Why ADHD Makes Reading Hard—And What Parents Can Do To Help
About 11.5% of adolescents aged 12-17 in the US have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If your child has ADHD and struggles with reading, you’re not alone. Many parents wonder how ADHD affects reading skills. The short answer is yes, but not because children with ADHD aren’t smart or capable. It’s because ADHD affects the way the brain processes information, focuses attention, and retains what’s being read. Understanding this connection can help parents better support their child’s learning journey.
How ADHD Affects Reading
Reading involves decoding words, sustaining attention, remembering details, and often interpreting abstract ideas. For a child with ADHD, all of these processes can feel overwhelming. That’s because ADHD impacts three major areas critical for reading success: attention, working memory, and executive function.
Attention challenges
The most obvious barrier is attention. Children with ADHD are easily distracted by sounds, thoughts, movements, or even their own internal ideas. When reading, they may skip lines, lose their place, or zone out mid-sentence. This makes it difficult to follow a story or understand what they’re reading, even if they’re capable of decoding words correctly.
Working memory struggles
Working memory is the brain’s “notepad.” It helps children remember what they just read long enough to connect it to the next sentence or paragraph. With ADHD, this system doesn’t work as efficiently. Your child might read a page, but have no idea what happened at the beginning by the time they reach the end. This disconnect is frustrating and can make reading feel like a pointless chore.
Executive function delays
Executive function is what allows kids to plan, prioritize, and persist through tasks. Reading requires all of these skills: deciding when to start, continuing even when it’s boring or difficult, and knowing when to take breaks. Kids with ADHD often struggle with these skills, which can lead to avoidance, procrastination, or even meltdowns around reading time.
How ADHD Affects Reading Compared to Dyslexia
While dyslexia affects how the brain decodes words, ADHD affects how a child attends to and engages with the reading process. Some children may even have ADHD and dyslexia, making reading especially difficult. In fact, an estimated 20% to 60% of individuals with ADHD also experience learning disorders.
Kids with ADHD often have wide vocabularies and strong verbal reasoning. That means they might appear to be “good readers” because they can read aloud fluently. But when asked to summarize what they just read, they come up blank. This discrepancy can be confusing for parents and teachers.
The Link Between ADHD and Reading Anxiety
When reading is hard, kids start to feel anxious or defeated. They may say things like, “I hate reading,” or “I’m just dumb.” These beliefs don’t reflect their actual ability — they reflect frustration. Over time, these negative experiences with reading can compound, making it even harder for children to want to try.
That’s why it’s important to acknowledge that the challenges of ADHD and reading are real, and with the right support, your child can become a confident and capable reader.
What Parents Can Do to Help
Thankfully, there are research-backed strategies you can use to support your child with ADHD.
Break reading sessions into chunks
Long chapters can overwhelm a child with ADHD. Instead of assigning 30 pages at once, break the material into smaller sections. Let your child take breaks in between, or read one chapter per day.
Use audiobooks and text-to-speech tools
Listening to a book while reading along can help your child stay focused and improve comprehension. It also removes the stress of decoding, allowing them to engage with the story or material more deeply.
Read together
Take turns reading paragraphs or pages with your child. It can make reading feel less like a solo task. It also allows you to model fluency and ask questions in the moment to support their understanding of the material.
Create a distraction-free zone
A quiet, stable reading environment helps minimize distractions. Use noise-canceling headphones, clear away clutter, and establish a consistent reading routine to support focus.
Teach note-taking or highlighting skills
Encourage your child to highlight key points or jot down notes as they read. These strategies support working memory and help them engage more actively with the material.
Make reading fun and relevant
Choose books that align with your child’s interests - graphic novels, sports stories, or nonfiction topics they’re curious about. The more invested they are in the content, the easier it will be to stay focused.
Celebrate progress, not perfection
Focus on effort and improvement rather than speed or comprehension scores. Celebrate when your child finishes a book or sticks with a reading routine. Building confidence is key.
Work with an Academic Coach
Swoon Learning’s Academic Coaches help neurodivergent students with individualized and comprehensive online academic support that fosters excellence and holistic growth. Students with ADHD can improve their reading skills by working with one.
Partner with Teachers and Academic Coaches
If your child is struggling, don’t hesitate to talk to their teacher, school counselor, or a learning coach. An academic coach or ADHD specialist can help develop tailored strategies that make reading more manageable. Many parents also find that structured programs focusing on executive function skills can improve reading and overall academic performance.
Empower your child with the right tools
The connection between ADHD and reading is complicated, but not insurmountable. With patience, creativity, and support, children with ADHD can become strong, motivated readers. It all starts with understanding what makes reading hard for them and empowering them with tools that play to their strengths.
Want to help your student with ADHD succeed this year? Book a free session with Swoon Learning today and see how Academic Coaches help neurodivergent students thrive.
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