Do You Really Know How to Teach Your Kids to Read?

It is often said that all great personalities have reached that level of greatness because of their heavy reading of books. Many famous personalities still enjoy reading a variety of books. They have also said that books have a magic of their own that transports them to a whole new world.

So, parents also try to inculcate a love of books in their children and it is a good habit they are doing so. Children should also understand that book-reading will help them both personally and academically.

In today’s era, it has become all the more important that children continue to develop the habit of book-reading. Nowadays, there are a host of tools available at children’s disposal through which they can learn to read.

For example, Kindle is by far the best option if your child does not favour paperbacks or hardbacks. Or there are online websites from where you can download pdf versions of books for your child and they can then read them.

There are very few children who like to read paperback or hardback books. Your children may not feel inclined to reading books in these formats at first. But, once you sow the seed of these formats, your children may pick up the habit of reading.

Start with genres that interest your child. Allow them to read all books in that genre. Then try to change gears and give them a new book of a new genre. In this way, a reading habit will automatically develop in your child.

In this blog, we will be exploring some methods by which parents can teach children how to read.

Ways in which parents can teach their Children How to Read

1. When you start teaching your kids reading early on, they will develop the habit in no time. That’s why many doctors, psychologists and scientists have recommended that parents teach all useful, practical and good habits to their children within their first 5 years of life. Some studies theorized that children should not be burdened with literary activities from early on. But, it is not true as there is no conclusive evidence that can testify to this fact. So go ahead and give your infant the joy of reading books.

2. Secondly, teaching your child to read isn’t some rocket science. Parents have been teaching their kids how to read for centuries. Just like you teach them other basic habits, teaching them to read is as easy as that. Never get frustrated with your child if he/she draws the letter wrong or doesn’t show interest in a book which you are showing to them. Keep the book away or show them how the particular alphabet is drawn.

3. Even simple talking to your baby can work wonders. This will help them grasp a lot of words and their meanings. Keep talking as much as you can. Read out books to them and show them the pictures so they can link the meanings of the words to the pictures.

4. As has been said by everyone today, read as much to them as possible. The more books you read to your children, the more they will grasp. They will then also perform academically better as well. So, start reading to your child as early as possible.

5. Allow your child to tell you a story. This can be a fun time for you both. Let them read a short story and then tell you the same either during the day or night. Try to make it a routine activity at home.

6. A sound understanding of phonetics from the start helps children a lot to understand how a certain word sounds. So, when they enter school or enrol for an English literature course, they will have no difficulty understanding the phonemic sounds of words and will always score better in the subject at college.

7. Similarly, an understanding of phonics is important for the child to understand how each letter of the alphabet sounds. Try to find out some phonics games that you and your child can play easily so that they get to understand the concept of phonics better.

8. When your child is reading, try to listen carefully if they are pronouncing the words well or not. If they are making mistakes while reading, then make sure you first read it out to them. Then ask them to reread the paragraph or sentence.

9. Along with reading, encourage your child to write short sentences and words that they come across after reading a new lesson. This will improve their handwriting and they will always be in the habit of using pens and pencils in the future.

10. Keep asking questions to your child after he or she finishes their reading session. Ask what they understood from the lesson or in the case of an informational text, ask them to explain what that text is about. This will increase your child’s reading comprehension skills for the future and they will be better equipped to learn the summary of more difficult texts.

11. Additionally, making reading a part of your life is essential. Today, all homes must try to include a reading time of at least an hour so that kids get into the habit of reading books. Limit the usage of electronic devices at home by keeping them on vibration mode and using them only when an emergency needs to be attended to.

So, this is how you can encourage your child to take up reading. These are proven ways to keep your child a reader for a lifetime. We hope that you will love these tips and will surely try to introduce them into your lives as well. Till then keep reading and check out the latest books that have been released on our Bookpal website.