Do you have an older elementary or early middle school student still struggling with reading comprehension, or maybe even with decoding skills? While many of us think of a child learning to read at about age five, the truth is that the reading readiness age varies widely, as children mature at different rates and focus on different skills at different seasons. It is not uncommon for a child to learn to read somewhere between ages four and seven–or even as “late” as the age of eight or nine.
Check out these resources for the slightly older student:
- When a Child Doesn’t Remember What He Reads
- Exploring Visual Processing Struggles: Checklist & Resources
- Reading for Middle School
- Smart Kids Who Don’t Want to Read
- Read Aloud to Build Skills & Relationships How to use read-alouds to build skills (Not just for little kiddos! Many families read aloud into high school.)
- Fun & Easy Activities for a Struggling Reader
One thing that can help with reading comprehension is to start with material that is relevant to the student, or of interest to him, even if it’s just a short booklet or magazine article — then talk about it together. And some kiddos are more likely to practice reading aloud to a non-judgmental third party, such as a very young sibling or even to a pet — some libraries even have “book buddy” programs!

For a diagnostic assessment of your child’s reading skills, check out the Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment at Let’s Go Learn. The web-based DORA measures eight essential subskills of reading and provides a comprehensive parent report (and you can download a sample report before purchasing so you can see if you find the diagnostic info useful). For a super quick assessment of a book “on the fly,” such as while you are in the library or book store, this “five finger rule” can help make the difference between challenging your reader and frustrating him.
Need to tweak your reading approach? A few reading programs that you may want to peek at for starters would include All About Reading, Logic of English, Alpha Phonics, Reading Horizons, and Explode the Code. Also, specifically for comprehension:
- Reading for Comprehension series (designed for up to 8th grade)
- Magic Stories set (about $15; not about magic spells — more about outlandish things)
- 6th grade reading comprehension material (free online) from Plain and Not So Plain
- PhonicBooks Catch-up Readers
Of course, you may also want to rule out any vision or visual processing issues (or other learning challenges). If you would like further guidance in determining at what point you might want to consider further assessment of your child’s reading skills, or would like more resource suggestions, you might consult a developmental optometrist, learning specialist, or reading specialist (such as the HSLDA Special Needs consultants, who help members with concerns such as these).
If you’ve found other materials to help at this stage of learning, please drop those in the comments below!
You may also like: Is My Child Ready to Read?
Games & activities to help your student, and fun books for you to learn more……
(May include affiliate links, meaning your price stays the same but I get a little bit to help bring you more super content like this!)
Edupress Reading Comprehension Practice Cards, Context Clues, Blue Level (EP63072)ThinkFun Word A Round Game – Award Winning Fun Card Game For Age 10 and Up Where You Race to Unravel the Word
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8
Heart and Mind: What the Bible Says about Learning
A Biblical Home Education: Building Your Homeschool on the Foundation of God’s Word
The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12 (Prima Home Learning Library)
Homeschooling Methods: Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles
Language Wars and Other Writings for Homeschoolers
Five in a Row Volume One Second Edition
Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace
The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids
What Your Child Needs to Know When: According to the Bible, According to the State: with Evaluation Check Lists for Grades K-8
Indescribable: 100 Devotions for Kids About God and Science (Indescribable Kids)
Let Them Be Kids: Adventure, Boredom, Innocence, and Other Gifts Children Need
The Everyday Family Chore System: Raising Kids Who Help at Home
No More Perfect Kids: Love Your Kids for Who They Are
How am I Smart?: A Parent’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences
Five to Thrive: How to Determine If Your Core Needs Are Being Met (and What to Do When They’re Not)
8 Great Smarts: Discover and Nurture Your Child’s Intelligences
Honey for a Child’s Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life
Honey for a Child’s Heart Updated and Expanded: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life
Books Children Love: A Guide to the Best Children’s Literature (Revised Edition)
Bananagrams My First Multi-Award Winning Kids Spelling Game
Visual Discrimination: Beginning Thinking Skills
Explode the Code Books 1-8 SET (Essential Lessons for Phonics Mastery)
Explode the Code 1: Essential Lessons for Phonics Mastery
Alpha-Phonics: A Primer for Beginning Readers
Noah Webster’s Reading Handbook
Explode the Code 8: Essential Lessons for Phonics Mastery
Beyond The Code Book 1-4 (4 Books Set)
Beyond the Code 3: Comprehension and Reasoning Skills
Beyond the Code Book 1: Comprehension and Reasoning Skills
LiteraSee Concepts Illustrated, Five Orton-Gillingham based levels
Carson Dellosa The 100+ Series: Reading Comprehension Workbook?Grades 7-8 Language Arts Learning, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry Passages With Closed- and Open-Ended Questions (128 pgs)
Scholastic Success with Reading Comprehension, Grade 5
The Big Book of Reading Comprehension Activities, Grade 4: 100 Activities for After-School and Summer Reading Fun
Reading Comprehension with Classical Music – Mental Inspiration with Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Intense Study, Creative Thinking, Brainstorm with Classics, Active Reading Music
Carson Dellosa Skill Builders Reading Comprehension Workbook―Language Arts Grade 6 Reproducible Activity Book With Reading Passages and Activities (80 pgs)
Visualization Skills for Reading Comprehension (Six-Minute Thinking Skills)
Reading Comprehension for Grades 6-8+: Basic Not Boring
I Read It, but I Don’t Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers
100 Task Cards: Literary Text: Reproducible Mini-Passages With Key Questions to Boost Reading Comprehension Skills
Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students with Learning Difficulties, 2/E (What Works for Special-Needs Learners)
The Fluent Reader: Oral & Silent Reading Strategies for Building Fluency, Word Recognition & Comprehension
Beyond Five in a Row
Beyond Five In A Row Ages 8-12 volume 2
Movies As Literature
Movies As Literature Student Workbook
Learning Resources Snap It Up! Phonics & Reading Card Game, Homeschool,Reading Game, 90 Cards Included, Ages 6+
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Edupress Reading Comprehension Practice Cards, Drawing Conclusions, Green Level (EP63417)
100 Task Cards in a Box: Context Clues: Mini-Passages With Key Questions to Boost Reading Comprehension Skills
Scholastic Teaching Resources (Teaching Strategies) 100 Task Cards in a Box: Text Evidence: Mini-Passages with Key Questions to Boost Reading Comprehension Skills
Learning Well Games Context Clues Game Blue Level—Pirate Treasure Game