you can practice. Read Like Rocky, the 12-week at-home reading program created by Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D., who has 49 years in education, starts with a free reading assessment that helps you see where your child is now and where to begin.

Take the free reading assessment

Want more on smooth reading? Read our guide to reading fluency.

Most children forget sight words because they are trying to remember each word as a picture or shape, without linking its letters to the sounds they hear, so the word has nothing solid to hold on to. This is very common for beginning readers, and words usually start to stick when a child practices saying the sounds, matching them to the letters, and reading and writing the word a few times over several days.

You held up the card for “was” on Monday, and your child read it right away. On Wednesday, the same card got a blank look, or a guess like “saw.” The sight word list came home weeks ago, and some words still feel brand new every time.

If this sounds like your house, take a breath. Forgetting words does not mean your child isn’t trying or isn’t smart. It usually means the way they are practicing the words needs a small change.

What It Can Look Like

You might notice your child:

• Knows a word on a flash card but not in a book: “the” is easy on the card and a stumble on the page.
• Mixes up look-alike words: “was” and “saw,” “on” and “no,” or “where” and “when.”
• Guesses from the first letter: a word that starts with “w” might come out as “went,” “want,” or “with.”
• Remembers words in list order: they read the list fine, but not when the cards are shuffled.
• Forgets after a weekend or a break: words that seemed solid on Friday are shaky on Monday.
• Can read a word but can’t spell it: they recognize it, but writing it is a struggle.

These are clues about how your child is storing words right now. None of them on its own means something is wrong.

Why Kids Forget Sight Words: Common Reasons

1. They are memorizing the shape, not the letters

Many words look a lot alike. If a child tries to remember “was” by its outline or by one letter, it’s easy to mix it up with other words. Words stay put much better when a child notices every letter and how those letters match the sounds in the word.

2. Letter sounds aren’t solid yet

Many sight words follow regular letter-sound patterns. “Did,” “can,” and “up” can be sounded out completely, and even a word like “said” has letters that match its first and last sounds. If a child is still unsure of letter sounds, they can’t use those links, so every word has to be memorized from scratch.

3. Practice is only on flash cards

Reading a word alone on a card is different from finding it in a sentence. If a child only sees words on cards, they may not recognize them in a real book.

4. Not enough review over time

A word read many times in one sitting can still fade if it doesn’t come back the next day and the day after. Short, spread-out review helps words last.

How to Help at Home

Try a few of these for a week or two and see what helps your child most.

Say it, then look at every letter

Say the word out loud and have your child say it too. Then count the sounds together on your fingers. For “dog,” that’s /d/ /o/ /g/. Now look at the word and match each sound to its letters. For a word with a tricky part, like “said,” point out which letters match the sounds and which part needs a little extra remembering.

Build it and write it

Have your child build the word with letter tiles or write it while saying each sound. In the K-3 Read Like Rocky lessons, children read word cards and then build or write words an adult says, without a model in view, and read them back. Hearing a word, building it from its sounds, and reading it back gives the brain more than one way to hold on to it.

Sound it out instead of guessing

When your child gets stuck, skip “Look at the picture” or “What would make sense?” Instead, point to the letters and help them blend the sounds, then reread the whole sentence. The Rocky reminder in the Read Like Rocky beginning lessons says it well: “Look through the whole word. Blend the taught sounds.”

Put words into short sentences

After practicing a word on a card, write a short sentence that uses it, like “The dog was in the sun.” Your child reads the sentence and points to the practice word. This helps the word show up in real reading, not only on cards.

Keep the stack small and shuffle it

Work on three to five words at a time. Shuffle the cards each time so your child can’t rely on order. Add a new word only when the others feel easy several days in a row.

Review a little every day

A two-minute review most days helps more than one long session. Bring back old words now and then.

When to Ask for More Help

Many children forget words for a while, and it often improves as their letter-sound skills grow. It may be worth talking with your child’s teacher if:

• Your child still has trouble matching letters to their sounds.
• They forget the same words again and again even with short, regular practice.
• Spelling simple words, like “cat” or “sit,” is very hard for them.
• Reading time often ends in frustration, headaches, or tears.

If you have any concern about a learning difference such as dyslexia, or about vision, hearing, speech, attention, or anxiety, talk with a qualified professional, such as your pediatrician or a school specialist. Only a qualified professional can evaluate or diagnose these.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal for my child to forget sight words?
Yes, many beginning readers know a word one day and forget it the next. Words usually start to stick as a child links letters to sounds and practices the words a little every day.

