Breaking Down the Reading Process: What Parents Need to Know

Breaking Down the Reading Process: What Parents Need to Know

How Children Learn to Read: The 5 Essential Components Every Parent Should Know

Reading is one of the most important skills a child will ever learn. But for many parents, the process of how reading develops can feel like a mystery. If your child is struggling—or if you just want to support them in the best way possible—understanding how reading develops step by step is key.

As a teacher, I’ve seen how powerful it is when parents understand what their child is working on and why. Instead of frustration, there’s encouragement, patience, and progress.

This guide breaks down the five components of reading identified by the National Reading Panel, explains why some children struggle, and shares practical strategies parents can use at home.

The 5 Essential Components of Reading

Reading isn’t a single skill. It’s a process made up of multiple, interconnected skills that build on one another.

1. Phonemic Awareness (Hearing and Identifying Sounds in Words)

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and play with sounds in words. It’s the foundation of decoding.

Try this at home:

  • Clap out the sounds in c-a-t and then blend them back together.

  • Play “I spy” with beginning sounds (I spy something that starts with /s/).

👉 Related: Early Signs of Dyslexia Every Parent Should Know.

2. Phonics (Connecting Letters to Sounds)

Phonics is matching written letters (graphemes) to their sounds (phonemes). Children with dyslexia often need extra support here.

Why it’s hard:

  • Kids with dyslexia may struggle to automatically connect letters to sounds.

  • They often need repeated, multisensory practice.

Try this at home:

  • Have your child trace a letter with their finger while saying its sound.

  • Use a mirror to see how their mouth forms sounds like /p/ and /m/.

📌 Multisensory tools, like textured alphabet cards, can make these connections stick.

3. Fluency (Reading Smoothly and Automatically)

Fluency means reading words quickly, accurately, and with expression. It bridges decoding and comprehension.

Signs of struggle:

  • Reading word by word with frequent pauses

  • Avoiding reading aloud

  • Difficulty recognizing sight words

How to help:

  • Re-read favorite books for practice and confidence.

  • Play sight word games like “Hop to the Word.”

  • Try whisper reading, where your child quietly reads to themselves while tracking words with a finger.

4. Vocabulary (Building Word Knowledge and Meaning)

The more words children know, the easier it is for them to understand what they read.

How to build vocabulary:

  • Read a wide range of books (fiction, nonfiction, poetry).

  • Use real-life context—describe items while cooking or playing.

  • Act out words together (leap, stomp, spin).

📌 Example: When reading “leap,” jump like a frog and trace the letter L.

5. Comprehension (Making Meaning from Reading)

Comprehension is the ultimate goal—understanding, connecting, and thinking about what’s read.

Common challenges:

  • Rushing through without grasping meaning

  • Difficulty recalling details

  • Struggling to answer “why” or “how” questions

How to support comprehension:

  • Preview a book together by looking at the pictures and title.

  • Pause to ask guiding questions (“Why do you think the character feels this way?”).

  • After reading, act out a scene or retell the story in their own words.

👉 Related: The Emotional Side of Dyslexia.

Why Some Kids Struggle with Reading

Not every child learns to read in the same way. Some pick it up quickly, while others need explicit, structured support.

Common reasons for reading difficulties include:
✔ Dyslexia (trouble processing sounds in words)
✔ ADHD (difficulty focusing during reading tasks)
✔ Processing delays (trouble connecting letters to sounds)
✔ Speech and language delays (slower vocabulary growth)

For these children, multi-sensory, structured literacy approaches make reading more accessible.

👉 Related: How to Support a Child with Dyslexia at Home.

How Parents Can Support at Home

Supporting your child doesn’t have to be complicated. Small, consistent actions make a big difference.

✔ Make reading part of daily routines (before bed, after school).
✔ Keep books visible and accessible.
✔ Use hands-on strategies like tracing letters in sand or jumping to letter cards.
✔ Praise effort, not just accuracy—progress matters more than perfection.

Final Thoughts: Every Child Can Become a Reader

The path to reading is a journey of many small steps. With patience, encouragement, and the right strategies, all children—including those with dyslexia or other learning differences—can grow into confident readers.

At Soaring Minds, we believe in teaching reading in ways that work for every child. That’s why we create multisensory resources designed to support parents and educators with simple, effective strategies that make literacy more engaging and less stressful.

👉 Want more resources? Explore our guides on:

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