Reading is one of the most important skills that you will learn when you are young. Just like with any skill or talent, you can improve your skills with practice. However, knowing how to practice a skill to get the most from your practice is the key to success.
5 Tips For Improving Your Child’s Reading Skills
1- Read Out Loud To Them
One of the best ways to help your child improve their reading skills is to read to them out loud.
When your child listens to you read, especially when they are small, they learn about the sounds of words, their meanings, and how sentences should flow when being read.
Of course, they do not realize this; they are just enjoying what you are reading.
When you read aloud to your child, you also create a special time for you to be with them. This gives reading a very positive feeling.
Your child will learn to love to read and share those skills because it is a way for you to bond.
2- Have Them Read Out Loud To You
Once your child has started to read, share some of the responsibilities of reading aloud: Have them read you a short book or a passage from the book you are reading. It will be a great way to introduce them to harder words and sentence structures.
You can also use this time to answer questions about what the passage you read means.
You can get your child to read out loud in many ways. Have them read the weather to you from a website or read and spell out the ingredients in a recipe. You can also have your child read road signs while you are out or find certain items in the store.
You can also have your child write out shopping lists and read them to you while in the store. Each of these tricks will help them improve their reading skills.
3- Find Interests Your Child Enjoys
It is not unusual for a child to become bored with a subject and not want to read. To encourage them to read, change the subjects you are reading about so that they stay interested.
Go to the library and let them explore the many different topics. Once your young reader finds a type of book, they will be more active in reading.
4- Set Designated Time To Read
If your child sees you taking the time to read, they will want to mimic your actions. You might even try designating a half-hour of quiet time for the two of you to curl up, and both read your own books while just being close together.
These positive feelings will help your child associate reading with a good feeling.
5- Work With A Reading Tutor
If you are struggling with ways to help your child improve their reading skills, you may benefit from hiring a reading tutor. A tutor that specializes in reading skills will be able to teach your child reading comprehension skills in a one-on-one setting.