Should my child memorize sight words or sound them out?
Sounding out helps words stick. Many sight words can be sounded out, and noticing how the letters match the sounds gives your child a way to check the word instead of guessing.

How many sight words should we practice at once?
A small stack of three to five words is usually enough. Add a new word when the others feel easy for several days in a row.

Why can my child read a word on a flash card but not in a book?
Seeing a word alone is different from finding it in a sentence. Practice each word in short sentences too, so your child learns to spot it in real reading.

Does forgetting sight words mean my child has dyslexia?
Not by itself. Many children forget words while they are learning, and only a qualified professional can evaluate a child for dyslexia, so talk with your child’s teacher or pediatrician if you have concerns.

Find Out Where Your Child Is Today

When sight words keep slipping away, it is often a sign that letter-sound links need more practice, and that’s a skill you can build. Read Like Rocky, the 12-week at-home reading program created by Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D., who has 49 years in education, starts with a free reading assessment that helps you see where your child is now and where to begin.

Take the free reading assessment

Want more on this? Read our guide to phonics gaps.

By Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D.

Over 49 years of teaching children to read, I’ve sat beside thousands of kids at the moment a page stopped making sense to them. I’ve also sat with many parents who had a quiet, nagging feeling that something wasn’t right but didn’t know what to look for. If that’s you, I’m glad you’re here. Noticing is the first and most important step, and it’s one you’ve already taken.

Children learn to read at different speeds, and a hard week doesn’t mean a lasting problem. Still, some patterns are worth watching. Below are the signs I look for most often, grouped by what they usually point to, along with simple things you can do at home.

1. Trouble connecting letters and sounds

Reading starts with knowing that letters stand for sounds and that those sounds blend into words. A child who is struggling here might:

• Guess at words from the first letter or the picture instead of sounding them out
• Mix up letters that look alike, such as b and d, well past first grade
• Read a word correctly on one page and stumble on it on the next
• Sound out each letter (“c-a-t”) but have trouble blending the sounds into “cat”

What helps: Play short sound games. Say a word and ask, “What’s the first sound you hear in map?” Then try the last sound, then the middle. Build words with magnetic letters and swap one letter at a time: cat, hat, hot, hop. Five minutes of play like this builds the foundation every other reading skill rests on.

2. Reading that is slow and effortful

Some children can decode words but have to work so hard at it that reading feels like climbing a hill. You might notice:

• Word-by-word reading with long pauses
• Losing their place often or needing a finger long after classmates have stopped
• Tiredness, yawning, or frustration after only a page or two
• Reading that sounds flat, with no expression or attention to punctuation

What helps: Rereading is one of the most powerful tools there is. Have your child read the same short passage three times over a few days. Each time it gets smoother, and your child feels what fluent reading is like. Praise the improvement, not just the result: “You read that so much more smoothly than yesterday!”

3. Reading the words but missing the meaning

A child can read aloud beautifully and still not understand what they read. Signs include:

• Not being able to tell you what happened in a story they just finished
• Trouble answering simple “who,” “where,” or “why” questions
• Skipping over words they don’t know without slowing down
• Strong understanding when you read aloud, but weak understanding when they read alone

What helps: Stop at natural points and chat. “What do you think will happen next?” “Why did she do that?” Keep it conversational, not quiz-like. If understanding is much better when you read aloud, that’s a helpful clue. It often means decoding is using up the energy your child needs for meaning.

4. Avoiding reading altogether

Children are wonderfully clever at avoiding things that feel hard. A child who is struggling may:

• Suddenly need a drink, a snack, or the bathroom at reading time
• Say reading is “boring” or “stupid”
• Choose books far below their level, or pretend to read harder ones
• Get upset, cry, or act out around homework that involves reading

Please hear me on this: avoidance is almost never laziness. In my experience, it’s usually a child protecting themselves from feeling “not smart.” When reading gets easier, the avoidance tends to fade.

What helps: Lower the pressure. Take turns reading pages, or let your child read the dialogue while you read the rest. Let them pick books about things they love, even comics or joke books. The goal right now is good feelings around reading.

