How to Help Your Child Read When You Struggle Too

March is National Reading Month, a nationwide celebration that encourages children, families, and communities to make reading a daily habit. But it also brings attention to an important issue. Across the US, many people face challenges with literacy. Reading scores have declined or stagnated since the pandemic, with many districts in Michigan showing lower performance than they did just a few years ago (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2024). Relatively recent assessments indicate that only 24% of Michigan fourth graders are proficient in reading, placing the state below the national average.

These statistics reflect more than classroom performance. They reveal a broader community challenge. Literacy affects employment, health, civic participation, and economic mobility. Across Michigan, educators, libraries, and community leaders are increasingly focused on improving early literacy because the early years lay the foundation for lifelong learning.

One important factor that influences reading development is the home environment. Research consistently shows that parent involvement in reading activities strongly predicts children’s vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and reading motivation. When parents regularly engage in literacy activities with their child, children develop stronger early language skills and reading readiness.

However, this can be challenging when parents themselves struggle with reading. About 1 in 5 adults have low literacy skills, with many reading below the sixth-grade level (National Center for Education). When parents feel uncomfortable with books, they may unintentionally avoid reading activities with their children. But low parent literacy does not mean a child’s learning has to suffer. There are many effective strategies parents can use that do not require proficient reading skills (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2024).

How parents with reading difficulties can support their child:

1. Use picture books and wordless books.

Books without many words can be just as engaging for young children. Parents and children can describe the pictures, predict what might happen next, or invent their own story. This strengthens some important precursors to reading (e.g., storytelling, imagination, etc.).

2. Create stories together.

Families can tell stories about everyday events or imaginative adventures. Storytelling builds language skills even without printed text. A parent can ask questions like:

• What do you think happens next?
• Why is the character feeling that way?
• What would you do in that situation?

3. Use everyday moments as literacy opportunities.

Literacy can happen throughout the day. Reading signs or labels at the store, looking at menus together, singing songs or nursery rhymes, and talking about what happened during the day are all opportunities for language-rich conversation to help children develop their vocabulary and comprehension skills.

4. Read along with audiobooks.

Audiobooks and synchronized text-audio formats allow families to experience stories together, even when reading aloud feels difficult. Parents and children can follow along with the printed book while listening to the audio. This helps children connect spoken words to written text. However, the key is reciprocal interactions that create relational connection. If you’d like a fun way to practice reading together, check out the animated video below by Kyle Exum (animated by Uche Omaaa). It recreates a classic children’s story using catchy beats with an energetic rap/pop style. If you have the companion book, you can follow along while watching the story unfold. A lyrically accurate and young reader’s version (grammatically correct) are available.

When literacy challenges appear early, support can make a significant difference. Early intervention programs, preschool initiatives, and family literacy programs (e.g., Strong Beginnings and Baby Scholars) are designed to help both children and parents strengthen reading skills. But literacy is not only a school issue. It should involve the community and family. Even when parents struggle with reading themselves, they can still nurture strong foundations through picture books, storytelling, conversation, audiobooks, and everyday learning moments. When children grow up in environments rich with language, they can develop the tools needed to become confident readers.