5 Tips for Teaching Kids to Read

Educators agree that when teaching kids to read there are five core literacy skills that need to be taught: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Here follows five ways that you can develop these skills in your child and put them on track to becoming a successful reader.

1. Read rhymes

Reading books that feature rhyme is one of the most effective ways of developing phonemic awareness in a child. Repetition is key to committing a letter, combination of letters or word into long term memory, and rhymes, by their very nature, have this effect.

2. Create your own Dictionary

Have your child write down any new word they don’t know in an exercise book with their meaning. By doing this they can start to commit to memory word meanings and expand their vocabulary. They can then use this book as a future reference – to refresh their memory of word meanings or add in new ones.

3. Read regularly with your child

Reading books out loud with your child provides them with a vocal model of fluent reading from which they can derive correct pronunciation, tonality, and when to pause and account for punctuation. This is essential for beginner readers to become fluent readers.

4. Asking and Answering Questions

After your child has finished reading a book, ask them questions to help them reflect on the story, form opinions and derive deeper meaning. Asking them to write the questions down can also help them develop their writing skills at the same time.

5. Make Reading Fun

You don’t have to limit your child’s reading to just books – try planning an activity around reading, like cooking. You can write a shopping list with your child, buy the ingredients, read the cooking instructions together and have fun in the process. Activities like this can also help your child understand that reading has many practical, everyday uses.

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