Children reported the strategies they used when identifying unfamiliar words while reading. Study 1 compared 39 poor readers (M age = 10 years, 7 months) with 2 groups of average readers, one of the same reading age (N = 39; M age = 8 years, 5 months) and the other (N = 31) matched on chronological age. Study 2 included 241 children aged 7 to 11 years divided into 2 age groups. Most children reported using an explicit phonological strategy when having difficulty reading, but many poorer readers do not have alternative strategies readily available apart from seeking help. (Contains 6 tables.)