Tips to Help Get Kids Reading

These tips to help get kids reading are valuable for any parent who has a child struggling to put letters together to form words.  Whether they are hesitant to read because they want to play more, or have decided reading isn't any fun, these tips will get your kids reading in no time at all!

Reading is something that came very easily to me, so when my oldest son struggled to put sounds with letters, it was very frustrating. I had always read to him and he enjoyed it, but things just weren't clicking for him how I had expected. After doing a lot of research, talking with early childhood educators, and going over what my mom used to teach me to read, I was able to make progress with him. He's made amazing strides and can sound out almost any word you put in front of him. Here are some of the tips I found most helpful to help get kids reading!

Tips To Help Get Kids Reading

1. Audio Books: Listening to books is a great way to help children learn to read. You can get free audiobooks from the library. You can start letting your child listen to books early on in life and it can continue until they are old.
2. Reading Through Writing: Some kids pick up writing easier than reading, which is why you can teach them using reading through writing.
3. Story Telling: Have your child get excited about reading by having them tell you a story. Storytelling is a unique and fun way for a child to learn how to read. Storytelling can exist through puppet storytelling. It can work by allowing your child to tell you a story as you write it out. Use your creativity to help your child learn to read through storytelling.
4. Talking: Did you know just talking to your child can help get kids reading? Kids need good communication skills to help them learn how to read.  The larger their vocabulary, the easier it is for them to recognize those words in books!
5. Spend Time Reading Out Loud: Reading out loud to your child is another way you can help your child learn how to read.
6. Allow Your Child to See You Reading: Children learn to read faster if they have a love and interest in reading. By allowing your child to see you reading, you are setting a good foundation for them.
7. Let Your Child Read to You: Even if your child doesn’t know how to fully ready, they can make up a story based on the pictures. Allowing your child to read to you is a great foundation for early readers and it’s something they can continue doing for as long as they want.
8. Repetition: Kids can learn certain words for reading by repeating the word (s) over and over again. You can introduce a word to your child and then use it in a sentence and throughout your day. The thing with repetition helping to read is that you have to stay on top of it.
9. Focus on the Alphabet: Before any child can learn how to read, they need to know the alphabet and the sounds of each letter. This is a great focus for early readers.
10. Sight Words: Sight words are a huge part of learning to read. Kids need to have these words memorized in order to help progress their reading. Flashcards, sight word games, and even helping at the grocery store can help kids learn sight words.  I take a few extra minutes before heading to the store to print off a short list for each of the kids with a few items they could help find. They may not have been on the Dolch sight word list, but it did help get them interested and seeing how reading is important in life.

Helping with teaching your children reading skills can be fun and doesn’t need to be frustrating.  These tips are just the beginning of getting your kids excited about reading, but remember not every child will read at the same time.

Some children take a few years to really get the hang of it and begin understanding how letters go together to form words.  Other children pick up right away on words and can read easily.  As a parent, it is your job to encourage your kids' reading skills regardless of how advanced they may be for their age.  Always pay attention to make sure they aren't feeling bad if they are slower to learn than their peers.

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