5. Spelling and writing that lag behind

Reading and spelling are close cousins. Watch for:

• Spelling the same word several different ways in one piece of writing
• Leaving out sounds (“snak” for “snack,” “wet” for “went”)
• Avoiding writing or writing very little

What helps: When your child spells a word, ask them to say it slowly and listen for each sound. Celebrate every sound they capture correctly, even if the whole word isn’t right yet.

6. Signs at different ages

• Preschool and kindergarten: trouble learning letter names, difficulty rhyming, little interest in being read to
• First and second grade: heavy guessing, very slow progress, frustration that grows over the year
• Third grade and up: reading is far slower than classmates, trouble keeping up with schoolwork in every subject, low confidence

Third grade is an important turning point. Before it, children are mostly learning to read. After it, they’re expected to read to learn. A child who is still struggling then can start falling behind in science, social studies, and even math word problems.

When to talk with someone

If you see several of these signs, or one sign that lasts for months, it’s worth acting. Start with your child’s teacher. Ask how your child is doing compared with classmates and what support the school offers. You can also ask your pediatrician to rule out vision or hearing problems, which can look a lot like reading trouble.

I’m a reading teacher, not a speech-language pathologist or a doctor. If your child also has trouble with speech sounds, understanding spoken language, or expressing themselves, please ask about an evaluation with a licensed speech-language pathologist or other qualified specialist.

You are not too late, and you are not alone

The most hopeful thing I can tell you after 49 years is this: children who struggle with reading can learn to read well. Most of the time, the right practice, given consistently and kindly, makes a real difference. Your child doesn’t need a perfect parent. They need one who notices, stays patient, and keeps showing up for a few minutes a day.

Find out where your child stands

If you’re wondering whether your child is on track, a good next step is to look closely at their skills. Our free reading assessment takes only a few minutes and will help you see which areas are strong and which need support, so you know exactly where to start.

By Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D.

Have you ever listened to your child read and thought, “They know the words, so why does it sound so choppy?” That’s a question about fluency. In my 49 years of teaching children to read, I’ve found fluency is one of the most misunderstood reading skills, and one of the most rewarding to build at home.

What fluency really means

Fluency is reading with three things working together:

• Accuracy: reading the words correctly
• Rate: reading at a comfortable, conversational pace, not too slow and not racing
• Expression: reading with natural phrasing and feeling, the way people talk

Fluency matters because it’s the bridge between decoding and understanding. When a child has to put all their energy into figuring out each word, there’s little left over for thinking about what the words mean. When reading becomes smooth and automatic, the mind is free to understand, picture, and enjoy the story.

Fluency is not about speed alone. A child who races through a page without pausing at periods or understanding what they read isn’t fluent. We want reading that sounds like natural talking.

Signs your child could use fluency practice

• Reading word by word, with long pauses
• Rereading lines or losing their place often
• Reading in a flat, robot-like voice that ignores punctuation
• Getting tired quickly when reading aloud
• Understanding much better when someone reads to them

If your child still has trouble sounding out many words, start with phonics, meaning letter-sound skills, alongside fluency. Fluency grows from solid decoding. You can’t read smoothly words you can’t yet figure out.

Five ways to build fluency at home

1. Model fluent reading

Children need to hear what fluent reading sounds like. Read aloud to your child every day, using expression: different voices for characters, a quieter voice for secrets, an excited voice for surprises. Occasionally point it out: “Did you hear how my voice went up at the question mark?”

2. Repeated reading

This is the single most effective fluency activity I know. Choose a short passage of about 100 words, at a level where your child can read most words correctly. Then:

1. Read it aloud to your child first.
2. Have your child read it aloud.
3. Help with any tricky words.
4. Have them read it again, two or three more times over a day or two.

Each reading gets smoother. Your child experiences what fluency feels like, and that confidence carries over to new texts.

3. Echo and choral reading

In echo reading, you read a sentence and your child reads it right back, copying your phrasing and expression. In choral reading, you read the same passage aloud together. Both give your child a model to follow and support so they don’t get stuck. They’re especially good for children who feel nervous reading aloud.

4. Phrase reading

Fluent readers read in meaningful chunks, not single words. Take a sentence and gently mark the phrases with slashes:

The little dog / ran across the yard / to find his ball.

Have your child read each chunk smoothly, then the whole sentence. Over time, they start “hearing” phrases on their own.

