Children's reading skills are a fundamental component of their ultimate success in life. Reading skills also broaden children's perceptions of the world and offer them chances to express their individuality. Knowing how these important skills build upon each other over time can help parents supplement what their children learn within the classroom.
Five Key Reading Skills
Five early reading skills are essential, according to the University of Michigan Health System. One skill is phonemic awareness, or the ability to identify, hear and play with individual sounds. Another is phonics, or the ability to associate written letters with sounds from spoken language. Children must also be able to comprehend what they read, read text quickly and correctly and develop a broad vocabulary.
Pre-Reading Skills
Scholastic says that children are generally more successful in school if they have picked up a set series of skills in advance. First, they should have a familiarity with print in daily life, such as through cereal boxes or store signs, as well as books. They should also understand how print can be used for various purposes, such as for stories and lists. Other important skills are knowing how to hold books and turn pages, following a series of story events, recognizing letter shapes and sounds of letters, recognizing letters as parts of speech, clapping out syllables in words, naming words with the same sound and recognizing rhymes and non-rhymes.
Early Reading Skills
Children quickly develop their reading skills in their first few years of school. According to PBS Parents, kindergartners start to recognize short, common words repeated in text. They may also memorize and "read" simple books that others have already read to them. Since first graders develop a stronger knowledge of basic words and relationships between letters and words, they are able to decode more words in books. By second and third grade, children develop a greater vocabulary, are able to read increasingly challenging words with more accuracy and begin to use more expression as they read.
Encouraging Reading
Helping children learn to read isn't enough; children should develop an appreciation for it in order to be as successful as possible. The University of Michigan Health System recommends encouraging reading by spreading reading materials such as magazines and books throughout the house and allowing your child to see you read them. It also recommends reading together as a family, making regular trips to the library and reducing the family's television watching time.
Learning Disabilities
If you have noticed that your child is having trouble reading or a teacher says that your child is struggling in class, you may want to have him evaluated for a learning disability. The most common learning disability is dyslexia, which involves not being able to break down, write and think about word sounds, according to the University of Michigan Health System. The earlier a child with a learning disability is evaluated and diagnosed, the sooner he will get the help he needs to thrive in school.
