Steps in Teaching a Child to Read
With the abundance of information out there, it can seem like there is no clear answer about how to teach a child to read. As a busy parent, you may not accept time to wade through all of the conflicting opinions.
That'due south why we're hither to aid! At that place are some central elements when it comes to teaching kids to read, then we've rounded upwards 9 constructive tips to help you lot boost your child's reading skills and confidence.
These tips are simple, fit into your lifestyle, and assist build foundational reading skills while having fun!
Tips For How To Teach A Child To Read
1) Focus On Letter Sounds Over Letter Names
We used to learn that "b" stands for "ball." Just when you say the word brawl, it sounds different than saying the letter B on its ain. That tin be a foreign concept for a young child to wrap their head around!
Instead of focusing on letter of the alphabet names, nosotros recommend instruction them the sounds associated with each alphabetic character of the alphabet. For example, you could explain that B makes the /b/ sound (pronounced just like it sounds when you say the word brawl aloud).
In one case they firmly found a link betwixt a handful of messages and their sounds, children tin can begin to sound out short words. Knowing the sounds for B, T, and A allows a child to sound out both bat and tab.
Equally the number of links between messages and sounds grows, so volition the number of words your kid tin can audio out!
Now, does this hateful that if your child already began learning by matching formal alphabet letter names with words, they won't learn to lucifer sounds and messages or learn how to read? Of class not!
We simply recommend this process as a learning method that can help some kids with the jump from letter sounds to words.
ii) Begin With Uppercase Letters
Practicing how to brand letters is way easier when they all look unique! This is why we teach uppercase messages to children who aren't in formal schooling all the same.
Even though lowercase letters are the most common format for messages (if yous open a book at any page, the majority of the letters will be lowercase), uppercase letters are easier to distinguish from one another and, therefore, easier to identify.
Think nigh it –– "b" and "d" look an atrocious lot alike! But "B" and "D" are much easier to distinguish. Starting with uppercase letters, so, will help your child to grasp the basics of letter identification and, later, reading.
To help your kid learn capital letters, we find that engaging their sense of physical touch tin be peculiarly useful. If you desire to try this, you might consider ownership textured paper, like sandpaper, and cutting out the shapes of uppercase letters.
Inquire your child to put their hands behind their dorsum, and then place the letter in their hands. They can use their sense of impact to guess what letter they're holding! Y'all can play the same game with magnetic letters.
3) Contain Phonics
Enquiry has demonstrated that kids with a stiff background in phonics (the relationship betwixt sounds and symbols) tend to become stronger readers in the long-run.
A phonetic arroyo to reading shows a child how to go letter by letter — audio by sound — blending the sounds every bit yous get in order to read words that the kid (or adult) has non yet memorized.
Once kids develop a level of automatization, they can sound out words nearly instantly and but demand to utilize decoding with longer words. Phonics is best taught explicitly, sequentially, and systematically — which is the method HOMER uses.
If you're looking for support helping your kid learn phonics, our HOMER Acquire & Grow app might be exactly what you need! With a proven reading pathway for your child, HOMER makes learning fun!
4) Remainder Phonics And Sight Words
Sight words are as well an important function of pedagogy your child how to read. These are common words that are ordinarily not spelled the way they sound and can't be decoded (sounded out).
Because we don't want to disengage the work your child has done to learn phonics, sight words should be memorized. Merely keep in mind that learning sight words can be challenging for many young children.
And so, if y'all want to give your child a good starting time on their reading journeying, information technology's best to spend the majority of your time developing and reinforcing the information and skills needed to sound out words.
5) Talk A Lot
Even though talking is normally thought of as a speech-but skill, that's not true. Your child is like a sponge. They're arresting everything, all the fourth dimension, including the words yous say (and the ones you lot wish they hadn't heard)!
Talking with your kid frequently and engaging their listening and storytelling skills can increase their vocabulary.
Information technology can also help them form sentences, go familiar with new words and how they are used, every bit well as acquire how to use context clues when someone is speaking near something they may non know a lot about.
All of these skills are extremely helpful for your child on their reading journey, and talking gives you both an opportunity to share and create moments y'all'll treasure forever!
6) Keep It Light
We're most halfway through the list and desire to requite a gentle reminder that your child shouldn't feel any pressure level when it comes to reading — and neither should you!
Reading is about having fun and exploring the world (existent and imaginary) through text, pictures, and illustrations. When it comes to reading, information technology's better for your child to be relaxed and focused on what they're learning than squeezing in a stressful session afterwards a long day.
Although consistency is always helpful, nosotros recommend focusing on quality over quantity. Fifteen minutes might sound like a short amount of fourth dimension, but studies take shown that xv minutes a day of HOMER'southward reading pathway can increase early reading scores by 74%!
It may also take some time to find out exactly what volition keep your child interested and engaged in learning. That'due south OK! If it'due south not fun, lighthearted, and enjoyable for you and your child, then shake it off and try something new.
7) Practice Shared Reading
While you read with your child, consider asking them to echo words or sentences back to you every now so while you follow along with your finger.
There's no need to finish your reading time completely if your child struggles with a detail word. An encouraging reminder of what the word means or how information technology's pronounced is plenty!
Another pick is to split reading aloud time with your kid. For emerging readers, yous can read 1 line and and so ask them to read the next. For older children, reading one page and letting them read the next page is beneficial.
Doing this helps your kid feel capable and confident, which is important for encouraging them to read well and consistently!
This technique also gets your child more acquainted with the natural menses of reading. While they expect at the pictures and mind happily to the story, they'll begin to focus on the words they are reading and engage more with the book in forepart of them.
Rereading books tin can too be helpful. Information technology allows children to develop a deeper understanding of the words in a text, make familiar words into "known" words that are so incorporated into their vocabulary, and course a connection with the story.
We wholeheartedly recommend rereading!
eight) Play Discussion Games
Getting your child involved in reading doesn't have to be almost just books. Discussion games can be a corking manner to engage your kid's skills without reading a whole story at once.
Ane of our favorite reading games simply requires a stack of Post-It notes and a bunched-upwards sock. For this activity, write sight words or words your kid can audio out onto separate Post-It notes. And then stick the notes to the wall.
Your child tin can then stand in front end of the Mail service-Its with the bunched-upwards sock in their hands. Y'all say one of the words and your child throws the sock-ball at the Mail-Information technology note that matches!
ix) Read With Anarchistic Materials
In the aforementioned way that word games tin can help your child acquire how to read, and then tin encouraging your child to read without actually using books!
If yous're interested in doing this, consider using PlayDoh, clay, pigment, or indoor-prophylactic sand to form and shape letters or words.
Some other option is to fill a large pot with magnetic letters. For emerging learners, advise that they pull a letter from the pot and try to name the sound it makes. For slightly older learners, see if they can name a give-and-take that begins with the same sound, or take hold of a drove of letters that come together to course a discussion.
As your child becomes more proficient, you tin can scale these activities to make them a trivial more advanced. And recollect to accept fun with information technology!
Reading Comes With Fourth dimension And Exercise
Overall, we want to exit you with this: there is no unmarried answer to how to teach a child to read. What works for your neighbour'southward child may not work for yours –– and that's perfectly OK!
Patience, practicing a footling every solar day, and emphasizing activities that let your child enjoy reading are the things we encourage nigh. Reading is about fun, exploration, and learning!
And if you ever need a chip of support, we're here for you! At HOMER, we're your learning partner. Starting time your kid'south reading journeying with confidence with our personalized program plus expert tips and learning resources.
Source: https://www.learnwithhomer.com/homer-blog/3774/how-to-teach-a-child-to-read/
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