5. Performance reading

Children love having a reason to reread. Poems, jokes, short plays, and reader’s theater scripts are perfect because they’re meant to be performed. Let your child practice a short poem for a few days, then “perform” it for a grandparent on a video call or for a stuffed-animal audience. The rereading happens naturally, and the performance builds pride.

Choosing the right text

For fluency practice, the text should be easy enough that your child reads about 95 out of every 100 words correctly. If they’re stumbling on lots of words, it’s too hard for fluency work and better suited to a shared read-aloud. Short texts are best. A paragraph or a page is plenty.

Good options include:

• Simple poems and nursery rhymes
• Short passages from favorite books
• Joke and riddle books
• Reader’s theater scripts written for kids

Tracking progress, gently

Some parents like to measure progress. One simple way: once a week, time your child reading a short passage they haven’t seen before for one minute. Count the words read correctly. Write it on a chart. Over weeks, you should see a gradual upward trend.

Keep this low-key. Never make it a test your child dreads, and never compare them with siblings or friends. Celebrate improvement over their own past readings. Also listen for expression and understanding, not just the number. Ask a quick question or two about what they read.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Pushing speed over meaning. Saying “read faster” can teach a child to rush and skip. Say “read it like you’re talking” instead.
• Jumping in too quickly. Give your child a few seconds to self-correct before helping.
• Using texts that are too hard. Struggling on every line builds frustration, not fluency.
• Long sessions. Ten to fifteen minutes of focused practice beats a tearful hour.

Be patient: fluency grows over time

Fluency usually improves gradually, through many small, positive practice sessions. Some weeks you’ll notice a jump. Other weeks it will seem like nothing changed. Keep going. Consistency is what makes the difference.

If your child continues to read very slowly despite regular practice, talk with their teacher about what’s happening at school. And if you have concerns about speech, stuttering, or spoken language, please consult a licensed speech-language pathologist. I’m a reading teacher, not an SLP, and those concerns deserve a specialist’s eye.

See where your child is today

Knowing your starting point makes fluency practice more effective. Take our free reading assessment. It takes only a few minutes and helps you see whether your child is ready for fluency work or needs to strengthen other skills first.

By Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D.

Parents often tell me, “I know I should read with my child more, but there’s just no time.” I understand. Between work, dinner, baths, and everything else, a long reading session can feel impossible. Here’s the good news from 49 years of teaching children to read: you don’t need long sessions. Ten focused, cheerful minutes a day will do more than an hour once a week.

Short sessions work because children’s attention is short, especially when reading is hard. Ten minutes ends before frustration sets in, so your child leaves wanting more instead of dreading the next time. Done most days, those minutes add up to more than 60 hours of practice a year.

Below are several routines you can mix and match. Pick one or two that fit your family and stick with them for a few weeks.

The basic 10-minute plan

If you only take one thing from this article, use this simple structure:

1. 2 minutes: warm up. Review a few sounds or words your child is learning. Flash cards, a whiteboard, or letters on the fridge all work.
2. 5 minutes: read. Your child reads aloud from a book that’s just right, meaning they can read most words but still have a little to work on.
3. 3 minutes: talk. Chat about what you read. What was funny? What surprised them? What might happen next?

That’s it. End with a smile and a specific compliment, such as “I loved how you went back and fixed that word by yourself.”

Routine 1: The rereading ladder (great for fluency)

Choose a short passage of about 100 words. On Monday, read it to your child first so they hear how it should sound. Then your child reads it. On Tuesday and Wednesday, your child reads the same passage again. By the third day, most children are reading noticeably more smoothly, and they can feel the difference. That feeling of success is powerful.

Tip: Keep a simple chart and let your child add a sticker each time they read the passage. Watching progress builds motivation.

Routine 2: Echo reading (great for beginning or anxious readers)

You read one sentence with good expression. Your child “echoes” it right back, pointing to the words as they go. Move through a page this way. Echo reading takes the fear out of reading because your child always hears the words first. It also teaches expression, pausing at periods, and how questions sound.

Routine 3: Sound and word games (great for kindergarten to second grade)

Some days, skip the book and play:

• Word builder: Use letter tiles to build sat, then change one letter at a time: sit, sip, ship, shop.
• I Spy sounds: “I spy something that starts with /m/.” (Say the sound, not the letter name.)
• Silly sentences: Write a short sentence with words your child is learning, like “The pig sat on a big hat,” and let them read it and draw it.

Games count as reading practice. They build the sound skills every reader needs.

