When your child is struggling to read, it can feel overwhelming, confusing, and deeply personal. You may notice small signs—avoiding reading aloud, guessing at words, frustration with homework, or a growing loss of confidence—and wonder if you’re missing something important. You are not alone, and you are not imagining it. Many bright, capable children struggle when reading instruction doesn’t align with how the brain learns to read. This page is here to help you name what you’re seeing, understand why it may be happening, and take your next steps with clarity and hope. With the right support, reading can shift from a source of stress to a pathway for confidence, independence, and joy—for your child and your family.
Signs vary for individual children; however, the following challenges are common. Recognizing these early signs is crucial for timely and effective intervention.
Early Phonological & Phonemic Awareness Difficulties
  • Struggles with rhyming
  • Difficulty breaking apart compound words or separating syllables
  • Trouble identifying beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words
Difficulty Decoding

Decoding is the ability to connect letters and letter patterns to their corresponding sounds in order to read words accurately.

  • Slow, choppy reading
  • Guessing at words instead of sounding them out
  • Difficulty building reading fluency over time
Spelling Difficulties
  • Trouble spelling even simple, familiar words
  • Inconsistent spelling (e.g., writing “sed” for “said” despite repeated practice)
Avoidance of Reading
  • Reluctance or refusal to read aloud
  • Physical complaints (stomachaches, headaches) when reading is expected
  • Zoning out, frustration, or shutting down during reading tasks
Social-Emotional Changes & Outbursts
  • Increased frustration, emotional outbursts, or tearfulness during homework or schoolwork
  • Avoidance behaviors that may look like defiance but stem from overwhelm
  • Decreased confidence, negative self-talk, or anxiety related to school

What You Need to Know

In many school systems, additional support often begins only after a child has fallen significantly behind. While well-intentioned, this approach can delay the kind of targeted instruction a brain needs.

Early, explicit support matters. Each month without it can make reading more difficult—and harder to rebuild.

What You Can Do Today

  • Try the 1-minute read test: Let your child read aloud while you record them. Don’t help. Listen for patterns: Are they guessing? Skipping words? Repeating lines?
  • Try the I do, we do, you do approach! This is where the parent reads the content first, then read together, then let the child read.
  • Create a calm reading space: A cluttered environment ramps up stress. Make reading time consistent, short, and pressure-free.
  • Reduce voiced correction: Focus on building confidence, not perfection. If you are redirecting, simply point to the word that needs to be read correctly. 
  • Swap the book for a game: Check out these simple games you can download to get your child excited about the process
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1:1 Coaching with Katie

The Reading Reel is a 1:1 coaching service designed to help you decode what’s really happening, understand your child’s unique reading profile, and get a tailored, realistic plan of action.

Learn More About the Reading Reel
February Parent Info Session | February 9th, 2026 at 7PM EST

“Before the Gap Widens: What Every Parent of a Struggling Reader Needs to Know”

You’re seeing the signs: the guessing, the frustration, the tears. And deep down, you know something’s not clicking.

This free class is for parents who suspect their child is struggling with reading — and don’t want to “wait and see” while the gap keeps growing.


Join expert reading coach Katie Reel as she breaks down:

The 5 early warning signs of reading issues most schools downplay
Why traditional reading help often fails — and what actually works
How to spot red flags that your child might be at risk for dyslexia
What you can do right now to help — without overwhelming them or you
A proven path forward that brings clarity, confidence, and calm back into your home


Whether your child is in 1st grade or already falling behind in 3rd, this class will give you the insight (and action steps) you’ve been searching for.

 

Register Now For Our Zoom Session

Choosing the Right Practitioner

Finding a practitioner to work with your child can be difficult. You want to choose someone who has been properly trained in an approach for remediation to ensure your child’s success.

While we do not offer intervention directly, we can send parents a resource of recommended practitioners in the Charleston, SC area. If you fill out the form, we will be happy to send you our recommendations.

Testing & Evaluations

An evaluation is a process of gathering information to identify the factors contributing to a student’s difficulty with learning to read and spell. First, information is gathered from parents and teachers to understand the development and the educational opportunities that have been provided. Then, tests are given to identify strengths and weaknesses that lead to a diagnosis and a tentative road map for intervention. Conclusions and recommendations are developed and reported. Please fill out the form and we will send you a list of recommendations.

Local Practitioners & Clinicians Request Form

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Dyslexia 101

Dyslexia isn’t a vision problem or a motivation issue. Dyslexia is a learning disability that disrupts how the brain processes written language. Intelligence and dyslexia are 

These kids are often creative, intelligent, and resourceful — but they need a specific type of instruction to thrive.

Dyslexia FAQs