The Reading Doctor — free guides
Reading help for parents
Short, practical guides written by certified reading specialists — what's normal at each grade, what's a warning sign, and exactly how to help at home.
Early Readers
Kindergarten – Grade 1
Phonics & Decoding
CVC Words: What They Are and How to Help Your Child Read Them
CVC words like cat, sun, and big are your child's first real reading milestone. Learn what they are, why they matter, and five playful ways to practice at home.
Read the article 5 min readReading Comprehension
Teaching Predictions: The First Active-Reading Skill Tests Look For
Good readers start before the first sentence, predicting what the story will be about. Here's a simple way to teach that skill tonight.
Read the article 5 min readStory Structure
Teaching Story Setting: The 'Where and When' Question on Every Test
Setting is one of the first story elements reading tests ask about. Six playful activities — scavenger hunts, sensory guessing, drawing challenges — that make it stick.
Read the article 6 min readGrowing Readers
Grades 2–3
Reading Fluency
7 Signs Your 2nd Grader Is Behind in Reading (and What to Do Next)
Guessing words, choppy reading, avoiding books? Learn the seven research-backed signs that a second grader is falling behind in reading — and the simple first step to catch up.
Read the article 7 min readReading Comprehension
My Child Reads Just Fine — So Why Is He Failing Reading Tests?
Your child reads aloud smoothly but fails reading tests. The disconnect is real and common — decoding without comprehension — and here's what to do about it.
Read the article 6 min readReading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension Activities You Can Do at Home
Eight simple, proven reading comprehension activities — from shared reading to story maps — that turn reading time into understanding time. No worksheets required.
Read the article 6 min readInference & Characters
Why Did the Character Do That? Teaching Kids to Read Between the Lines
Reading tests constantly ask why a character did something — a question about inference. Build that skill through everyday conversation, starting tonight.
Read the article 6 min readStory Structure
Problem and Solution: The Question Hiding in Every Reading Test
Reading tests almost always ask about the problem in a story — kids who can spot it sail through. Here's how to teach it, with practice that works anywhere.
Read the article 6 min readStory Structure
Story Plot: Teaching Beginning, Middle, and End (and the Five Parts Tests Ask About)
Plot questions trip up young test-takers more than almost any other kind. Story maps, sequencing games, and the five plot elements — explained for parents.
Read the article 6 min readVocabulary
How to Grow Your Child's Vocabulary (Without Flashcard Marathons)
Vocabulary is the quiet engine of comprehension. Eight practical ways to build it at home — word teaching, word walls, read-alouds, and playful exposure.
Read the article 6 min readDyslexia & Screening
Dyslexia: What Actually Helps (and What Doesn't)
Dyslexia isn't a phase and isn't about intelligence — and it isn't 'cured' either. What the evidence supports: early screening, structured literacy, real support.
Read the article 6 min readReading Motivation
The Summer Slide Is Real: How to Keep Your Child Reading (and Growing) All Summer
Children who don't read over summer lose months of reading growth — and it compounds yearly. Five simple routines that stop the slide, no worksheets.
Read the article 5 min readConfident Readers
Grades 4–6