Literacy is an important predictor of a child's scholastic success. Approximately 35 percent of American children start school with the necessary skills needed to learn reading, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children who fall behind in reading are at risk for struggling with other subjects. One method of teaching reading is sight reading. Parents can use cue cards, also called flash cards, to teach reading.
Step 1
Make a list of words for your child to learn. Dolch Words is a list that includes 220 of the most common words and 95 of the most commonly used nouns. Write down several of the words on flash cards to use with your child.
Step 2
Practice at least once a day for 10 minutes. Your child will learn to memorize the shape of the word over time. Once your child has mastered the first few words, pick several new words to learn.
Step 3
Make flash cards fun. A young child can get burnt out on practicing flash cards. Keep the experience positive by playing games with the words. For example, you can hide the flash cards in the room for the child to find. When she brings you the card ask her to read it. Or, you can play memory using flash cards. Make two copies of each word and turn the cards upside down. Take turns with your child to match two of the same words.
Step 4
Read to your child. Choose books that include the words you are learning. Read the book to your child and stop at the familiar words and ask your child if she remembers the word. Repetition is most important when learning to sight read. Reading out of books will also reinforce the cue card sessions.
Tips and Warnings
- There are educational products on the market that focus on teaching sight reading, including videos and games. If your child doesn't seem interested in cue cards any longer, consider using these products to spark your child's interest again.
- Take the cues from your child. Signs of reading readiness include an interest in written words, reading street signs and letter recognition, according to Scholastic.com. If your child isn't interested in reading, put the materials away and try again in the future.
