I need your help and advice on how to help my granddaughter learn how to read. She is a first grader in a Catholic school and most students in her class are good readers. All of the sudden, she is not reading words that she has been reading for months. My daughter says that she asked her teacher if anything is bothering Emily, and the teacher’s answer was “no.” Could it be that all of the sudden she has become this lazy? Or maybe she feels embarrassed because she cannot read as well as her classmates? Please help.

It sounds like you’ve done all the right things here. I’m very impressed that you went to her teacher to discuss this. Continue an ongoing dialogue with her teacher as she may then have a heads-up to watch Emily’s behavior in class and especially during her reading time, then can communicate back to you any impressions or ideas that she may have. Sometimes kids just hit a wall. They are tired of the routine of school—it’s harder, it’s work, and not as fun now in the mid-year months as it was at the beginning when everything was new. Every January or so, some of my kids hit a wall and lose interest in activities—some even take giant emotional or academic steps backwards. Perhaps that’s the case for Emily. I wouldn’t classify it as laziness, but perhaps a case of the winter doldrums? Many adults get it too! Keep working with her—she’ll perk back up soon if it’s just matter of a bit of running into a wall.

Your comments about her potential “reading embarrassment” concerns me a bit more. Again, a close communication here with her teacher is imperative. If she is under any pressure to read better than someone else in her class or in a reading group that in any way makes her feel less than successful, either from other children or from her teacher, this is a big red flag and needs to be addressed. Reading should be a fun, delightful experience for her at home and at school, for whatever level of reading competency she is on. If she’s struggling a bit with her reading skills, her teacher should have many tools at her disposal to help improve her reading abilities. She should also be aware of any situation in which Emily is uncomfortable or made to feel uncomfortable. A very honest and open dialogue with her teacher should be a big help for you, her, and for her teacher. Keep up the good work and enjoy the process of working and learning with your granddaughter.