Nobody wants to hear that their child is struggling to keep up with their classmates. I mean, we all have big dreams for our kids, and we’re confident they will excel in school.
However, this wasn’t the case for me.
So you can imagine my pain when my son’s teacher told me he will probably have to repeat the year as he can barely read. It was devastating.
I’m Susan, a working mom of 2 amazing boys. 6 year old Kieran, currently in the second grade. And 3 year old Tyler, my overly energetic preschooler.
I want to share my story with you about how I managed to teach both my boys to read, from an almost hopeless position.
You can see what this excellent learn to read program is all about by clicking on the button below.
“There was a good chance he would end up repeating the 1st grade”
It was early December when Kieran’s teacher told me that he was struggling in school.
Kieran and one other classmate were having major problems reading. And since most of the class were coping, they had to continue with the syllabus.
It was recommended that I look for after-school reading classes, or a private tutor for Kieran, as he was falling further behind.
There was a good chance he would end up repeating the 1st grade.
“I felt like a failed parent”
It’s really difficult hearing that your child isn’t doing well at school.
I remember driving home feeling incredibly concerned about Kieran’s future. Yes I know.. it’s way too soon to be concerned with a 6 year old’s career prospects. However, it’s a real shock to your system when you hear that your child is doing terribly at school.
Furthermore, it felt as if his teacher had already given up on him. It was like, “Kieran, I know that I’m your teacher, and it’s my job to teach you how to read. But, you’re not very good at this reading thing so we’re moving along without you. Try again next year!”
I know that’s not how it was. Kieran’s teacher is not like that at all. I was just really angry, and looking to vent.
But most of all, I was angry at myself.
Yes, Kieran’s reading wasn’t great. However, I thought it was normal for 6 year olds to struggle.
I had no idea he wasn’t reading at a first grade level. I felt like a failed parent. And in some ways this is true. I should’ve taken the initiative and played a much bigger role in teaching him to read.
Instead of sitting back and leaving it to his teachers.
“He was terrified of reading aloud”
Looking back, I should’ve noticed that something was wrong much sooner.
Kieran was always a happy and bubbly boy. However, he would instantly become withdrawn and shy when it was time to do his reading assignments.
Sometimes I’d ask Kieran multiple times to bring his reading books, only for him to pretend not to hear me. He would look for any excuse not to read.
And it’s clear to me now that Kieran had absolutely no confidence in his reading ability. He was terrified of reading aloud for fear of being wrong.
I can only imagine how much worse this feeling was when reading in front of his classmates.
“Kieran was just not understanding the concept of reading at all”
I decided that day to do everything in my power to teach Kieran how to read. And just as importantly, to get him to enjoy reading.
Aside from just repeating some sight words, and reading sentences that he was already familiar with, Kieran was just not understanding the concept of reading at all.
So I felt it was important that he start learning to read from the very beginning.
“About halfway through the program, we stopped”
I chose not to get a tutor, or enroll Kieran in special classes. It’s costly, and I wanted to be the one teaching him to read.
After looking at a number of popular reading programs, I eventually settled on one of them. And Kieran and I began working through it.
I could see that he was trying really hard to get it right. And I could sense his relief that he was learning in the comfort of his home, with mom as his teacher, and at his own pace.
Completely different to the high-pressure environment of a noisy classroom.
About halfway through the program, we stopped. It was just too limited.
Yes, there was a slight improvement in Kieran’s reading ability. However, he was still really confused. This reading program was focused on memorization, and not about helping children understand how to read.
It’s no different to what’s being taught at Kieran’s school. Sight words and memorizing phonics.
The program also gave no clear direction on how best to use it. Considering I’m not a teacher, I was hoping for step-by-step guidance.
The search for an effective way of teaching Kieran to read continued.
And then I found it…
I don’t remember how exactly I stumbled onto Jim’s website.
But I ended up watching a video and seeing his ‘almost’ 3 year old daughter reading.
It’s really impressive.
You see, Jim is a teacher, and the creator of the Children Learning Reading Program. A program he used to teach all his kids to read.
Everything Jim was saying made sense.
I read the feedback left by some of his customers, and even watched videos sent in from customers of their children reading fluently. All thanks to Children Learning Reading.
