10 Tips To Help Your Child With Reading

1. Cuddle up and read every night. Quiet times together are opportunities to bond…and read. The cuddling can be as important as the reading. Make it exciting: put some drama into your voice or let your child read every other page. As you go, explain any new words or ideas. Try to read for at least 15 minutes a day.

2. Let your children choose books themselves. Don’t be afraid to reread books many times, this is how your child learns to read.

3. Make your kitchen part of your “reading zone”. Have fridge magnets available with letters and pictures so children can start making words and short sentences.

4. Words are everywhere – take everyday opportunities to read with your child. Your child’s world is filled with words – on cereal boxes, street signs, stores, posters, etc. Wherever you go, you can always find new words and point them out.

5. Games can be great learning tools. Board games or card games such as word bingo or memory and rhyming cards can be a fun way to learn about words, letter sounds, and reading. They can help children realize how much fun learning can be. You can even create your own by cutting out pictures, writing words on cards and getting your child to match them.

6. Computers are reader friendly too! Though many worry that kids may spend too much time on the computer, there are some great games that help kids learn to read and allow them to create their own stories. Look for “parent approved” on the packaging in stores and in the library. Find some kid-friendly websites, that have games you can play along with your child. Ask me for a website list of educational websites!

7. Books make great gifts. Ask family and friends to give a book instead of a toy as a gift. Make sure to tell them about your child’s reading level and interests. To build up a home library find almost-new books at garage sales and school fairs.

8. Let your child “share” the reading with you. Not all children can read books independently at the end of kindergarten, but all can share reading with an adult. The child who recognizes only a few words can chime in and read those words in the text. Most can fill in a rhyming word in a shared reading. For example, if you read, “Have you ever seen a bear combing his _______?” your child will probably provide “hair” as the correct rhyme.

9. Be a reading role model. When your kids see you reading, they will want to imitate you. It won’t be long until they learn that reading is fun, interesting, and a “grown up” thing to do.

10. Read in English or Arabic or both! Educators agree that literacy skills develop and improve as a result of a wide range of activities. For example, a child’s literacy skills are enhanced when parents who speak a different language read to their children in their native language. Children will benefit from this reading experience.