As a parent, you can have a significant influence on how quickly your child can learn to read. It's not always easy figuring out how best to improve your child's reading ability, but the good news is that there are many different approaches.
Let's check out our five tips for improving your child's reading ability.
1. Be Enthusiastic
If reading is difficult for your child, the last thing they need to think that it is a chore that they don't look forward to. While you may feel a little bit frustrated about the process, how you react to their need for help is going to make a huge difference in how they feel about doing it at all.
The more enthusiastic and positive you are about reading, the more your child will feel encouraged to keep trying. You want to make it a fun learning environment where they look forward to trying to improve their reading ability.
2. Use Help
There are many different types of reading aides out there these days that can make the entire process a little less stressful. From reading improvement apps to books-on-tape and even textbooks, there are a number of different reading sources out there that can make it easier for your child.
Try experimenting with a few initially, so you can figure out which one is best suited to your child's needs.
3. Be Knowledgeable About Each Step
It's tempting to want to get your child from zero to 100 straight away - as parents when our children have issues, all we want to do is to be able to solve them.
However, breaking down the problem into smaller steps and learning how significant each step can make a big difference in your child's attitude and progress. While they may not get there overnight, you will certainly start to see small changes that you can get excited about. Tracking their progress can also encourage them to keep going, too.
4. Integrate Reading Everywhere
Reading doesn't just have to involve a bedtime story. There are opportunities for your child to read everywhere - from a road stop sign to the weather report on TV.
Try to find ways to encourage your child to read in everyday life, so that they can keep practicing even when they're not in front of a book. This is a great way to keep your child progressing without having to be intentional about it all the time.
5. Set Aside a Family Reading Time
As well as integrating reading into your child's everyday routine, it's also important to set aside some time as a family as often as you can to improve your child's reading ability.
This can be as little as 15 to 30 minutes a day, where everyone comes together and reads something. You don't have to read out loud - just being in each other's company while you read will encourage your child to consider reading a pleasurable thing.
For some children, reading is a challenge that they need help with. It's not easy learning how to read, but luckily there is a vast array of resources that can help make the process a lot more manageable.
