My daughter is 6 years old and she is in first grade. I am running out of help. Ever since she started school, she has been having problems recognizing letters and numbers. She knows how to count and say her alphabet, but when I ask her to write a number or letter, that’s when she struggles. Now she has improved a little bit by knowing some of the alphabet, but she is struggling on how to start reading. Sometimes I can see that she gets frustrated, plus her teachers are concerned about her not being able to read—and to tell you the truth, so am I. Please help!

A good place to start might be back at the beginning. Your daughter is young enough that backing up a bit won’t seem too baby-ish for her. I would begin by printing from your computer or purchasing a simple set of alphabet letter flashcards. You mentioned her difficulty seems to come in recognition. I would start playing all sorts of games with these flash cards. Go Fish (you might need two sets for that, only play with 6-10 letters at a time), all sorts of card game scenarios, like you hold five cards in your hand, and she pulls out one and tells you the letter and sound. Then reverse—have her hold the cards, and you pull one and identify the letter and sound. Guess a few wrong and watch her giggle into pieces as she corrects you. Have her select a card and then go on a treasure hunt to find as many things in the kitchen as she can that starts with the letter/sound that she picked. Tape the letters to objects, as she correctly identifies the letter and sound on the object, she gets a treat (candy piece, sticker, fruit-loop, etc.) You get the idea—as many games as you can think of. Repetition is the key here. Playing games help you repeat, repeat, repeat without boring her and you to tears. Make sure you always have her identify the name of the letter and the sound it makes—it’s always a two-part answer (or you get to eat the treat!).

Her reading progress will be impaired until she can really identify the letters and the sounds they make. Hope these suggestions can help. Keep working with her. I commend your for your diligence and patience on behalf of your daughter. Good luck.