5 Ways to Make Reading Easier for Your Child

For many children, learning to read is exciting. But for others, it’s a daily struggle that leads to frustration, avoidance, and even tears. If your child finds reading difficult, you’re not alone—and neither are they. The good news? There are ways to make it easier (and more fun!) to read, both in the short-term and long-term. But first, it’s important to understand what might be behind the struggle.

Why Is Reading So Hard for Some Kids?

Reading isn’t just about sounding out words. It’s a complex task that depends on a range of underlying brain skills—like attention, memory, auditory processing, and visual processing. When one or more of these cognitive skills are weak, reading can feel like climbing a mountain every day.

Unfortunately, workarounds like relying heavily on audiobooks only go so far. They help in the moment but don’t address the root cause of the issue. That’s why, at LearningRx, we focus on strengthening the cognitive skills that make reading easier and more automatic.

With that in mind, here are five ways you can support your struggling reader—today and long-term.

1. Read with Your Child, Not Just to Them

Instead of only reading aloud, try partnering with your child. You and your child can take turns reading a page or a paragraph. This gives them a break when needed but still encourages them to practice.

Why it helps: It builds fluency without the pressure of doing it all alone. Plus, it’s a great bonding time!

2. Play Word and Sound Games

Rhyming games, syllable clapping, and “I Spy” with beginning sounds (“I spy something that starts with a B!”) help kids develop phonological awareness, which is key to decoding words.

Bonus: Here are 5 fun word games to practice reading and spelling >>

Why it helps: Many struggling readers have weak auditory processing skills. These games strengthen their ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words—an essential step toward confident reading.

3. Use Texts That Match Their Interests (and Reading Level)

Look for books that match your child’s passions—sports, animals, space, comics—anything that gets them excited. But make sure the book is at their independent reading level so they experience success, not frustration.

Books that are either too hard or too easy can cause reluctant readers to disengage either out of frustration or boredom, so it’s important to experiment and find the right fit. (Librarians are great resources to help with this!)

Why it helps: Enjoyment reduces resistance. And when reading feels good, kids are more likely to stick with it and build stamina.

Read More: What to do if your child reads below grade level >>

4. Limit Distractions and Build a Routine

Create a calm, clutter-free space for reading. Pair it with a consistent time of day—like right after a snack or before bedtime—so it becomes part of your child’s routine and they won’t be tempted to other activities instead.

Why it helps: Kids with weak attention skills often struggle to stay focused on a book. A consistent, distraction-free routine helps their brain know it’s time to tune in.

5. Strengthen the Brain Skills That Make Reading Possible

Here’s the truth: Reading challenges often won’t fully resolve without strengthening the underlying cognitive skills. That includes working memory, attention, processing speed, and auditory and visual processing. At LearningRx, our one-on-one brain training programs do exactly that.

Why it helps: When the brain skills required for reading are strong, it becomes easier—with faster decoding, better comprehension, improved confidence. It’s a game-changer!

Make Reading Easier—Starting Today

There are plenty of ways to support your child’s reading journey at home—but if you’re seeing ongoing struggles, it’s worth digging deeper. 

Reading issues are often rooted in how the brain processes information, and no amount of extra practice will fully compensate for weak cognitive skills.

Instead of continuing to work around the problem, let’s work on it—together.