Additional Reasons For Stumbles 

Physiological Factors:

Fatigue:

Hunger/Thirst:

Sensory Overload:

Vision/Hearing Issues:

Developmental Stage:

The child might be genuinely tired, especially after a long day or if they haven’t had enough sleep.

Basic needs not being met can significantly impact concentration and cognitive function.

Too much background noise, visual distractions, or even uncomfortable clothing can make it hard to focus.

Undiagnosed or uncorrected vision or hearing problems can obviously lead to reading difficulties.

  • Certain phonics skills or comprehension strategies might not be fully developed yet.

Anxiety/Stress:

Lack of Interest:

Frustration from Past Struggles:

Perfectionism:

Pressure to perform, fear of making mistakes, or stress from other areas of life can block a child’s ability to access what they know.

The material might be genuinely boring or irrelevant to the child, leading to a lack of engagement.

A history of difficulty can lead to a belief that they “can’t do it,” causing them to give up quickly.

Some children are so worried about being perfect that they freeze up when they encounter a challenge.

Environmental/Contextual Factors:

Unfamiliar Topic:

New Vocabulary:

Complex Sentence Structure: 

Distractions:

Reading Environment:

The child might lack the background knowledge to understand the text.

Too many unknown words can make the text impenetrable.

Long, convoluted sentences can be difficult for children to decode and comprehend.

Siblings, TV, or other activities happening nearby can pull a child’s attention away.

Is it comfortable? Is there adequate lighting? Is it a place where the child feels safe to take risks?

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