6 Tips for Teaching Your Child to Read

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As you jump into the fun, yet scary, world of teaching your child to read I put together some helpful tips for you so that both you and your child can enjoy the experience:

1. Forget how you were taught to read - I’m sure many of you were taught to read using sight words. . .just like me. This is still a common method of instruction in the classroom today. However, it’s not very effective. It might work well for children until second or third grade, but what happens when they get to a word they haven’t memorized or read before? They don’t know how to decode it because they weren’t taught to read using phonics (sounding out and blending sounds to read words). Phonics is the best approach for teaching your child to read because you are teaching them the skills to know how to decode unfamiliar words so that they can be able to read any word.

2. Be confident in yourself - Teaching your child to read is a big responsibility, so it’s very likely you are anxious about jumping in. . .I get it! But I promise you can do it even if you have zero experience teaching! I want you to feel confident in your abilities to teach your child so in my Teach Your Child to Read Series I teach you how to teach your child. I teach you the reasons why phonics is the best approach to teaching your child to read. I help you learn the correct pronunciations for the different letters and letter groups. I walk you through each lesson step by step. It’s almost like I’m there with you!

3. Praise Hard Work – Praising your child’s efforts and work ethic helps motivate him to continue working hard. If your child is receiving positive feedback about trying hard, even if he made a mistake, he will be willing to try hard again. Whereas, praising your child’s “smarts” might prevent him from accepting new challenges due to fear of failing and losing the title of “smart.”

4. Make it fun! – No child wants to do worksheets all the time. There are fun, interactive and playful activities to teach your child to read. See below for my activity books. The concept will stick with your child better the more fun and memorable you can make it.

5. Create a Routine – Things tend to flow better when routines are in place. Establishing a learning routine, helps a child have a learning mindset. He knows what is expected of him during the learning time. The routine does not have to be a strict time schedule; it can be simply based on the structure of the day. For example, after breakfast is learning to read time, but breakfast could be at 8:30am one morning and 9am the next day. Your child would still understand that after breakfast it is time to prepare for reading.

6. Take Breaks – Learning to read is a journey. For some children it is a long, hard journey (although, my hope is that these activities make it easier), for other children the journey is quick. Truly, even the best child can have a rough day. A speedy learner can struggle. The sweetest child can become frustrated. This journey will require a lot of patience—patience from you and patience from your child. There will be frustrations for you and/or your child during the learning process. When it happens, stop the activity, take a break, and come back when you are both ready. Do your best to keep reading a positive experience so that your child continues to enjoy reading!

Teaching your child to read can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be! Instead make it enjoyable and memorable! Share a special bonding time with your child.