By: Nick Gaehde, President of Lexia
As school gets underway throughout the Valley, families are getting back into morning routines, school drop off and pickup, and the homework groove. As parents, you’re likely doing all you can to support your kids’ learning, but sometimes time restraints, work schedules, different home languages or your own literacy struggles can keep you from getting involved in your kids’ educational journey.
The challenge is reflected in the data. According to 2024’s Nation’s Report Card (NAEP) only 31% of our fourth graders and 30% of our eighth graders can read proficiently – an achievement gap that has only widened in the last few decades. A recent national teacher survey from Lexia, an edtech literacy company, reports that 52% of teachers say reading improves for their students when families get involved. Yet, nearly 6 in 10 educators say parents’ own literacy challenges can limit their involvement in helping kids learn to read. Recognizing these barriers is the first step toward finding practical ways for parents to play an active role no matter their own reading level.
How Parents Can Build Strong Readers
Literacy is a community effort. It begins at home, with parents serving as their child’s first teachers, and continues in the classroom, where educators trained in the science of reading guide students through every step of their reading and writing journey. Here are a few tools if you need support getting involved in your child’s learning:
- Use Everyday Moments as Reading Practice: Busy schedules can make it hard to be involved in your children’s learning, but reading road signs, menus, or even a dinner recipe together can still make a big difference. Even if you’re not the best reader, pointing out letters and talking about words can help build your child’s awareness of language.
- Listen and Talk About Stories: Listening to audiobooks, podcasts or read-aloud videos can expose your child to rich vocabulary, build comprehension and more – no matter your reading level. Taking the time to pause and ask questions like, “what do you think happens next?” or “how do you think this character feels?” allows you to see their understanding of the material come to life.
- Ask for Materials You Can Use at Home: Teachers can provide or recommend take-home tools like books, activity sheets, or decodable texts (i.e. phonics practice books) to help you support your reader. Knowing where your child is in their literacy journey makes it easier to focus on the concepts they need most. That’s why Lexia partners with educators to deliver tailored, data-driven insights grounded in the science of reading, giving teachers the tools to clearly share progress with families. This personalized approach helps parents stay engaged and actively support their child’s learning.
Parents who struggle with literacy are far more common than many realize, yet the challenge often goes unspoken. By understanding this and other barriers families face, educators can work collaboratively with them to find meaningful ways to support literacy at home. When parents and caregivers are empowered to help, the benefits go beyond test scores, they boost a child’s confidence, curiosity, and love for learning.
About the Author:
Nick Gaehde is the President of Lexia and a lifelong literacy advocate.