Routine 4: Partner reading (great for older or reluctant readers)

Take turns: you read a page, then your child reads a page. Or let your child read only the dialogue while you read the narration. This keeps the story moving so your child stays interested, while still giving them real practice. It works well for chapter books that are a bit above their independent level.

Routine 5: Read-aloud and talk (great for every age)

Some of your 10 minutes can simply be you reading aloud. Hearing books above their own level builds vocabulary, background knowledge, and a love of stories. Pause once or twice to ask an open question. Even big kids who read well on their own benefit from being read to.

Making the routine stick

The routine matters more than the activity. A few things help:

• Attach it to something you already do. Right after dinner, right before bath, or during the wait for siblings at pickup. Habits stick best when they’re linked to an existing habit.
• Use a timer. When it rings, you’re done, even if things are going well. Stopping on a high note makes tomorrow easier.
• Keep books handy. A basket by the couch, a few in the car, one in your bag.
• Let your child choose sometimes. A book they picked themselves is a book they’ll want to read.
• Expect off days. If your child is tired or upset, switch to a read-aloud or a quick game. Consistency over weeks matters more than any single day.

How to respond when your child gets stuck

How you react to mistakes shapes how your child feels about reading. When they stumble:

• Wait three to five seconds before helping. Many children fix the word themselves.
• Give a small hint: “What’s the first sound?” or “Look at the end of the word.”
• If they’re still stuck, just tell them the word and move on. Struggling too long on one word kills the joy.
• Praise effort and strategy: “You sounded that out all by yourself!”

Avoid sighing, rushing, or comparing your child with siblings or classmates. Children pick up on our frustration quickly, and it can make them anxious about reading.

What to expect

Within a few weeks of steady 10-minute sessions, many parents notice small but real changes: a little more confidence, fewer guesses, smoother reading, less resistance at reading time. Progress isn’t always a straight line, and that’s normal. Keep going.

If your child continues to struggle a great deal despite steady practice, talk with their teacher. And if you also notice concerns with speech or spoken language, ask about an evaluation with a licensed speech-language pathologist. I’m a reading teacher, not an SLP, and some children benefit from that specialized support too.

Start with a clear picture

Routines work best when you know what to focus on. Our free reading assessment takes just a few minutes and shows which skills your child has mastered and which need practice, so your 10 minutes a day go exactly where they’ll help most.

By Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D.

“I hate reading.” Few words sting a parent more, especially from a six-year-old. If your first grader groans, stalls or cries when the reading log comes out, please take a deep breath. In my 49 years in education, I’ve seen countless reluctant first graders become kids who carry books everywhere. It almost never happens through pressure. It happens through patience, the right practice and a lot of warmth.

Let’s talk about why first graders resist reading, and nine gentle ways to turn things around at home.

Why first grade is such a big year

First grade is when reading shifts from “fun stories Mom and Dad read to me” to “now I have to do the work.” Children are asked to sound out words, remember tricky words, and read whole sentences, often all at once. For some children, it clicks quickly. For others, it feels like being asked to run before they can walk.

When reading feels hard, children protect themselves. They avoid it, act silly, say they’re tired, or claim it’s boring. “I hate reading” usually means “Reading makes me feel like I’m not good at something, and I don’t like that feeling.”

Common reasons first graders resist

• The books are too hard. If a child misses more than one or two words out of every ten, the book is frustrating, not fun.
• They’re tired. After a long school day, a six-year-old’s tank may be empty.
• They feel watched. Being corrected on every word can feel like a test.
• They haven’t found “their” books yet. Not every child loves fairy tales. Some light up for trucks, bugs, jokes or dogs.
• Some skills need more practice. Blending sounds or remembering tricky words may not be solid yet.

If reluctance lasts for months, or your child seems to struggle much more than classmates, it’s always worth a conversation with the teacher. You don’t have to figure it out alone.

9 gentle ways to help your reluctant first grader

1. Shrink the session

Five happy minutes beats twenty tearful ones. Set a timer, read together, and stop while it’s still going well. Ending on success makes tomorrow easier.

2. Pick the right time

Try reading in the morning, right after a snack, or on the weekend rather than at the end of an exhausting day. You’ll often see a completely different child.

3. Share the work

Take turns: you read a page, your child reads a page. Or you read the hard words and your child reads the easy ones. Partnership lowers the pressure and keeps the story moving.

