Summer is for slowing down—time with family, a break from the school routine, and a chance to let our nervous systems reset. It's also a season when reading skills can quietly soften over the long break, something teachers have long called the “summer slide.” The good news is that summer is also one of the best windows to turn that slide into a head start—an unhurried stretch to build confidence and strengthen reading skills. A little support now helps a child feel prepared rather than overwhelmed when fall arrives, ready to dive into everything the new year holds.
Why so much emphasis on reading? Because it's the skill nearly everything else is built on, not just in the classroom, but in everyday life, from the ingredients on a food package to the signs that keep us safe. Strong readers feel more equipped to follow instructions, join class discussions, and move comfortably through the world. And here's something that surprises many parents: reading isn't natural. Unlike speech, which children pick up simply by being around it, reading must be taught, as it is an acquired skill. A home full of books is wonderful, but it isn't the same as direct instruction, and that's exactly why thoughtful, targeted support makes such a difference.
Every child sits somewhere different on the reading journey, and there's a right-sized level of support for each of them. Whether your child is racing ahead, building steadily, quietly slipping, or working through dyslexia or dysgraphia, help can meet them where they are. A child who's ready to go deeper can build the background knowledge and richer comprehension that harder texts demand. A child reading right on level can gain real momentum and enrichment.
And then there's a group I think about often from my years in the classroom, those children who are quietly slipping. They aren't far enough behind to set off any alarms, so they're easy to miss, but a small gap, left alone, tends to widen year by year. Timely, targeted help can keep that gap from ever becoming a struggle. Catching it early is so much gentler than waiting.
Reading is far more than sounding out letters. It means understanding and holding onto what the words say. Comprehension is how kids answer questions, analyze ideas, connect old knowledge to new, and think critically across every subject and life experience, and more children wrestle with comprehension struggles than we notice. One of the most powerful keys is background knowledge. When a child already knows a little about a topic, the text makes far more sense, and that knowledge can be built one subject at a time.
This is the heart of what I love about my work. I take time to identify the specific areas where a student needs attention—fluency, decoding, vocabulary, or comprehension—and then design lessons built just for that child. I'm a master's student at Southern Methodist University and a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) candidate, completing my clinical certification hours, with training in Orton-Gillingham–based structured literacy through the Multisensory Teaching Approach and Alphabetic Phonics. But the credentials matter less than what they're meant for: meeting each student exactly where they are, and celebrating every small success along the way, because confidence is what keeps a child motivated to keep going.
For students who learn differently, that individualized, structured approach matters even more. Dyslexia affects how a person processes written language and is common. Roughly one in five people have dyslexia, and it has nothing to do with intelligence or potential. Dysgraphia, which often goes hand in hand with it, affects writing and the physical work of getting words onto the page. It can keep a bright, capable child from getting their ideas onto the page. Both respond well to explicit, systematic, evidence-based instruction. For dyslexia especially, the structured, multisensory approach I'm trained in, which engages sight, sound, feel, and movement together, has long been the standard of care. Lighter needs call for the same clear teaching in a right-sized dose. The goal is always the same: to reduce frustration, build genuine skills, and help a student feel capable.
Here's the most hopeful truth for 85 to 90 percent of young children who struggle with reading: about 30 minutes a day of well-targeted early instruction can bring their skills up to average levels. At Talamantez Therapy, we begin with a consultation to talk through your goals, any current IEP goals, and how we can best support your child. My wife, Bryna Talamantez, LMFT, offers complementary mental health care for youth and young adults navigating grief, life changes, and ADHD. If you'd like to talk, please reach out through email or our website. We'd love to help your child become a confident reader for life.
For more information, visit TalamantezTherapy.com, email michael@talamanteztherapy.com, or call 972.559.4943.
Every child sits somewhere different on the reading journey, and there's a right-sized level of support for each of them.
Here's the most hopeful truth for 85 to 90 percent of young children who struggle with reading: about 30 minutes a day of well-targeted early instruction can bring their skills up to average levels.