Top Tips for Teaching Your Child to Read

Learning to read is the first step in a child’s education which sets them up for independent learning and exploring the world around them. There are many ways that you can help your child with their reading as a boarding school in Hertfordshire shares below.

Phonetics Songs

The first step to reading is knowing your phonetics. Phonetics songs and nursery rhymes can help children to remember their phonetics with their highly catchy lyrics and tunes. This can help your child to master the basics to begin reading.

Look for Words Around You

Reading isn’t just for story time. There are so many activities in our day-to-day lives that involve reading. From reading street signs to doing the weekly grocery shop. You can help your child to see just how important reading is by pointing out words around them and encouraging them to read.

Read to Your Child

Storytime can introduce your child to new vocabulary, allowing them to pick up on words easier when starting to read by developing a familiarity with their spellings. This can also help them to improve on their speech and communicate with those around them better.

Choose a Book Suited to Their Ability

While your child may have their eye on something in the library, it’s important to make sure that it is suitable for their reading ability. This can help to make it enjoyable and less complicated than it needs to be. This is usually very easy to work out as children’s books are separated into age categories but if in doubt consult with a librarian. 

Build a Word Wall

For each new word that your child learns, you can add it to the wall to create a word wall. This is a visual reminder of the strides that they have made in their reading which can empower them to read more and ensures that they don’t forget them.