4. Let them choose, even “silly” books

Joke books, comics, graphic novels, cereal boxes, game instructions, books about a favorite cartoon: it all counts. When children choose, they invest. Interest is a powerful motivator, and it helps children push through hard words.

5. Use books that match their skills

Ask the teacher what sound patterns your child is learning, and look for decodable books that use those patterns. When your child can actually sound out the words, success builds confidence, and confidence builds willingness.

6. Stop correcting every mistake

If your child reads “house” as “home” and it still makes sense, let it go sometimes. Choose one or two moments per session to gently say, “Let’s look at that word again.” Too many corrections teach a child that reading means being wrong.

7. Praise effort, specifically

Instead of “good job,” try “I loved how you kept trying on that long word,” or “You sounded that out all by yourself!” Specific praise tells your child exactly what to do again.

8. Keep reading aloud to them

Never stop reading to your child, even after they begin reading on their own. Read-alouds build vocabulary, love of stories, and a sense of what good reading sounds like. They also keep reading connected to cuddles and connection, not just homework.

9. Make reading part of play

• Scavenger hunts: Hide notes with simple clues around the house (“Look under the red chair”).
• Read to a pet or stuffed animal: Children relax when their audience doesn’t correct them. (Our dog Rocky has been a very patient listener over the years!)
• Cook together: Read the recipe steps aloud and let your child read the simple words.
• Silly sentences: Write a funny sentence like “The cat sat on a hot dog.” Watch the giggles, and the reading, happen.

What to avoid

• Bribes for every page. An occasional sticker chart is fine, but reading shouldn’t become a transaction.
• Comparisons. “Your cousin reads chapter books already” never helps.
• Taking away books as punishment. We want books to feel like a gift, never a consequence.
• Turning every moment into a lesson. Some reading should simply be for joy.

A sample week for a reluctant reader

• Monday: 5 minutes of partner reading with a decodable book.
• Tuesday: A word scavenger hunt around the house.
• Wednesday: Your child reads to a stuffed animal while you “overhear.”
• Thursday: Cook a simple snack and read the recipe together.
• Friday: Library or bookstore trip where your child picks anything.
• Weekend: Cozy read-aloud of your child’s choice, no reading required from them.

Be patient with yourself, too

Parents of reluctant readers often feel guilty, as if they did something wrong. You didn’t. Children develop at different rates, and reluctance is usually a signal, not a verdict. By showing up with patience, you are teaching your child something even more important than reading: that hard things get easier with practice and support.

Find out what’s getting in the way

Sometimes reluctance comes from a specific skill that needs strengthening, like blending sounds or recognizing tricky words. Knowing which skill to practice can make a big difference in how reading feels to your child.

Our free reading assessment at Read Like Rocky gives you a friendly snapshot of your child’s reading in just a few minutes, plus ideas for what to work on next. Rocky, our lab retriever mix, keeps it light and fun, so it never feels like a test.

Take the free reading assessment and discover the next small step that can help your first grader say, “Can we read one more?”

Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D., has spent 49 years in education and created Read Like Rocky to help children build reading and writing confidence at home.

By Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D.

If you have ever come home with a stack of sight word flashcards in one hand and a phonics worksheet in the other and wondered which one actually matters, you are not alone. In my 49 years in education, “Sight words or phonics?” has been one of the questions parents ask me most often.

Here is the short answer: your child needs both, but not in equal amounts, and not in the way many of us were taught. Let me explain what each one is, how they fit together, and how you can practice them at home in just a few minutes a day.

What is phonics?

Phonics is the connection between letters and the sounds they make. When your child learns that the letter m says /m/, that “sh” says /sh/, and that a silent e at the end of a word often makes the vowel say its name, as in cake, that is phonics.

Phonics gives children a key that unlocks thousands of words they have never seen before. Once a child can sound out c-a-t, they can also read bat, hat, mat, sat and flat. That is the real power of phonics: it grows with your child.

What are sight words?

“Sight words” is a phrase people use in two ways, which causes a lot of confusion.

1. High-frequency words: words that show up constantly in books, like the, and, is, was, said, of and you. Some early lists, such as the Dolch and Fry lists, gather these words together.
2. Words a child recognizes instantly: any word your child can read in a split second, without sounding it out.

