Reading is a crucial skill for children to develop in order to succeed in life. It helps children develop critical thinking skills and expands their vocabulary, memory, and concentration. However, not all children find reading easy, and it can be a frustrating experience for both the child and the parent. In my personal experience, approaching educating as a parent is not always a one size fits all issue. But, with trial and error, I have found a few methods that have helped my 4 and 7-year-olds learn to love reading and excel in school.
In this post, we will explore five ways to improve your child’s reading skills.
Introduce Reading at an Early Age
Research has shown that children who are read to from an early age are more likely to become confident readers. Reading aloud to a child helps them develop language and literacy skills, such as phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension. Putting this into practice is sometimes hard for busy parents with changing schedules. My husband and I made it a goal to read to our children every day. The easiest way for us to consistently accomplish this was to take turns reading a story before bed each night. I suggest keeping the stories short and animated while they are young to hold their attention. Using apps like Novel Effect makes the reading experience more subversive and engaging for kids of all ages by adding fun sound effects while you read.
Expand Your Child’s Vocabulary
Vocabulary is a crucial component of reading comprehension. Without a strong vocabulary, children may struggle to understand the meaning of the words they are reading. To build vocabulary, it’s important to expose your child to a wide range of words and encourage them to use these words in their everyday life. The key to this is patience. Speak to your children the same way you’d speak to other adults (within reason of course) and stop to explain any words or concepts they aren’t familiar with, no matter how exhausting this can sometimes be with inquisitive toddlers!
Encourage your Child to Read Independently
Independent reading is an essential skill that children need to develop in order to become confident readers. By reading independently, children can practice their reading skills, build fluency, and improve comprehension. One way we facilitate this as parents is during car rides Our commute to school is about 20-30 minutes long, depending on traffic. Instead of letting them mindlessly chatter or fight the entire time, they read. I put a small box full of level 1 books in between their car seats and rotate it every few weeks. For this to be successful, you’ll have to turn down/off the radio and help them sound out words they don’t know. My girls spell out the words they are stuck on and I help them while keeping my eyes on the road. Even my 4-year-old enjoys practicing her letter sounds and picking out sight words on the pages.
Use Technology to Improve Reading and Enhance Learning
There are a variety of educational apps, games, and websites that are designed to help improve your child’s reading skills. We love Splash Learn, Phonograms by SEI, and ABC Mouse. These tools can be especially helpful for children who struggle with traditional reading methods, or who have learning disabilities such as dyslexia. I know some parents are wary of screen time but key to anything is balance. Youtube channels like Monica Sutton and Mr. Rachel are also great tools to use at home.
In addition to using educational apps to encourage and enhance reading skills, we also put subtitles on all of the TV’s and iPads in our home. This allows our kids to see the words as people are saying them. They often recognize sight words, learn how to spell new words, and most importantly, it tricks them into reading while they watch TV.
Lead by Example
Our kids watch and copy almost everything we do, whether we realize it or not. That is why this step is very important. Children learn by example, and one of the best ways to improve your child’s reading skills is to model good reading habits yourself. On more than one occasion, my 4-year-old has found me reading a book, then returned with a book of her own. Set aside time each day to read, and show your child that reading is an enjoyable and rewarding activity.
Improving your child’s reading skills is a process that takes time and effort. By starting early, building vocabulary, encouraging independent reading, using technology, and modeling good reading habits, you can help your child become a confident, lifelong reader.
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