5 Ways to Teach Children How to Read

Teaching children to read at home can help set them up for literacy success once they start school. Some of the best ways you can teach your child the basics of learning to read at home include:

Developing skills with the Alphabet and Phonics

Understanding the alphabetic principle, that is, that letters and combinations of letters represent particular sounds, is crucial for children to make any inroads towards reading success. Being able to identify and manipulate the individual sounds that make up words, known as phonemes, not only gives kids a firmer understanding of the alphabetic principle, but makes it easier for them to take on challenging words – allowing them to break down these words to their individual sounds.

Building Conversation skills

Parents who talk to their kids a lot and engage them in conversations often and regularly are doing far more than just having a simple conversation. All these conversations help children pick up new words to broaden their vocabulary. The more words your child knows and understands, the easier it will be for them to read.

Familiarity with Books

The more kids are familiar with the parts of a book, and the better their book-handling skills are, the easier a time they’ll have of it when their hands pick up books at school. Familiarity with the nature of books – knowing the spine, the cover, the pages – as well as a basic understanding of the structure of stories can help make reading less daunting once at school.

Singing Nursery Rhymes

Singing nursery rhymes has always been a popular learning activity for young children, and for very good reasons. When singing, young children not only learn new words, but also learn to sing these words to a particular rhythm and melody. Singing catchy songs can also help children commit to memory any new words or phrases they may learn.

Regular Reading

Make sure you designate a regular reading time when you and your child can read together. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and where your child feels comfortable and can focus on reading. Try taking them outdoors to the park, into the cubby house, or even to the beach, to make reading time all the more fun.