The goal of reading instruction is to make every word a sight word in that second sense, read instantly and effortlessly. And here’s the surprising part: the main way words get there is through phonics. When a child sounds a word out correctly a number of times, the brain links the sounds to the letters and stores the word for quick recall.

So which comes first?

Phonics is the foundation. Most reading experts today agree that systematic, explicit phonics, taught in a clear order from simple to complex, is the strongest starting point for beginning readers.

Sight words still have a place, though. A handful of very common words, such as the, was, said and of, don’t follow the patterns young children have learned yet. Children need to read these early so they can enjoy simple books. The best approach is to teach these “tricky” words by still looking at their sounds. For example, in said, the s and d act normally, and only the middle part is tricky. That way, even sight word practice strengthens phonics.

The trouble with memorizing whole words

Many of us remember learning to read with long lists of flashcards and memorizing word shapes. Here’s why I gently steer families away from relying on memorization alone:

• Memory runs out. A child might memorize 100 or even 200 words by shape. But English has hundreds of thousands. Without phonics, a child hits a wall, often around second or third grade, when books get harder.
• It encourages guessing. Children who rely on memorized shapes often guess at unfamiliar words using the first letter or the picture.
• Similar words get mixed up. Was and saw, or house and horse, look alike. Phonics helps children notice every letter.

Signs your child may need more phonics

• They guess based on the first letter or the picture.
• They can read words on flashcards but stumble on the same words in a book.
• They struggle with new words they haven’t seen before.
• They read was as saw or mix up similar-looking words.
• Spelling is very hard, even for simple words.

None of these signs is cause for alarm. They simply tell you what to practice. If concerns continue, your child’s teacher is a great partner in figuring out next steps.

How to practice phonics at home

You don’t need a teaching degree. Try these simple activities:

Sound sorting. Gather a few small objects from around the house. Ask your child to sort them by their first sound: everything that starts with /b/ goes here, everything that starts with /s/ goes there.

Word building. Use magnetic letters or letter tiles to build cat. Then change one letter at a time: cat becomes hat, then hot, then hop. Children love seeing how one small change makes a new word.

Decodable books. These are short books built from the sound patterns your child has already learned. They let your child practice real reading without needing to guess. Ask your child’s teacher which patterns they are working on.

Write it out. Say a simple word and have your child say each sound while writing the matching letter. Writing locks in phonics like nothing else.

How to practice tricky sight words the smart way

1. Say it. Read the word together: said.
2. Tap it. Tap out each sound on your fingers: /s/ /e/ /d/.
3. Spot the tricky part. “The ‘ai’ is making an /e/ sound in this word. That’s the part to remember.”
4. Write it. Your child writes the word while saying the sounds.
5. Find it. Hunt for the word in a favorite book.

Pick just three to five words a week. A little practice every day beats a big stack of flashcards once a week.

A balanced weekly plan

• Monday to Friday: 5 minutes of phonics play, 2 minutes of tricky words, and 5–10 minutes of reading together.
• Weekend: Read for fun! Let your child pick any book, even if it’s above their level, and you read it aloud. Loving stories is part of learning to read.

The bottom line

Phonics is the engine and sight words are the fuel for early fluency, and they work best together. When children understand how letters and sounds connect, more and more words become instant “sight words” on their own. That’s when reading starts to feel easy, and fun.

Not sure where your child stands?

If you are wondering whether your child has the phonics skills they need, or which sounds and words to practice next, our free reading assessment at Read Like Rocky can help. In just a few minutes, you’ll get a friendly snapshot of your child’s reading and clear ideas for what to work on at home. Rocky, our lab retriever mix, makes it feel like a game.

Take the free reading assessment and give your child the right practice at the right time.

Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D., has spent 49 years in education and created Read Like Rocky to help children build reading and writing confidence at home.

By Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D.

Over 49 years in education, I have sat across the table from thousands of parents who asked me some version of the same question: “Is my child just a slow starter, or is something getting in the way?” It is one of the most loving questions a parent can ask. You are paying attention, and that matters more than you may realize.

Every child learns to read on a slightly different timeline. Still, there are patterns that tell us a child needs a little more support. None of the signs below is a label, and none of them means anything is “wrong” with your child. They are simply clues. When you notice them early, you can help early, and early help is the kindest kind.

1. Reading time turns into a battle

Children are wired to enjoy things they feel good at. When a child who loves bedtime stories suddenly hides the book, says “I’m tired,” or melts down when it is time to read, the reason is often that reading feels hard and they don’t want you to see it.

