Help Children With Learning Disabilities Understand What They Are Reading

Although it is common for children to struggle with reading, it is very important for their learning. Younger children should not just learn to read. They must also understand reading in order to progress in their daily learning. Reading is knowledge, so it is essential to help children with learning disabilities understand what they are reading. 

For many parents, it is not a simple task at all, but it is not impossible either. We need to know how we can help children little by little to read well and gain reading comprehension skills, even if they have learning difficulties. The first thing parents need to keep in mind is that they need to respect their children’s pace and abilities. That’s the only way they’ll get proper progress.

Ask them questions to help them understand what they are reading

When children read,  ask them questions about what they are reading. That way, you will test their understanding of the reading and its content. You can even ask them some questions in writing. That way, you will reinforce their reading comprehension and they will be better able to think about the answer.

By writing down your questions, you can reduce the pressure on the children. They will have time to think about the answer without feeling pressured to come up with a quick answer. Respect their time and remember, if they do not know how to answer a question, just go back to this part of the reading. That way, they can better remember and internalize the information.

Use scents to help children remember

When children are studying or reading any content they need to remember for a test,  make it interesting. You can use a scent while your children read or study. Later, when they smell this particular scent, they will remember what they studied or read.

For many children, a particular scent can help them remember a particular moment or memory. While your children are studying for a particularly difficult or stressful test, ask them to wear a particular scent. It can be, for example, a specific cream or perfume.

The reading corner

It is important that children do not feel that reading is a duty. That way, they will not feel like doing it or they will see it as a burden. No one bothers to have things imposed, and your children are no exception. In this connection, it is much more practical and useful to motivate your children to experience reading as a moment of relaxation, personal growth and most importantly leisure.

To do this, prepare a special corner in your home where your children can sit in peace and read alone or in company. You can even customize it so that it can be their quiet study area where no one bothers them. 

A table, pillows on the floor, a comfortable chair, books on the shelves, enough natural and artificial light to make reading comfortable… Think about how you can arrange this area so that your children can use it diligently.

Write book reviews to better understand what they are reading

Writing book reviews can be a challenge. This is especially the case with children who have special needs or learning difficulties. This strategy can help your children not feel overwhelmed by a book by remembering it chapter by chapter.

Ideally, you will need several sheets of paper stacked together to make a personal notebook. However, you can also buy a notebook that is only for making summaries or for writing down what has been learned. 

Each time your children finish reading a chapter, write a sentence or two to describe what has happened. Have them read what they have written about the previous chapter before starting on a new one. It will help them remember what is happening in the story.

When your children have finished the last chapter, have them write down a few sentences to describe how the book ended. They will end up with a complete summary to help them understand and remember everything they have read. It will give them a good feeling because they have remembered the reading and they will be able to break down the information. 

Talk to your children to help them understand what they are reading

Talk to your children about the primary problems that arise when they sit down to read. What seems to be most difficult? What distracts them? How can they find ways to stop their distractions?

Once you have reviewed ways to make reading more productive,  sign a contract with your children. It must involve strategies that you agree on. That way, you can give them a reward every time a strategy has been used successfully.

In conclusion, we hope that these ideas to help children with learning difficulties understand reading will be useful to you and that you will put them into practice at home with your children.