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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.

    Child holding Phonogram Card 'tch'

    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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Kelita.

says:

My son is 2nd grader struggling with reading. Please help me with the materials i need to teach him to read and spell.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Kelita,
I’m glad to help. All About Reading and All About Spelling are designed to take the struggle out of learning to read and spell!

Let me know if you have questions about this “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling or need help with placement or anything else. I’m happy to help!

Yhadira

says:

My twins daughter are 9 years old and are in the third grade. They have been struggling their whole life with schoolwork

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m so sorry to hear your daughtersSigns of a Reading Problem are struggling, Yhadira. Hopefully you will find the tips in this article helpful. Here are some other articles you may find helpful as well:
The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling
Helping Kids Sound Out Words
How to Teach Phonograms

If you have specific questions or concerns, I’m happy to help!

Di

says:

I have a grandson, 2nd grader who is a glitchy learner. He is below benchmarks. One day knows it all the next has never heard of it.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Di,
I’m sorry to hear your grandson is having difficulties. It is somewhat common for those with learning disability to do as you described, learning well some days but struggling greatly on other days.

If you have specific concerns or questions, please let me know. I’m happy to help.

Marriah

says:

I have an 8 year old in 2nd grade who is struggling with reading, we are in the process of potentially switching curriculum mid year and really considering AAR. There are some really great tips for teaching him and also some for me to realize how much patience he needs.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Marriah,
I’m sorry to hear your child is struggling. Do you have any questions or specific concerns? I’m happy to help with placement with All About Reading or any other concerns you have may have.

Maria gomez

says:

Help with a failing grades 9nth grade student

Robin

says: Customer Service

Maria,
I’m sorry your student is struggling with school. The first step will be to speak with his teachers and school personal on what can be done to help him. Without knowing the root causes of the failing grades, it’s hard to offer any suggestions on how to help.

Pulane

says:

My daughter is struggling a lot in grade 7 i dont know what else i can do

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m sorry to hear your daughter is struggling, Pulane.

I hope the tips in this article may be helpful, but here are some additional articles that will be useful for you:
Signs of a Reading Problem
The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling
How to Teach Phonograms
Break the “Word Guessing” Habit
Using All About Spelling with Older Students

Please let me know if you have specific concerns or questions. I’m happy to help!

Mamosa Marumo

says:

My son is in grade 3 and ten years old,, he struggling always failed please help

Robin

says: Customer Service

Mamosa,
I’m sorry to hear your son is struggling.

There are a lot of helps in this article. In addition, here are some other articles.
Signs of a Reading Problem
The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling
Segmenting: A Critical Skill for Spelling
Helping Kids Sound Out Words

I hope this helps some, but please let me know what your specific concerns are.

Mr Tosin Olushola

says:

Good day, my son is 8 years old he forget things so fast what you teach him some minutes ago if you ask him he will be looking as if he eating it for the first time

Robin

says: Customer Service

Mr. Olushola,
I’m sorry to hear your son is struggling with memory. We have a free ebook on how to Help Your Child’s Memory that I think you will find very helpful.

Thomas Clarence

says:

Thank you for helping me to understand that a struggling learner has to work harder than others around them to accomplish a similar task. I think my son is behind in reading comprehension because he reads a lot slower than most of his peers. It might be a good idea for me to find a tutor my son can work with so that he can catch up with his peers.

Robin

says: Customer Service

You’re welcome, Thomas. I’m glad this article was helpful for you.

Betty Msoni

says:

I have a child who has a challenge in reading and spelling.

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m sorry to hear your child is struggling, Betty! Here are some resources that may help you:

Signs of a Reading Problem
Help Your Child’s Memory
How to Teach Phonograms
Helping Kids Sound Out Words
Segmenting: A Critical Skill for Spelling

I will be happy to help with any specific concerns or questions you may have.

Mamosa Marumo

says:

My son struggle with English

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m sorry to hear your son is struggling, Mamosa. I hope you find the tips and suggestions in this blog post helpful.