What to try: Take the pressure off. Read to your child for a while without asking them to read back. Then try “you read one line, I read one line.” Sharing the work keeps the warmth of reading together while their skills catch up.

2. Guessing from the first letter or the pictures

You may hear your child look at the word house, see the letter h and the picture of a home, and say “home.” This is a smart survival strategy, and many children use it. But it tells us they aren’t yet reading all the way through a word.

What to try: Cover the picture with your hand for a moment and gently say, “Let’s look at every letter.” Point under the word slowly from left to right. Praise the effort of looking, not just the right answer.

3. Sounding out letters but not blending them

Some children can tell you that c says /k/, a says /a/ and t says /t/, yet when it is time to put the sounds together, they say “cup” or freeze. Blending is a separate skill from knowing letter sounds, and it often needs extra practice.

What to try: Play “robot talk.” Say a word in slow, stretched-out sounds, “mmm-aaa-p,” and let your child shout the whole word, “map!” Then switch roles. Two or three minutes a day in the car or at dinner is plenty.

4. Forgetting the same word from page to page

Your child reads said correctly on page two and stumbles over it on page four. This is incredibly common, and it is frustrating for both of you. It usually means the word hasn’t been fully stored in memory yet.

What to try: Pick three tricky words for the week. Write them on sticky notes around the house. Each time your child passes one, they read it, spell it out loud, and read it again. Short and frequent beats long and rare.

5. Reading word by word, like a stop-and-go car

Smooth reading sounds a lot like talking. If your child reads “The. Dog. Ran. To. The. Park.” with long pauses, they are spending so much energy figuring out each word that there is little left for meaning or expression.

What to try: Echo reading. You read a sentence with lots of expression, then your child reads the same sentence right after you. Rereading a favorite short book several times in a week is also wonderful. Familiar text builds smooth, confident reading.

6. Reading the words but missing the story

Some children read aloud beautifully, then can’t tell you what happened. This often surprises parents. Decoding and understanding grow together, but sometimes one runs ahead of the other.

What to try: Stop after each page or two and ask one friendly question: “What just happened?” or “What do you think the character will do next?” Keep it conversational, not like a quiz. You are teaching your child that reading is supposed to make sense.

7. Avoiding writing and spelling, too

Reading and writing are close cousins. A child who is unsure of letter sounds often avoids writing, writes very little, or spells in ways that are hard to read. That’s a helpful clue for you, not a reason to worry.

What to try: Invite low-stakes writing: a grocery list, a note to Grandma, a label for a drawing. Ask your child to say each word slowly and write the sounds they hear. Celebrate the sounds they get, even if the spelling isn’t perfect yet.

What these signs do not mean

I want to be very clear here, because I know how parents worry late at night. These signs do not mean your child isn’t bright. I have taught remarkable, creative, funny children who needed more time and more practice with reading. These signs are not a diagnosis, and only a qualified professional can evaluate a child for a specific learning difference. If you have ongoing concerns, talk with your child’s teacher or pediatrician. What these signs do tell us is where to start helping.

A simple 10-minute routine for home

You don’t need fancy materials. Here is a routine I have shared with families for years:

1. Warm-up (2 minutes): Play a sound game, such as robot talk or “I spy something that starts with /s/.”
2. Word work (3 minutes): Review this week’s three tricky words.
3. Read together (4 minutes): Take turns with a short, easy book your child enjoys.
4. Talk (1 minute): Ask one question about the story, and share your favorite part too.

End on a happy note every time. The goal is for your child to walk away thinking, “I can do this.”

When to look a little closer

If you notice several of these signs and they have lasted a few months, it is worth getting a clearer picture of where your child is. Knowing which skills are strong and which need support turns guesswork into a plan.

Find out where your child is today

At Read Like Rocky, we created a free reading assessment to help parents do exactly that. It takes just a few minutes, and it gives you a friendly snapshot of your child’s reading skills along with ideas for what to practice next. Our lab retriever mix, Rocky, keeps things light, so it feels like play rather than a test.

If any of this article sounded familiar, I warmly invite you to take the free reading assessment and see where your child is shining and where a little extra help could go a long way.

You are already doing the most important thing: noticing. Let’s take the next step together.

Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D., has spent 49 years in education and created Read Like Rocky to help children build reading and writing confidence at home.