Why Your Child Still Can't Read (Even After All the ABC Workbooks)
- Veronica
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
I see them everywhere—in book stores, at the checkout line, online. They are those cute ABC phonics practice books with lots of fun colorful pictures. Some even have stickers!
They’re bright and fun and can be great for review, but if your child is struggling with reading, they won’t be enough.
Simply said, they’re missing the most important things.
One in five children has dyslexia, and if your child is one of them or is struggling to read for other reasons, they need more than workbooks focused on letters and sounds.
They need a complete system.
Here’s what you’ll want to look for as you search for a reading curriculum that works.
You want a curriculum that is based on the science of reading.
Extensive research has been done on children with dyslexia, and the science is clear. Children need a solid foundation in phonemic awareness.
Most phonics programs skip this very important step. If your child is struggling with reading, make sure to cultivate these skills through rhymes and oral phoneme practices, including identifying words in sentences, onset and rime, syllables, phoneme (sound) blending, segmentation, and manipulation. Taking the time to develop phonemic awareness will set your child up for reading (and later, spelling) success!
You want a curriculum that is systematic.
If a curriculum or activity book begins with the letters A, B, C and goes on through Z, then it is most likely NOT systematic. A systematic program provides a sequence that makes the most sense to children.
For example, it may separate the introduction of confusing letters, such as “b” and “d.” It will also introduce more common letters first then build on prior learning. A system ensures that there are no gaps in a child’s understanding and prepares the way for more complex learning.
You want a curriculum that teaches explicitly.
Children with dyslexia or other learning struggles need to understand the “why” behind reading. It’s not enough to hand them a list of words for “sight word” practice, then hope they remember from one day to the next.
Teaching them the letters and sounds and how they work together will help them approach reading logically. Understanding the “why” of language will equip them to decode and encode more challenging and complex word patterns as they grow.
You want a curriculum that uses a multi-sensory approach.
The more senses you engage in the learning process, the better the brain will be able to retain what is being taught. Look for activities that are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic in a meaningful way.
In reading this can look like manipulating letter tiles, building words, writing on a chalkboard, or reading with a small toy in hand. Multi-sensory activities should enhance learning—not detract from it. Look for a curriculum that effectively integrates multiple senses during the learning process.
You want a curriculum with plenty of repetition.
Yes! Children with dyslexia (and other learning challenges) require repetition. Lots of it. When a curriculum or activity book lacks a system, they often do not provide the adequate repetition needed for retention.
For example, they may introduce the letter “A” the first week and provide a few pages of repetition and practice, but then drop off when the letter “B” is introduced. By the time the child reaches letter “G”, they may have forgotten much of what they’ve learned. Without adequate context, reading can be more challenging. Look for a curriculum that integrates engaging repetition as new concepts are introduced. Doing so can help them make stronger connections between prior learning and more difficult concepts.
You want a curriculum that is visually fun but also kept simple.
Cute and fun designs are exciting to the brain, but you’ll want to make sure that pages have enough white space to balance things out. Too many colors and patterns can easily be overstimulating and overwhelming to a child with learning challenges.
Make sure to keep things simple but also fun, engaging, and effective. You want your child to look forward to reading so that they can gain the confidence they need to grow.
So do you ditch the ABC Activity Books?
Not necessarily.
If you have a solid beginning reading curriculum, they may help support what your child is learning.
The key is making sure that the foundation is set.
If you’re looking for a beginning reading curriculum that targets each of these areas, know that you are not alone. I searched high and low and put together a number of resources to make it happen for our children. You can actually watch this video with all the details.
After years of piecemealing, I finally decided to take all that I knew about language arts and reading instruction and put it together in a gentle, but EFFECTIVE, beginning reading curriculum. Click here to find out all about Nurturing Connections in Reading!
I used these EXACT specifications to create a reading curriculum for my own child with dyslexia because I knew how important it was to have an integrated system.
When you find a curriculum that is based on the science of reading, systematic, engaging, multisensory, repetitive, and fun, it truly makes all the difference.
What have you found helpful for teaching your child with dyslexia or reading struggles? What questions do you have?
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