My Child Hates Reading: What Parents Should Do First
Updated: Aug 12
How Can Parents Support a Child Who Is Struggling With Reading?
That 2 AM Google search—"my child hates reading"—brought you here for a reason. You're watching your kid dodge homework, insist on graphic novels, or dissolve into tears when asked to read aloud. Your heart breaks a little more each time.
Here's what you need to know: your child doesn't hate stories. They hate feeling defeated.
When reading becomes synonymous with failure, kids build walls. They'd rather be seen as defiant than incapable. That meltdown over a simple paragraph? It's not stubbornness—it's self-preservation.
What's Really Behind the Reading Struggle?
Reading resistance is rarely about motivation. More often, it's rooted in:
Poor early instruction that skipped crucial building blocks
Weak phonemic awareness that turns words into puzzles with missing pieces
Undiagnosed learning differences like dyslexia
Years of accumulated shame from being the last one to finish, the one who stumbles, the one who "just doesn't get it"
The good news? These walls can be torn down.
With the right instruction and support, children who once hid books under their bed turn into kids who beg for "just one more chapter" at bedtime.
The solution exists. Your child's love of stories is still there, waiting.
Step 1: Get Clarity with a Reading Assessment
If your child is struggling, the first thing to do is get curious, not critical. That means scheduling a reading screening or comprehensive assessment.
Reading and spelling screeners help identify whether your struggling reader is dealing with:
Gaps in phonological awareness
Missing phonics skills
Weaknesses in decoding and spelling
If your child is struggling in multiple areas, look for an assessment that also tests math skills, attention, processing speed, memory and other factors.
A quality assessment gives you answers and a clear roadmap for what to do next. This is especially important for families who value targeted, expert help rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
Generic tutoring often fails struggling readers. Why? Because it focuses on homework help or content review, not the underlying reading skills your child may have missed.
If your child or teen is struggling with reading, they need
explicit, structured literacy instruction
a science-backed approach like Orton-Gillingham for teaching phonics
instruction in phonological kills using proven methods (e.g. Kilpatrick or Heggerty)
a highly-trained tutor who customizes each lesson to the skills your student needs to learn
Why Orton-Gillingham?
The Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach is the gold standard for teaching students the many phonics patterns we use in reading and spelling the English language. It's particularly useful for students with dyslexia or significant reading gaps.
It's:
Sequential and cumulative
Multi-sensory
Designed to make the rules of reading and spelling explicit
When combined with good instruction in phonological skills, it helps struggling readers finally understand how our language works, and build true confidence and fluency.
Step 3: Support Confidence at Home
While expert help is critical, your role as a parent is just as powerful. Here’s how to help at home:
Avoid labels like “lazy” or “not trying”
Celebrate effort, not just achievement
Read aloud to your child. Yes, even older kids!
Embrace audiobooks, which keep language and reading rich and engaging as kids' decoding skills catch up.
When kids feel emotionally safe and supported they engage more, even with what feels hard.
About the Author
Daniela Feldhausen is the founder of Kids Up Reading Tutors. A former attorney with a master’s degree in special education, she has extensive training in Structured Literacy, the Science of Reading, and Orton-Gillingham–based instruction. Her team evaluates each student’s reading and spelling skills, creates an individualized Structured Literacy Plan, and provides the one-on-one tutoring needed to carry it out.
What sets Kids Up Reading Tutors apart?
Evaluation and Structured Literacy Plan
Evidence-based instruction with Orton-Gillingham+
Data-driven systematic, explicit instruction
For all learners, with or without dyslexia/dysgraphia
Kids & teens in grades 1-12 get caught up ASAP
Customized, 1-on-1 sessions with a dedicated tutor
High-dosage tutoring (2-5x/week) via Zoom
Focused, with an end in sight (not endless tutoring & investment)
Flexible scheduling
45/60 minute sessions
Daytime/evenings/weekends/summer
Team of tutors; switch tutors if needed for schedule changes
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