Kindergarten is the first year of school when learning how to read is an important everyday assignment. Reading, spelling and reading comprehension are taught on a daily basis, and in order to help your child succeed at reading, implement one of the following six ways to help teach your kindergartener to read.
1. Start early.
The earlier you can start to teach your child to read, the more successful you will be. It’s important to get your child interested in reading at a young age, and this will help them continue to want to learn how to read as they get older. Be sure to read to your child when he or she is a baby and continue to place an emphasis on reading as your child grows.
2. Read to them.
You’ll be amazed at what your child can learn by simply reading to them. When you read your child a story, point to the words as you’re reading them. Your child will start to recognize certain words with their meanings, and they can use this skill to learn how to read on their own.
3. Use technology.
If you have a mobile device or computer in your home, there are plenty of online tools you can use to help your kindergartener learn to read. Play online reading games at PBS Kids or Sprout Online. Download reading apps such as Reading Rainbow to allow your child to play interactive games that helps them learn to read. Interactive play will help your child learn how to read without even realize they’re learning.
4. Create letter crafts.
Find crafts you can do with your child that helps them to learn the letters of the alphabet. As you’re completing these alphabet crafts, be sure to sound out the letter so your child can learn phonics. You can even start to point out objects around your house that start with that letter to help your child learn to recognize what words start with that specific letter.
5. Play games.
There are games out there you can play with your child to help him or her learn to read. You can create a memory or bingo reading game with whole words or simply letters. This way, your child can have fun learning to read without feeling the pressure of actual educational lessons. Instead, your child will be having fun and learning at the same time, and this is often extremely beneficial.
6. Teach sight words.
Instead of focusing solely on the letters and phonics, opt to teach your kindergartener to learn sight words. These are words that a child learns to recognize as a whole, such as “you” or “I”. With sight words, children don’t have to sound out every word they read, which provides them with more opportunity to increase their reading comprehension. Sight words also help children become less frustrated with the entire reading process and can encourage them to want to improve their reading skills over time. Sight words can be taught through regular lessons, games or even flashcards.
About the Author:
After retiring as an elementary school librarian, Beth Littleton became a reading tutor and volunteer at her local pre-schools. Beth enjoys writing and as a freelance writer, she shares her wealth of information and tips by guest posting for family oriented blogs.
