Raise Your Hand If Your Child Has Said, "I can't read."

At Listen to Our Future Inc., this is something we hear often when we first enter a new tutoring location. I know that phrase intimately, because I used to say it about myself.

I was a struggling reader long before I became an educator. Undiagnosed hearing problems slowed my early learning, and the "whole language" teaching approach popular at the time never gave me the phonics foundation I needed. By second grade, I was crying during partner reading because I needed help with every few words. By fourth grade, a teacher sighed at me in front of the whole class for reading too slowly. And again in sixth grade, a teacher scoffed at me during popcorn reading. I eventually caught up and made the honor roll, but the feelings of shame and embarrassment stuck around long after.

Six years ago, Listen to Our Future launched its very first program: tutoring. It was the summer of 2020, and schools across the country were wrestling with an impossible question: was it safe to send millions of children back into classrooms during a global pandemic? We didn't have all the answers, but we knew one thing for certain: we had to act. For so many children, school isn't just about academics. It's a safe place to get a meal, to be with friends, and to be challenged and encouraged. We weren't willing to let that disappear.

That experience shapes everything we do. We see reading as more than a school subject; it's a tool for taking action in your own life and in your community. And I know from experience that struggling with reading is not the same thing as being unable to read. When we understand the root causes behind a child's reluctance, we can build strategies that actually work. Here are some of the most common reasons, and what we do about them.

1. Reading Feels Like a Chore

For some children, reading is tied to schoolwork and seems forced. When it feels like an obligation, kids resist it.

Solution: Make reading fun with engaging books, interactive storytelling, and freedom of choice. Let children pick what they want to read for pleasure, even if it's media. There are so many ways to build literacy into everyday life.

2. Difficulty with Reading Skills

Children who struggle with phonics, vocabulary, or comprehension find reading frustrating, and that frustration erodes confidence fast. I remember exactly what that felt like: staying a paragraph ahead during popcorn reading, terrified of being called on.

What we hear reflects deep emotions that are often hard to explain, even for adults.

Solution: Seek opportunities for your child to get help in a one-on-one or small group setting. This could be in or outside of school with a teacher, an upperclassman, or a specialized program.

One of our kindergarteners recently told a tutor, "I'm not good at reading," because that's what he'd been told at home and at school, even though the data said otherwise. I told him, next time someone says that to him, tell them, "I might not be a good reader yet, but one day I will be." By the end of the term, he was proficient for his grade level and excited to come to tutoring.

3. Lack of Interest in Available Books

When books don't reflect a child's interests or identity, reading feels unrelatable.

Solution: Offer a diverse selection of books across cultures, experiences, and topics kids care about. Graphic novels, audiobooks, and interactive e-books all count as reading too.

Visit our Resource Library to learn how you can get free books for your child!

4. Distractions from Digital Entertainment

Video games, social media, and TV are constantly competing for a child's attention.

Solution: Build a balanced schedule with limited screen time and dedicated reading time. A cozy, inviting reading space at home, a library, or a park goes a long way.

5. No Reading Role Models

Kids are far more likely to read if they see the adults around them doing it.

Solution: Model good reading habits as a family. Join community reading programs and talk about books together to spark curiosity.

Indiana Sports Corp Team Up for Literacy

Indy Child: Summer Reading Programs blog

6. Reading Anxiety and Pressure

Being asked to read aloud can create real anxiety and a lasting negative association with books and school in general. I still remember my heart rate spiking every time a teacher looked for someone new to call on.

Solution: Create a low-pressure reading environment where reflection occurs often. Let children read at their own pace, discuss what happened, and celebrate small milestones along the way. Engaging in meaningful reflection and discussion helps break down anxiety while building vocabulary and comprehension.

Here are some great alternatives to book reports.

Final Thoughts

Every child has the potential to love reading when given the right support. I carried the identity of "struggling reader" for years longer than I needed to, because too few adults told me otherwise. At Listen to Our Future Inc., we are committed to being a champion for students' academic needs by identifying the barriers, addressing them early, and giving every child the tools and encouragement to become a confident reader.