Here are some articles that may also help:
The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling
Signs of a Reading Problem
How to Teach Phonograms
Helping Kids Sound Out Words
Segmenting: A Critical Skill for Spelling

If you have specific questions or concerns, I’d be happy to help if I can.

Betty Msoni

says:

She forget very quickly when she is taught even in class.

Precious

says:

This is really helpful

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m glad this is helpful, Precious.

Michelle

says:

I am very interested in All About Reading and Spelling. My husband and I are parents to 9 children, we homeschool, and we live a chemical-free lifestyle. Therefore, we use a lot of the finances to feed and clothe everyone, and to provide a home, transportation, and everything else. I was sure every “curriculum” I purchased throughout the years would be beneficial. Not so. Now, I try to find free resources, but it’s like throwing together pieces of this and that. It’s not consistent and my children who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing are revealing that they need more structure. Perhaps in time I will be able to purchase this curriculum. It looks like what we need.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Michelle,
Yes, many children need more incremental and explicit instruction to be successful with reading and spelling. Let me know if you have questions about All About Reading and All About Spelling.

Oreoluwa Ogunjobi

says:

This is very helpful

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m glad it’s helpful, Oreoluwa.

Helvi

says:

It’s so helpful coz I was giving up on my ten year old son, who doesn’t wanna make time for his school work

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m glad this is helpful, Helvi! If you have questions, I’m happy to help.

Cherice

says:

All very helpful. I believe it’s very important to remember that one day my child will know how to do all the things that they are struggling with now. They will one day know how to count and to read, and this is very encouraging and a reminder that what is important is getting to know my child, understand their strengths and their weaknesses and learning how to best help them to succeed!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Yes, such a great perspective, Cherice! It does take consistent work, but in time they do master all these difficult things. They’ll get there!

Joanne Salva Cruz

says:

Thanks All About Reading!Your tips are helpful for my 8 yr old daughter who has APD!Excited for the colored books.I hope I can get this for my daughter who has been struggling with reading and comprehension.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Joanne,
I’m so happy to hear that the tips were helpful for your daughter! Thank you for letting us know!

Miranda

says:

Thank you for the tips. I have a child who is 8 and still cannot read words. He’s great with narration, memorization, math, but struggles with reading.

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m so sorry your child is struggling like this, Miranda. I hope this article helps, but please let me know if you have questions or need additional help. I’m happy to do so!

Renate Auktor

says:

I’m hoping I have found something to help my dyslexic son finally learn to read.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Renate,
I’m sorry your son is struggling with reading. Do you have any questions or concerns I can help you with? I’m happy to help!

Angie B

says:

As a beginner homeschooling family these tips have come at such a great time. Thank you all so much!

Robin

says: Customer Service

You’re welcome, Angie! And if you ever have questions or concerns, please ask. We’re happy to help!

Amy

says:

Stumbled upon this post and it’s very timely because my son just asked me why some words have double letters at the end. I just showed him the FLOSS video and he used it hours later when writing.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Wonderful, Amy! I love that the FLOSS Rule could be helpful for him so quickly!

Pamela

says:

Great article! I just started using your spelling program and it’s excellent! Thank you!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thanks, Pamela! It’s great to hear that All About Spelling is working well for you!

Andrea

says:

This is such helpful information. The right tools to teach a child who struggles in a specific area like spelling is exactly what I need.

Robin

says: Customer Service

I’m glad this is so helpful for you, Andrea! If you have questions or need more help, please ask. We are happy to help!

Brenda

says:

I love these steps. I’ve had a lot of success with All About Reading when nothing else worked, and look forward to more success with All About Reading.

Brenda

says:

I am teaching a struggling learning and there is a lot of wisdom in these steps. Short lessons and frequent repetition is especially important. I’ve had a lot of success with All About Reading when nothing else worked, and look forward to more success with All About Reading.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you sharing that short lessons and fequent repetition has help your struggling learner, Brenda!

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!