Raising Scholars Episode 34: Your Child Can Read Perfectly and Still Not Understand a Word

Aired on Sep 22, 2026


Your child can read every word on the page correctly and still not understand what they just read. Research puts that at 10 to 15 percent of students. That is the gap hiding behind a child who looks like they are doing just fine.

In this episode, Jacquie sits down with Pearl Flanders, a Reading Specialist at her learning center, to unpack the difference between decoding words and actually understanding them. Pearl shares the exact test she uses to spot a real comprehension gap, three questions parents can ask tonight, and why a weekly habit from her own childhood still shapes how she builds readers today.

Timestamps

00:31 Introduction

00:35 Meet our Guest

01:08 Building a Love of Reading

02:45 Supporting Struggling Readers

05:00 Signs of a Comprehension Gap

09:57 Questions Parents can Ask

12:48 How Reading Connects to Writing

16:12 When to Seek Extra Support

18:29 Summary

If this helped you see your own child a little more clearly, send it to another parent who is wondering the same thing.

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