It almost seemed too good to be true. I mean I had just wasted time on an expensive program which didn’t help much at all. So would this Children Learning Reading really help, considering it’s a fraction of the price of these other programs?
Being desperate for a solution, I ended up trying Children Learning Reading.
Hopeful, but not convinced. I thought Kieran would probably just learn a few new words, then we’d start searching for another program again.
Boy was I wrong…
Working through the first few lessons of Children Learning Reading Stage 1, I immediately noticed how easy and straightforward the program was to work through.
Jim gives a lot of practical advice and tips. And there’s even videos of him in Stage 1 showing how he teaches his kids. Being able to see how he does it, and implement some of it when teaching Kieran has been absolutely invaluable to me.
The results were immediately noticeable.
“Kieran’s teacher called me at work”
Nearing the end of Stage 1 I was starting to see that Kieran’s confidence was building, and he was actually starting to read easily.
From not being able to read new words at all, Kieran was finally understanding blending, and beginning to decode new words on his own.
I was so proud.
It was either after the third or the fourth week when Kieran’s teacher called me at work. She couldn’t believe the progress he was making.
He wasn’t at the level of the other kids yet. However, his reading was improving phenomenally.
“I decided to start Children Learning Reading Stage 1 with Tyler”
After seeing the amazing strides Kieran was making, I decided to start Children Learning Reading Stage 1 with Tyler.
Tyler was in preschool, and even though he wasn’t yet reading, they were learning the alphabet song.
We worked through the beginning lessons of Stage 1 very slowly, as I wanted to make sure that Tyler fully mastered each lesson before moving on.
Initially, Tyler struggled a bit with vowel sounds. He would sometimes get “a” and “u” mixed up, as well as “e” and “i” because of their similar sounds. However, the more we worked through the lessons, the better he seemed to understand.
Not long after, I would teach him a new letter sound, and almost immediately, he would understand it and even start successfully blending it to form very short words.
He absolutely loves reading, and looks forward to his Children Learning Reading lessons every day.
“Our friends are particularly amazed”
It took just over 3 months to complete Children Learning Reading with Kieran. And I can honestly say, the transformation is mind-blowing.
Kieran is now in the second grade and reading at a third grade level. Better than most of his classmates.
More importantly, he is a lot more confident.
From being very apprehensive about reading, Kieran now loves his reading. He even goes out of his way to try and sound out new words, and you can see the boost to his self-esteem whenever he does so.
The turnaround has been nothing short of amazing.
It took much longer to finish Children Learning Reading with Tyler. Mostly because I wasn’t in a rush with him seeing as he’s still so young.
Tyler is apparently reading at an early 1st grade level ..WOW!
He’s turned into a little serial reader. Literally trying to sound out every word he sees.
Our friends are particularly amazed with Tyler. Listening to him read long sentences and a few short stories on his own, they can’t believe how one so young can be doing it with such ease.
I’m so proud of my boys, and I can honestly say it’s thanks to Jim and Children Learning Reading.
“The only program that was truly step-by-step”
Children Learning Reading is by far the most comprehensive reading programs I’ve seen. Yet, it’s so simple, straightforward and easy to follow.
In addition to how well it’s presented, Children Learning Reading was also the ONLY program that was truly step-by-step. And it really removed any doubts I had of how to go about teaching my kids to read.
As for Jim, he’s an ABSOLUTE star. He’s very approachable and is always willing to give advice and be that extra support pillar. You get a real sense that he genuinely cares about the kids and parents using his program.
Children Learning Reading totally exceeded my expectations. No matter what your child’s reading ability is, I encourage you to give Children Learning Reading a try. You’ll be surprised at the improvement after just a few weeks.
I’m so glad I made the right choice!
Natalie is a full-time blogger and former elementary school teacher who specializes in helping parents teach their kids to read. With a qualification in Early Childhood Education, over 7 years of experience in education, and a passion for literacy, Natalie provides practical tips, activities, and resources for parents looking to support their child’s learning-to-read journey. She is the proud mom of two young readers and loves sharing her knowledge and experience with other parents. Natalie enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and exploring the great outdoors when she’s not blogging.