Debunking Common Reading Myths: What Parents Need to Know

If your child struggles with reading, you may have heard well-meaning but misleading advice from teachers, family members, or even other parents. Unfortunately, some of these myths can prevent children from getting the right kind of help—leading to frustration, slow progress, and a growing dislike of reading. In this blog, we’ll tackle some of the most pervasive myths about reading and replace them with evidence-based facts that can help you make informed decisions for your child.

Reading Myth #1: Spelling Isn’t That Important

Some believe that spelling is an outdated skill in the age of autocorrect and voice-to-text technology. But the truth is, spelling and reading are deeply interconnected. Research shows that children who struggle with spelling often have difficulty with reading fluency and comprehension as well. Spelling helps reinforce phonemic awareness (the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words), which is a fundamental skill for decoding unfamiliar words while reading. Strong spellers tend to be stronger readers—and vice versa.

Here's What it Means if Your Child Can't Spell

Reading Myth #2: If Kids Skip or Guess Words, They’re Just Being Lazy

It’s a common misconception that kids who skip words or guess them instead of reading them correctly are just being careless. In reality, these behaviors often indicate weak decoding skills or poor visual processing. Many struggling readers rely on context clues or pictures instead of actually sounding out words, which leads to inaccurate reading and poor comprehension.

Effective reading requires the ability to rapidly and accurately decode words, not just infer meaning from context. If a child is frequently skipping or guessing words, it’s a red flag that they need targeted help—not just reminders to “try harder.”

Here's Why Kids Skip, Add, or Guess Words When Reading & How to Build Better Fluency

Reading Myth #3: If a Child Struggles with Reading, They Just Need More Practice

Repetition alone won’t fix reading struggles if the underlying cognitive skills required for reading are weak. If a child is having difficulty decoding words, remembering what they’ve read, or making sense of text, simply having them read more isn’t the solution—and it may just drive deeper frustration.

Children with weak phonemic awareness and working memory can practice reading for hours and still struggle, because their brains aren’t efficiently processing the information. The key is to strengthen these underlying cognitive skills so reading becomes easier.

Why Just Practicing Reading Doesn't Make Kids Better Readers

Instead of just practicing reading, brain training targets the root causes of reading difficulties by improving the cognitive skills that make reading easier and more automatic.

Reading Myth #4: Some Kids Just Aren’t “Reading People”

Some parents believe that reading just isn’t their child’s “thing.” While it’s true that kids have different interests, reading is an essential skill that impacts every aspect of education and future success. The idea that some kids are just naturally bad at reading is harmful—it ignores the fact that reading difficulties usually stem from cognitive skill weaknesses that can be improved.

Studies in neuroscience show that the brain is adaptable and capable of growth at any age. Struggling readers can make significant improvements with the right kind of intervention, even if they’ve been behind for years.

Reading Myth #5: Tutoring Is Always the Best Solution for a Struggling Reader

Traditional tutoring can be helpful for reinforcing classroom lessons, but it may not address the root cause of reading struggles. If a child has cognitive weaknesses that make reading difficult, tutoring that focuses on re-teaching content won’t be enough to create lasting improvements.

Instead of focusing only on subject matter, LearningRx’s one-on-one brain training strengthens the foundational skills that make reading possible. In a research study on more than 3,500 struggling readers, the average gain across 5 reading skills was 4.1 years on average.* This type of growth depends on building reading skills as well as cognitive abilities to make these changes “stick” and enhance both learning and reading for students moving forward.

A Science-Backed Approach to Reading Success

If your child struggles with reading, don’t fall for these common myths. Strengthening the cognitive skills that make reading easier, faster, and more enjoyable could change your child’s trajectory—and maybe even help them learn to love reading. LearningRx’s research-backed brain training programs target the root causes of reading difficulties, leading to real, lasting improvements.

Want to learn more about how brain training can help your child become a confident reader? Contact LearningRx today for a cognitive skills assessment and take the first step toward lasting reading success!

*Results from studies of past clients. You or your child may or may not achieve the same outcomes.