3 easy ways to help children read better
Is reading together with your child an exciting time to learn? Is reading a time where you can connect with your child? Do you have a designated place at home to read together? If you answer no to most of these questions, don’t despair. Not all parents and caregivers know how to help their child.
To improve the reading skills in children or bilingual children, the mission does start at home with the whole family. It starts at an early age. It starts by just communicating with your child. Even as infants, children will be able to capture the love of reading at a later age. Even if it’s just for a few moments, children are able to learn that books are a good connection between you and them.
In helping struggling readers, parents can encourage reading using the ten great reading tips. As a matter of fact, by just implementing some reading strategies, they’ll be able to associate reading is a special time between books and family. It doesn’t have to be a chore. It doesn’t have to be a burden. It doesn’t have to be boring. But by helping them recognize that reading is a fun way to learn, children can eventually appreciate books and reading.
Here are 3 very easy ways to help your child read better:
1. Read together
Reading together as a family is such a very simple concept. At a very early age, children learn to link reading with spending time together as a family.
- Designate a special time, usually after dinner or at bedtime, to read together.
- Designate a special place in your home, maybe a favorite chair or sofa, is a good indicator of promoting reading.
- Avoid places in the home that are noisy.
- Turn off the television or remove other distractions when reading. Silence is sometimes best when reading.
Take trips to the library as often as possible. Don’t rush through this place. If possible, take a tour of the library with your child.
- Show them where different books are located and the many variety of books available.
- Have them choose books to read.
- Don’t just limit yourself to the children’s section.
- Attend a story-time event at your local library and do this often. This encourages that other children like to read and reading is fun.
2. Select Proper Books
With so much variety of children’s books, select the ones that appeal to your child. If the child keeps reading the same book repeatedly, then encourage it. It’s better for the child to read any book than no book at all.
- Gradually, add other types of books.
- Many books for beginner readers have color or number levels to choose the reading skill for each reader.
- To even help parents, many of these books have more resources to help kids read better.
- Some libraries or bookstores have designated areas for early readers.
- But reading a variety of books are essential. Reading about princesses all the time may be fun.
- But reading about dinosaurs, trucks, animals, and so much more broaden their perspective about the world around them. And reading does that.
- Reading is an adventure of knowledge and experiences.
3. Listen to Audio Books
Reading bilingual books together but only one parent or caregiver can read that language? Try audio books. These reading tools are great for bilingual parents or caregivers where the narrator tells it all.
- Many of these books are equipped with different versions with a chime option.
- The chime allows the reader to turn the page when the narrator has finished reading. The parent or caregiver can point out specific words along the sentence.
- The parent or caregiver can also pause the audio book at any time. Many audio books also have the author as the narrator.
- And many times the narrator has the dramatic voice to make characters in the story come alive.
Reading with your children can be an exciting time if only we commit to take a few moments to spend time as a family. Starting with some simple ways to help children read better, it can lead to more adventurous reading.
How often do you read with or to your children?
Do you take part in special literacy programs at your local library or school?