Tips to teach a child to read

Teaching a child to read can be a challenging task for any parent. It is not only an essential skill but also one of the most enjoyable pleasures for a child. Here are some simple steps to develop these skills.

• Use songs and nursery rhymes to enhance phonemic awareness, as they help children hear sounds in words.
• Create word cards with three-sound words to practice phonics and decoding skills.
• Surround your child with a print-rich environment to build reading skills.
• Play word games to improve sound recognition and manipulation.
• Understand the essential skills for teaching reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fluency.
• Engage children with letter magnets to practice middle vowel sounds.
• Utilize technology, to keep children motivated and track their progress.
• Read together daily, ask questions about the book, and strengthen comprehension skills.
• Play games to memorise high-frequency sight words to enhance reading fluency.
• Remember to be patient and make reading enjoyable to foster a love for reading in children.

Start by fostering a love for books; reading will naturally follow suit.

• Begin by reading with your baby, providing easy access to books for play, exploration, and shared reading sessions to kickstart their reading journey.
• As your toddler grows, encourage their interest in letters and words by engaging in rhyming books and word-related activities to enhance pre-reading skills.
• Introduce phonetic sounds and blended letter sounds when your child shows readiness, aiding in their reading development.
• Utilize reading schemes at home to support your child’s learning, many of which include guidance for parents.
• When your child begins reading at school, familiarize yourself with the teaching methods used, discuss the book meanings, and allocate regular time for shared reading sessions.
• Pay attention to content quality, as uninteresting or inappropriate content can deter a child from reading; opt for books that captivate your child’s interest.
• Keep in mind that reading readiness differs among children, but with time and support, they will all reach that milestone.

• When you think your child is ready, introduce them to letter sounds, expanding on what they may have already learned in preschool.
• Explore an ABC book together, focusing on letters. Begin with the letter that their name starts with and let your child guide the pace of learning.
• Emphasize phonetic pronunciation like “a” instead of “ay” and “buh” instead of “bee”, aligning with how they will learn in school.
• If unsure about pronunciation, YouTube offers various guides to help.
• Use magnetic letters on the fridge or foam letters in the bath for interactive learning.
• Once your child is familiar with letter sounds, practice spotting them in everyday life, like on signs, labels, and books.
• Engage in letter-sound games together, such as I Spy or other creative activities.
• For additional learning, explore blending letter sounds to form simple words like “at” or “on.”
• Practice blending sounds together and speeding up to help the sounds merge naturally.
• Utilize resources like activity sheets from websites