Teaching your child to read in 4 Easy Steps
April 2, 2023 Adrienne Brown 0 Comments
Teaching your child to read in 4 easy steps is one of the most important skills you can give them early on. Reading opens up a whole new world of learning and imagination.
But as parents, we may find ourselves wondering where to start or how to make the lessons interesting for our little ones.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some fun and effective ways to teach your child to read, with some behind-the-scenes insights from my years of experience.
Tape letters and words to items
The first step of teaching your child to read is to teach them to recognize each letter of the alphabet and its corresponding letter sounds.
you can do this foundational step for free.
Here are a few tips from the methods that I used when I first started homeschooling.
- Introduce the letters of the alphabet to your child.
- Regularly point out words and items where the child can clearly hear the letter sounds.
- Write letters on pieces of paper and tape letters to corresponding items that clearly highlight each letter sound.
- Practice and drill until the child masters each letter and sound.
After, you feel certain that the child is ready start to incorporate one to two-syllable words using the same technics.
As you walk around the house, have your child identify objects and then tape the corresponding word to that item. This will help your child learn new vocabulary and associate words with the objects in their environment.
For example:
Using notebook paper, write various one to two-syllable words like “chair”, “table”, “window” “stove” “broom” etc…
Tape words to the various objects.
Have the child walk around as they touch each attached word.
Have them say, spell, and say each word.
Repeat daily until the child memorizes the words.
At the same time be sure to read books to your child that utilize one and two-syllable words.
Don’t forget to challenge him or her by reading more advanced books to them.
Teaching your child to read means always Using the help of your older kids.
If you have older children, enlist their help in teaching your younger one to read.
They can be great mentors and teachers, and your little one will love their siblings spending their time with them.
Encourage the older children to read to the younger ones, and help them sound out letters and sounds.
Have them drill them on the words that you have taught them.
When teaching your child to read you must teach phonics
Phonics is the method of teaching children to read by linking sounds with letters or groups of letters.
It’s a fundamental building block for reading, and it’s essential to start teaching phonics early on.
You can use fun and simple tricks to help your child learn phonics with these tips:
1. Clapping out the syllables as you say the word or using toy letters to spell out words.
2. Us flashcards that list two to three-letter blends
3. Play recordings of the blend sounds for them. You can go on YouTube or get CDs from the library to play as you drive around.
Use phonics-based programs
Phonics can be an incredibly powerful tool for learning how to sound out words. You can make your own phonics flashcards using index cards, or you can purchase a program like Hooked-on-Phonics and or ABEKAs phonics cards.
Use these flashcards to help your child learn phonics sounds, sight words, and even basic sentences.
When creating your own cards, make it fun by letting your child decorate the cards with stickers or drawings.
Let your child learn at their own pace
Finally, it’s important to remember that every child learns at their own pace. Some children may take longer to learn to read than others, and that’s okay.
You can’t rush the process, and forcing a child who isn’t ready to read can backfire. Instead, be patient and encourage your child along the way.
Celebrate their successes, big and small, and help them through any roadblocks.
In conclusion, teaching your child to read can be a fun and rewarding experience for both you and your child.
By using these behind-the-scenes tips from my 26 years of homeschooling, you’ll be able to make the process more enjoyable and successful.
Remember to teach phonics, use the help of your older kids, tape word flashcards to items, use phonics-based programs, and let your child learn at their own pace.
P.S., I wrote a little guidebook to help new homeschoolers to start their homeschooling journey.
following it can help you to start off successfully ‘Homeschooling the Littles’
Plus,
Here is a link to my book “Commanded to Homeschool” sharing how and why I started homeschooling.
Happy reading!
The Homeschoolmomof8