I have an 11-year-old daughter, who is now going to the sixth grade. My concern is that she is actually below is her reading level. We read everyday, how can I improve her reading level to average or higher?

There could be several reasons why your daughter isn’t reading at grade level, so it’s rather difficult know exactly what to say, but here are few questions that you could ask. Perhaps discovering the answers might help you help your child.

First, of all, is there some part of her early reading development that she didn’t quite “get”? Does she struggle with blending letters into sounds? What part of the reading process might be slowing her down. Her 5th grade teacher might be an excellent resource here as I’m sure he/she will have several tests scores that might point right to her weakest reading characteristic. Go back even further if you need to, to discover why she’s hesitant with her reading skills.

Another question to research is to make sure that her eyes are fully working, both up close and far away. A quick trip to her pediatrician can answer all about her physical faculties and their proper functions. It’s amazing how many kids struggle with reading because they can’t quite see the book or the board. A good thing to check out.

Another consideration is that she just doesn’t like to read. I have three children in my family, 2 are great readers, love new books, can’t wait to finish chores to get to reading. The other one just doesn’t like to sit still long enough to get involved. Nonetheless, reading is so critical to our society, it’s not optional, children have to read at an age functional level, but there are those personalities that would rather do anything else than sit down with a book. Perhaps your daughter is one?

It’s hard to say, but keeping in constant contact with her teacher this fall may also prove invaluable. This is her last year of elementary school, and you’ll find more consistent help there than later when you have to deal with 6 or 7 teachers instead of just one. Visit with your school’s resource teachers and discuss if a program they have to offer might be of benefit for her. These are just a few suggestions, but now is the time to act and try to get her up to reading level.