Learning to read is a complicated process that doesn’t happen automatically. Children learn new skills and progress with their reading at varying paces, sometimes seemingly slow and uneventful, and other times with rapid acuity. Parents and caregivers should practice patience when teaching children to read and apply a few basic steps that include both technical and supportive measures.
Vocabulary
Before children can move into understanding the relationship between speaking and reading, they should develop a diverse vocabulary. Include children in conversations where they can learn new words and their meanings. Allow children to speak and take part in discussions so they can add to their vocabulary. According to the International Academy of Education, the level of a child’s oral skills is closely related to his early reading abilities. Encourage children to use language to express themselves and ask for things. Cultivate an environment that includes storytelling and communication. Allow children to interact with adults and other kids to promote advanced speech.
Basics
While reading to children is an integral part of the teaching process, in itself reading storybooks will not further your child’s abilities to any great extent. Children need to have a grasp on the concept of words and how combined letters create words with meaning. They should be able to recite the alphabet and understand that when put together, the sounds of letters create those words. By teaching children phonetics, they can practice making the sounds of the letters and words and build on the concepts as they relate to the printed word. Nursery rhymes and word games are helpful tools you can implement long before the actual learning of reading takes place.
Structured Reading
While the pictures in storybooks catch the attention of younger kids, as you begin to teach reading skills, you can choose simple books to use for structured reading when you point to the words as you say them. Have the child repeat each word as you say it so that she can see the letters put together and grasp the meanings of vowel and consonants and their sounds. Begin to introduce phonetics at this point.
Games
Utilize games and fun activities to teach phonetics and word concepts. Educational games and television programs such as "Sesame Street" incorporate reading instruction while entertaining children. Writing their names is one of the first spelling games that children appreciate. Take advantage of magnets and other toys that include letters and take time to play, making words as a shared activity with your child.
