9 Effective Ways to Teach your Child How to Read

Childrens books

How to Teach Your Child to Read

All of our kids go off to school each day and learn many things from their teachers. As awesome as it is to have a teacher teach them each day, it is so vital that parents take part in their children’s learning as well. Learning doesn’t have to stop once they get home.

Reading is something SO important and I have seen how just a little effort on my part can change how quickly my kids learn. In teaching my own children how to learn to read, I have used several different resources and strategies and wanted to share my top tips on how you can teach your kids reading skills as well!

Tip #1 Get creative together!

Making a teaching tool is a fantastic way to engage with your child and get them excited to learn. I make a lot of my own tools and this one for word families is easy to make and will cost you only pennies!

Word families help to build rhyming skills and shows patterns for spelling.

Word Family Pratice

Here’s what you’ll need:

Supplies WF

To begin with, trim off any words that are on the paint sample, then write a word family on the top section color. (You can laminate the paint samples if you would like to have them for multiple practices.)

Then, work on one word family until your child is confident with it and then move on to the next one. Here are the ten word families that I chose to start with: _an, _at, _et, _ip, _op, _un, _eat, _ake, _end, & _ight.

Next, use the hole punch to put a hole at the top of each card, then put them on the ring, and you’re done! If you laminate your cards, use a whiteboard marker and then re-use the cards. If you choose not to laminate the cards, you can add multiple cards on to the ring after each practice…perfect for looking back to see all of the work that has been done!

Tip #2: Read to them!

I know you’ve heard this before, but it’s so important! This is one of the best things that you can do for your child in the reading process, and it’s great for so many reasons. They hear the flow of reading, watch you turn pages, read from top to bottom, and even learn how to hold a book. *And a bonus, snuggle time is great! 🙂

Here are a few of my favorite books to read to my kids:

Tip #3: Have them read to you!

Even if they are not reading yet they can look at the pictures and make up their own story. Or, if you’ve read the story several times they will begin to tell the story back to you in the correct sequence.

For example, Goodnight Moon is an ideal book for the kids to point out and “read” about what they are saying goodnight to.

Children's book

Tip #4: Go to the Library

The library is a perfect frugal resource for your kiddo. Look for free classes that you can do together, or just pick a cozy spot on the floor and read together.

My kids love going to the library and are actually disappointed if we miss it one week on our regular day (not even kidding!) 🙂 And a huge plus to this is that it keeps all of you away from electronics for a few minutes! It is so important that kids (young and old) have a little time away from those devices!

Books on a shelf

Tip #5: Find resources online

There are several websites that you can use as a resource for early reading skills. Starfall.com is one of my personal favorites.

You can also find preschool programs online that you can subscribe to. I personally use ABCMouse for my kids and I love it! You can score a great deal on a monthly subscription right now too!

Check out my review of ABCMouse here!

Child on the computer on the ABCMouse website

Tip #6: Find a topic they like

This is especially important as they get older. There are times that I struggle to get my oldest son to read even though he’s a proficient reader.

The turning point for me was finding topics that he wants to read and learn more about. We started with books about dinosaurs, big rig trucks, the solar system, and currently he enjoys learning about the Revolutionary War and colonial history.

Or for something a little more light, This Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids is a book that we got him for Christmas and he LOVES it! It’s a fun book to get them engaged and provided hours of entertainment!

Kids books

Tip #7: Incorporate Games into the Learning

Learning how to read can be so much fun when you bring in a game that they won’t even realize you’re trying to reinforce the learning. 🙂 Here are three of my favorites, but there are so many more!

Big Boggle

Big boggle

Big Boggle is a fun game for kids of all ages and it works really well as kids are learning to read. Use the timer, or leave it in the box and work together to find three letter words or more based on your child’s skill level. This is also a fun one for family game night as the kids get older.

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Quiddler

Quiddler is a fantastic game for early readers because you can adjust the game to easier or harder word combinations based on skill level. We play this in our family with our third graders as well as our Kindergartner and adjust each person’s goal for the game.

This game is super affordable and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a fun way to incorporate learning into family game night.

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ABCD Spot It! Alphabet

This game is perfect for any child learning how to recognize and say their ABCs. The game consists of dozens of cards with different letters all over them. Each card will have 2 matching letters. The child will need to recognize which letters match and then say them!

Soon they will not only be able to recognize letters but also will learn all of their names.

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Tip #8: Find the right level for your child and start there.

Often, kids will become frustrated with learning to read if the material they are reading is too difficult. And at the same time, they will get completely bored with the book if it is way under their reading level.

Find the correct level and start there to build on what they already know and keep their interest. One of the ways that I was able to identify my child’s reading level was with Bob Books.

Bob Books

Bob Books

I love the simplicity of the Bob Books for early learners. These are books that are targeted to help kids learn to read. They are tailored for specific levels and help kids master the skills they need to in the order necessary.

My daughter started on these and we work together on it, then she spends time reading it independently. I highly suggest these!

Check out all of the Bob Books here!

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Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons

This book is another great resource to use when teaching your child how to read. The book will walk you through 100 in-depth lessons with your child to help them go from simple sounds all the way to a solid second-grade reading level (in just 20 minutes a day)!

Tip #9: Be the Example

Kids are watching everything we do, and that means if we want them to enjoy reading and learning, we have to set the tone. Grab a good book for yourself, cuddle up together and spend an hour reading! I remember as a kid that my mom and I would spend a lazy day Sunday reading books…it was wonderful!

What is your favorite book? I love anything by Dee Henderson, and just checked out the first book in the Hunger Game series (I know, I know…WAYYY behind!)

How to teach reading skills to your child

What do you do to help your kiddo with reading? I would love to hear your ideas and creative projects!

Lastly, I also wanted to share this Laminator I got for Christmas. I LOVE IT! 🙂 It’s perfect for home use, and I already have a list of things planned for it. Think of all the reading activities you could make with this!!

Scotch Thermal Laminator 2 Roller System

Scotch thermal laminator

  • Laminates items up to 9 inches wide
  • Two roller system with two temperature settings
  • Small enough to keep at home
  • Will laminate something up to 5 mil. thick
  • Super easy to use

Ships Free with Amazon Prime (Try a FREE Membership)

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