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Guest post by: Sherri Carrier

On their path to greatness, learning to teach your child to read quickly goes right after our children’s phenomenally early talking and slightly before extraordinary athletic talents. At least it’s what we as parents may sometimes think (or dream about) in our mission to raise successful kids.

Although we might want to adjust our ambitions to reality, there is no doubt that reading is indeed an extremely valuable skill predetermining a lot of kids’ future achievements. Efficient readers learn better, have higher chances of being admitted to good colleges, and even show more reasonable life choices. 

Before hurrying to grab your child and a book, check these ideas on how to teach a child to read.

Read to children No rocket science here – for children to learn reading on their own, they should see and hear how it’s done first. Moreover, they must find reading enjoyable and fun to have intrinsic motivation and a reason to learn without help. Check our earlier article on the effects of bedtime stories on literacy skills.

You can read to your children starting from their birth – they’ll love it regardless of the educational goals you have in mind. They will love books as well, looking at pictures, turning pages, and creating their own stories before reading the real ones.

1. Prime for reading

Although science has proven that reading does not naturally contradict speaking, mimicking and priming effects are justly at your aid. So, consider turning your home into a reading-friendly space for kids and your life into a bookaholic’s dream.

First, exhibit your books visibly for a child, along with having magazines on a coffee table, so she gets used to printing materials around her. Then, create a cozy reading nook in your child’s space – a reachable bookshelf, baby-size armchair, and good lamp would do the job (find out more about dedicated reading space here). 

The final and most important step is to read a lot yourself, so your child can regularly observe you with a book. It would not help him learn the alphabet but surely provide an image of normal activity and easy copy by simply grabbing a carton book.

Kids growing up with no exposure to books at home were proven to miss educational and career opportunities later in life. British research showed that many struggling readers get just enough to help to finish school. Thinking who would write my essay UK youth from illiterate families skip higher education and continue the cycle of poverty. 

2. Focus on vocabulary and comprehension

The richer your child’s vocabulary, the easier it’ll be for her to learn to read new letters and words. Knowing the meaning behind the symbolic depiction of an object or concept helps kids stay interested and motivated.

Another valuable skill to develop is understanding narratives and simple cause-and-effect connections. You can teach it to your kid during joined reading by asking questions about the characters’ actions or what events may follow. 

3. Decide on the methodology. 

You don’t need to join the pedagogical debates on what methodology of teaching to read is better, but it’s helpful to understand how to instruct your child consistently. There are two primary schools of thought and numerous smaller variations of the – science of reading and balanced literacy. Research shows that the former is more effective and confirms more lasting results, whereas the latter is loved and promoted by many teachers. 

The science of reading focuses on systematic phonics studying, which teaches kids to decode written language by understanding connections between letters and sounds. This approach is especially beneficial for children with dyslexia or other learning difficulties. You might be surprised, but the best essay writing service UK reviews show that many college students struggle to keep up with assignments due to unattended reading disorders.

Balanced literacy pays more attention to the context and cues to help children read and allows guessing and pictures as methods to deduce the word and its meaning.

4. Pay attention to phonics.

Whatever methodology you choose, don’t cut short on teaching phonics. With the English language having so many irregular phonemes and words, it’s crucial for a kid to learn phonics properly. This would create a solid foundation for further educational steps and should ease the reading journey for kids with a longer learning curve. 

You might either think that you know the subject well enough or that you’d need to go through a Literacy Teaching Program to be of help to your child. Nothing extreme is required, but it would be useful to get some support from expert instructions. Or you can order targeted research at A-writer.com for a reasonable price to save you time.

5. Make the world your learning material.

Take your kids for a walk outside or a bus ride, show them street signs, advertisement banners, and shop names. Use your imagination and find a tree that looks like a letter or a funny dog making specific sounds. 

Maybe your wanderings will bring you to a bookshop or a local library with programs for children. It would be great for your kids to see older peers feel comfortable choosing books or listening to somebody else reading.

6. Make it fun.

Children learn fast but in very short increments due to their fleeting attention. Games, songs, and plays fit the tiny humans’ rhythm of life best. As a free perk, such an approach leaves your kid and the whole family with a pleasant aftertaste and memories without a taint of pressure, measuring progress and comparisons with other children. 

Teach your children to enjoy reading and learning to give them a head start in life. But don’t forget, all kids learn differently and at their own pace. Create a safe, enriching environment and be a good guide in their reading journey.

4Kids.com offers a wide variety of opportunities for kids to enjoy and have fun all-year-round! Check out our list of kids resources. Are you looking for more things to do with kids in your area? Browse through our places to go and camps section. If you’re even more curious and seek to learn more about kids’ topics, tips, and guides, check out our education blog posts.

Read More

How Bedtime Stories Can Reinforce Literacy Skills in Children
7 Tips to help your child develop Reading and Writing Skills
Why am I learning this?
The Four Stages of Successful Learning