Reading is necessary to function effectively in the world. To know how to read is an imperative skill that is mandatory to get a job. Reading comes in a chronological process; new skills become building blocks that tower to mastery.
Every parent must assist in their child's reading development; starting from the simplest foundation that becomes the stepping stones to their targeted reading proficiencies. Below are some of the basic steps to teach your child to read.
1. Start Them Young.
Expose your children to books as early as they can see; there are soft cloth books for infants or board books for ages 1 to 2. I Can Teach My Child writes, "If children don't learn from an early age to enjoy reading, it will most likely hinder their ability sometime down the road."
2. Set A Good Example.
Show your child your love for reading; read the newspaper or a book wherein the child can observe you. Read stories to your child on a regular basis; do not limit reading books only for bedtime.
3. Master The Alphabet.
An essential building block for reading readiness is the mastery of the alphabet. Start teaching the lowercase letters first; capital letters only cover a small percentage of most written literature. The introduction of the alphabet does not have to start with the first letter A; you can begin with the most relevant letters for the child like those letters found in his or her name.
4. Pair The Letters With Its Letter Sounds.
If your child has already mastered the names of the 26 letters, it is an indication that the child is ready for the next step: the letter sounds. Pair the letter print with its letter sounds like letter A (ey) for the short sound Aah. Start with vowel sounds, gradually moving to the rest of the alphabet sounds.
5. Enhance Phonemic Awareness And Use Phonics.
After your child masters the letter sounds, move to the next level. Let your child start combining the letter sounds to make short words. Start from the simplest pattern of CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like cat, bed or dog. Reading Rockets explains, "Phonemic awareness is the understanding that the sounds of spoken language work together to make words," and the website adds, "Phonics is the understanding that there is a relationship between letters and sounds through written language."
6. Reinforce With Sight Words.
According to SightWords.com, "Sight words are the glue that holds sentences together." Given that the child has met the basics of reading pre-requisites, parents can already introduce sight words. These are words that keep on reappearing on almost any written document. Children do not have to decode these words one letter at a time, yet they read the words by sight and with familiarization.
7. Practice Makes Perfect.
Increase the time and level of difficulty for reading. Progressively steer away from guided reading, if at first you take turns reading sentences then move on to encouraging your child to take turns with pages. Sooner or later you do not have to cue your child in reading; you will solely be a listener of an enthusiastic story teller. Then you can congratulate yourself for successfully getting your child ready for every other learning milestone he or she would need to read.
