The ability to read is essential to success. It helps your child succeed in school, builds self-confidence and is motivated. Through the ability to read, your child will learn more about the world, understand instructions on signs and posters, enjoy reading and gather information.
Learning to read is quite different from learning to speak and does not happen all at once. Reading ability develops steadily over time. The best time for children to start learning to read and write is at a very young age, such as before they start kindergarten.
As soon as your child can talk, they can begin to develop basic reading skills. Young children have a natural curiosity to learn about everything and are naturally fascinated by the printed letters they see and want to learn more about the sounds those letters make.
You’ll probably notice that your little one loves looking at books and also really enjoys having books read to them. They may even pretend to be a reader by holding a book and pretending to read. As a parent, you are taking the most important step in your child’s journey into the wonderful world of reading.
It is your responsibility to create an environment where your child can enjoy reading, for example by reading to them often during the day and before bedtime, and by having age-appropriate books at home so that your child has access to many books. Reading to your child often will encourage them to become interested in books and stories, and eventually they will want to read stories themselves.
With your help, your child can learn to read. Make reading a fun family activity and spend time playing with words and reading story books. This will not only help your child learn to read, but it will also build a rich vocabulary, teach them language patterns, and help them develop a love for books and reading.
Below are some helpful tips to help you teach your child to read:
Talk to your child. Before your child can learn to read, he or she must first learn to talk. Talk to your child about anything and everything that interests them. Tell stories, ask lots of questions, play rhyming games, sing songs together. Read to your child regularly each day.
We are all creatures of habit and prefer a structured daily routine. Set aside time each day to read to your child. Read to your child every night. Use this time as a “cool down” time before bed. This will not only encourage your child to become interested in books and reading,
but it will also strengthen the bond between parent and child and encourage the development of a healthy relationship. To develop their children’s reading comprehension, parents usually spend time reading to their children.
However, many parents do not attach much importance or worry about whether their children can understand what is read to them. Instead, try to ask your child about what you read from time to time. For example, read to your child:
“Jack and Jill went up the hill…”
Stop for a moment and ask your child:
“Where did Jack and Jill go?” or “Who went up the hill?”
Young children may not understand right away and may need a little practice, but they will eventually understand and gain a deeper understanding of what is being read. This is a very important step in developing your child’s reading comprehension. Of course, you should not do this every time you read to them, otherwise your child will quickly get bored and lose interest. Try it whenever you can, but don’t overdo it.
Help your child read and make reading fun with a wide variety of books. There is no shortage of children’s books, so you should always have a wide variety of children’s books, stories, and nursery rhymes available. Reading is very enjoyable for both parents and children. Read dramatic and suspenseful books to your child and use different voices.
Give your child the opportunity to choose the books he wants to read to you, rather than you choosing the books you want to read to him. When you read to your child, read slowly and point to the words as you read so that he can associate the word you are saying with the word you are reading. Always remember that reading should be a fun and interesting activity for children and should never feel like a “choice”.