I Know What It Feels Like to Read the Words but Not Understand Them

Reading comprehension has a personal meaning for me because I struggled with it myself.

I remember what it was like to read something and have difficulty understanding what I had just read. Remembering the information was hard. Answering questions about it was even harder.

That experience is one of the reasons I care so deeply about helping students who struggle with comprehension today.

I want students to know that struggling with reading does not mean they cannot become strong, confident readers. Sometimes, they simply need someone to slow things down, figure out where the confusion is happening, and teach the skills in a way that makes sense to them.

Why I Love This Work

One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching a student finally “get it.”

I love taking something that feels overwhelming and breaking it into smaller, more manageable steps. When a student goes from feeling confused or frustrated to suddenly understanding what they are reading, you can see the difference.

That moment of excitement is why I do this work.

My Approach to Reading Comprehension

Over the years, I have learned that giving a struggling student another passage to read and another set of comprehension questions is not always enough.

If a child doesn't understand what they are reading, I want to know why.

Maybe unfamiliar vocabulary is getting in the way. Maybe long, complicated sentences are difficult to untangle. Maybe the student understands each paragraph but has trouble remembering enough information to connect ideas across the entire text.

Once we understand where the difficulty is happening, we can work on it together.

I use a Structured Literacy approach to help students learn how to process, organize, and analyze what they read. Instead of expecting students to figure out comprehension strategies on their own, I teach those strategies explicitly and give them opportunities to practice with support.

We might preview a text and build background knowledge before reading. We may break a difficult passage into smaller sections, work through unfamiliar vocabulary, identify the main idea, organize information visually, or practice finding evidence that supports an answer.

I also teach students to notice when something doesn't make sense and what they can do about it.

The goal is not for me to sit beside them forever and tell them what a passage means. The goal is to give them strategies they can eventually use on their own.

The Experience Behind My Teaching

My approach combines my personal experience with professional training and classroom experience.

I hold a BA in Psychology and have teacher training, Science of Reading training, and Structured Literacy training. I have facilitated reading groups, worked with students in elementary classrooms, and currently teach fifth grade.

That background helps me look beyond whether an answer is right or wrong. I want to understand how a student is thinking, where the process is breaking down, and what support will help them move forward.

Building Skills and Confidence

For me, tutoring is about more than getting through the next reading assignment.

I want students to understand what they read, remember important information, answer questions with greater confidence, explain their thinking, and become more independent learners.

I also want reading to feel less frustrating.

When students begin to understand how to approach a challenging text, something changes. Instead of immediately thinking, “I can't do this,” they have strategies they can turn to.

Those small successes build skills. And those skills build confidence.

I know what it feels like when the words are right in front of you, but the meaning just isn't clicking. That is why it is so rewarding for me to help a student reach that moment when it finally does.

If your child can read the words but struggles to understand, remember, or explain what they have read, I’d love to help. Reach out to schedule a consultation, and we can talk about what your child is experiencing and how I can support them in becoming a more confident, independent reader.