How can PHP beginners effectively troubleshoot issues with reading XML files and accessing specific values in child elements?

To effectively troubleshoot issues with reading XML files and accessing specific values in child elements in PHP, beginners can use the SimpleXMLElement class to parse the XML file and navigate through its structure to access the desired values. By using methods like ->children() and ->attributes(), beginners can easily access specific child elements and their attributes.

$xml = simplexml_load_file('example.xml');

// Accessing specific child element values
$childElementValue = $xml->parentElement->childElement;

// Accessing attributes of a child element
$attributeValue = $xml->parentElement->childElement->attributes()['attributeName'];