Posted on: Thursday, April 5, 2007
Here's how to teach your child to read
By Gia Long
When it comes to reading, there are so many different sounds, syllables and rules that the idea of teaching a young child to read can seem daunting. Luckily, the process of teaching a child to read is actually a series of simple steps that you may already be doing.
Some steps to start include:
Keep books in your home for your child to read. It's as simple as picking up one or two at the bookstore every once in a while, or taking a weekly trip to the library. Having colorful, beginner reading books at home and in an area where your child can always reach them is an important first step.
Read aloud to your child. Learning to read has a lot more to do with hearing than it does with seeing. That is why children will often memorize the words of a book long before they are able to point out those same words on the page; they are listening to the story.
Reading to your child is an important step in the development of your child's vocabulary. When a child has a store of words he is familiar with and is able to use, it is much easier for that child to connect those words to letters on a page.
Create an interactive reading time. Establish a regular time to read together with your child — say, before bed or after lunch — and to also use that time to develop valuable skills and habits in your child.
Let your child turn the pages and follow along with her finger as you read. In a book that is very familiar to your child, leave the last word in the sentence for her to say aloud. These practices will help her begin to recognize letters and words. Books that use rhyming are a good choice for reading games like this.
Work with your child on letter sounds. Help your child master the sounds of the alphabet by pointing out objects they are associated with. A good way to do this is to make a book with a letter on each page, and draw or paste in pictures of objects that begin with that letter. Read through this book with your child, pronouncing aloud each letter sound and each object it relates to. Over time, when your child is able to do this along with you, help him begin to associate letters with their sounds — without the aid of pictures.
Working with your child in these ways will put him well on his way to reading. Talk to your child's teacher for more ways to help your child learn to read.
This column is provided through the Hawai'i State Teachers Association. Gia Long is a kindergarten special-education teacher at Mokapu Elementary School.
