How to Teach Your Child to Read: The 7 Best Ways to Teach Your Child to Reading

Children are born differently with varying traits and no two babies are alike, even twins. Siblings of the same parents display different behaviors as a result of inherent genetic composition. One child could be a faster learner than his sibling and that extends beyond just a single-family. 

Peers in the same classroom also exhibit distinct learning abilities because of the uniqueness of every child. As they grow, their character and abilities become apparent with every developmental milestone. Therefore, when faced with the issue of how to teach your child to read, make sure you approach it with wisdom. 

When he clocks at least 5 years, you should expect him to start reading stories with simple vocabulary. By the age of 7, he would have perfected his reading skills.

That is expected of a normal child with a healthy mind and cognitive development. However, kids experiencing mental health disorders will require extra help to reach that milestone.

The most important thing is not to overwhelm your kid with the task of reading when he is barely able to speak. Take it one step at a time. Engage him in alphabet identification and sound production before introducing words or phrases.

He will learn to read sentences and stories properly after becoming conversant with those basics. Below are 7 ways to achieve that ultimate goal: getting him to read perfectly. 

• Read Aloud and Make it Fun

Baby education begins from the cradle and there is no limit to the extent you can go in giving your child the best. Start as early as possible to speed up the process of learning to read.

Use books with plenty of illustrations and pictures to attract your child’s interest. While reading, make sure you pronounce every word slowly and loudly with a fun demonstration to depict its meaning.

Children start by hearing and visualizing before they can learn to read and write. Let him repeat after you if he has started talking and point at the word as he does so. 

• Incorporate Sounding of Letters

The Montessori method of sounding letters of the alphabet is a perfect way to enhance your child’s reading pace. However, it doesn’t mean that children who do not have a Montessori background will not learn how to read.

The old method of reciting alphabets slows down the learning process because of the absence of proper pronunciation. Sounding the letters accordingly will assist your child in learning to read faster.

For example, the sound the letter “e” makes differs from how it is recited as an alphabet. The word “egg” will be easily read by a child who knows the sound of each letter.

• Encourage Word Games

Establish an avenue of recreation to make things simple and worthwhile. Children love to play games so create an interesting one for them. Gather bricks of letters and let your child form words by cutting them out on colorful playdough or real cookie dough before baking.

You can also write out a familiar story on a magnetic board and let your child fill in some blank spaces with simple words formed with magnetic letters.

• Repeat Stories You Have Read Before

Reading a bedtime story to your child before tucking him in for the night does not only make him learn to read. It improves his speech and intensifies the bond between both of you.

Derive joy in reading at least one story every day and don’t be discouraged about repeating old stories.

Re-reading stories over again helps in the mastery of certain words that appear more than once. Give him a chance to also read short ones on alternate days to make it more fun.

• Engage Your Child in Intelligent Discussions

Children who are exposed to partaking in intelligent chats with adults tend to develop faster intellectually.

Encourage your child when he asks you questions by giving him clear answers with detailed explanations. Don’t shoo him away or snap at him no matter how silly the question may sound to you.

Gist often with him and let him know you are always available to respond to his inquisitive nature. Ask him to spell names of objects around the house and give him a treat afterward.

• Sing-Along

Every kid has the tendency to pay rapt attention to sounds of music than ordinary speech. Childhood rhymes and lullabies remain in our memories almost forever even as parents.

The age-long tradition of singing to kids is a sure way to get them to recite particular words repeatedly. Those words are engraved in their minds and they easily read them wherever they stumble on them. 

• Introduce Phonics and Words with Similar Patterns

Blending phonetic sounds like diphthongs and digraphs can be very helpful reading tips for children. Words that end with “-ing” or contain “-oo” for example should be simple enough for your toddler to comprehend.

Teach him to memorize sight words such as “the” or “and” that he is likely to come across often. Also, there are words that can simplify his reading ability if he is able to decipher the similarity in their spellings.

For instance, knowing how to sound a word like “bag” can help a child to read similar words like “lag” or “tag” without a fuss.

Start Now

There is no standard rule as to when you should start teaching your child how to read. Rome wasn’t built in a day, therefore starting early would be quite helpful in building a stronger foundation in your child.

Begin at a slow pace by following the tips above as a guide in knowing how to achieve your goal. 

Pre-schoolers are capable of reading perfectly if properly tutored before they are enrolled in a conventional school.

Put in extra effort for outstanding performance within a short period. Mentally challenged kids can also benefit from these tips if followed carefully with adequate attention.