If you and your children are lucky enough to have super chill personalities, this next statement doesn’t apply to you.

For the rest of us, these are very stressful times.

As of this writing in June of 2020, many of us feel the weight of the world on our shoulders.

We have COVID-19 to consider, and our own responsibility to keep each other safe, and ourselves safe.

We have racial injustice to consider, and our own responsibility to be informed so that we don’t remain unintentionally complicit.

We have an election year to consider, and our own responsibility to vote, safely.

On top of all of that, many school districts have no idea what pandemic-era school will look like only a few short months from now.

That means parents and students have no idea, either.

Even the most Zen among us can feel unsettled by that, to say the least.

Personally, when I feel unsettled, when areas of my life feel entirely out of my control, I like to take action.  I like to find something that I CAN control.

This may be true for you.  This may be true for the kids.

So here’s what I propose.

If your child (or student) has the added burden of reading difficulties, be proactive.  Help give students some sense of control over their reading abilities.

By doing so, you release a great deal of unnecessary anxiety.

I’ve witnessed this countless times.  When struggling readers finally feel capable, finally start making connections that have eluded them for so long, their newfound confidence translates to multiple areas of their lives.

Lifting such a heavy weight from their shoulders helps make all of the rest of this madness easier to cope with.

Whatever the school year may bring, students know they are on their way to becoming stronger readers.

One happy side effect is that you get to proudly create positive change during a time where so many negative changes seem to be the norm.

If you’d like to learn one simple way to help struggling elementary students improve reading abilities, whether they have dyslexia, other learning differences, or struggle with letter recognition for reasons nobody yet knows, I invite you to learn more about The Letter Sounds Made Simple Program.

Update:  So sorry.  This program is temporarily unavailable, and should return sometime near the end of July 2020.  In the meantime, I invite you to learn more about tailored intervention for struggling learners.  You can join the program waiting list if that sounds like a good fit.  Otherwise, be sure to check out The Free Printables Collection and grab some fun, engaging, cognitive enrichment tools for kids.