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illustration of young girl struggling with reading and writing

9 Reasons Why Kids Struggle with Reading

From difficulty recognizing the individual sounds in spoken words to developing and maintaining the motivation to read, here are the most common reasons why children can struggle with reading.

Elementary student using audio accommodation to support reading

Accommodations and Modifications

Accommodations remove learning barriers in the classroom to provide every child with equal access to learning. An example is offering an audio version of classroom text for a student with dyslexia or visual supports for children with ASD. Modifications are changes to what a child is taught and expected to do in class. For example, a student who struggles with spelling may be tested on a different set of words than his peers. 

Young African American girl looking at tree leaves with magnifying glass

Adventures in Summer Learning

Giving kids a summer full of reading and learning. School may be out, but learning is still in. In Adventures in Summer Learning, you’ll meet parents, teachers, and researchers in Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Boston who are discovering the best ways to keep kids engaged with learning during the long summer break — and avoid the “summer slump.”

Young boy a home on couch using a phone app

Apps for Literacy and Learning

Apps are fun and motivating for kids! Let Reading Rockets help you find the very best educational apps that provide practice with essential skills in alphabet knowledge, phonics, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. We’ve also included apps to support children with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism.

Celebrating Asian Pacific American History and Culture

Asian Pacific American History Month

Through children’s books, interviews with children’s authors, activities, and educational resources, we celebrate and learn about the rich history and cultural heritage of Asian Pacific Americans. 

Elementary boy in yellow plaid shirt taking a test

Assessment of English Language Learners

Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce offers an in-depth introduction to assessment for teachers of English language learners — including performance-based standardized assessments, assessment as a tool for informing instruction, use of assessment to reinforce reading comprehension, and student self-assessment and self-monitoring.

Elementary teacher giving a student a high-five for encouragement

Assessment: On Track for Reading Success

How can teachers make sure that each student is not only being taught, but is actually learning? In this webcast, Roland Good, Mary Ruth Coleman, and Michael C. McKenna talk about how assessment can be used to lead students to reading success.

Elementary students using computers with headphones in classroom

Assistive Technology in Inclusive Classrooms

Assistive technology is any device that supports the independence of a person with a disability. Assistive technology can be something very simple and low-cost such as pencil grips or text highlighters, or something more sophisticated, such as a computer station with speech-to-text tools. Find many more assistive technology resources here: Topics A-Z: Assistive Technology.

Wimpy Kid series author Jeff Kinney on a panel discussion

Author and Illustrator Panel Discussions

Sit in on these lively panel discussions with some of your favorite book creators! They’re talking about what a heroine is, “girls books” for boys, how to motivate boys to read more, the appeal of graphic novels, and more. Hosted by Jeff Kinney at his bookstore, An Unlikely Story.

collage of portraits of well-known children's authors

Author Study Toolkit

Author studies give students the opportunity to dive deeply into an author’s life and body of work. Our Author Study Toolkit gives you the step-by-step! 

Illustration of open book with stars flying out

Award-Winning and Notable Kids’ Books

Discover the annual winners of the Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal, Coretta Scott King Awards, American Indian Youth Literature Awards, Asian/Pacific American Awards, and Pura Belpré Awards — as well as other children’s book awards from the American Library Association and other literacy organizations. 

Diverse group of kids in front of yellow school bus

Back to School

Back-to-school time can be an exciting and challenging transition from the summer months. We’ve got some helpful tips, articles, and other resources for families and teachers — plus some recommended picture books to ease back-to-school jitters.

PreK boy playing with magnetic letters

Basics: Alphabet Knowledge

Alphabet knowledge is the ability to recognize and name uppercase and lowercase letters, recognize letter symbols in print, and know that there are sounds associated with each letter. Alphabet knowledge is a key pre-literacy skill and lays the groundwork for future reading success.

Young girl pointing at text as she reads aloud

Basics: Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly, and with expression.Fluent reading builds stamina for reading lengthy or complex texts. Reading fluency serves as a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.

Elementary boy in yellow plaid shirt taking a test

Basics: Informal Classroom-Based Assessment

Administering informal assessments on a regular basis throughout the school year provides useful information that can help teachers to identify the individual strengths and weakness of each student — and most importantly, guide the next steps in instruction.

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