Reading is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Reading helps children gain knowledge, develop critical thinking skills, and become interested in learning more. But reading can be challenging for kids with trouble concentrating or decoding words. To foster your child’s love of reading, you need to help them build foundational reading skills that stay with them for life. Here are our tips on how to support literacy in your home:
Bring the books to life when reading aloud.
Many kids find reading boring because the books aren’t exciting enough for them. To get your child excited about reading, talk about the books you read in your own life. For example, if you’re reading The Hunger Games, talk about how you were watching the movie or reading the book before and what you got from it. Let your child help you create a story that goes with the book. Talk about how the characters feel and what they want in their lives. This will help your child connect with the story and understand the feelings and desires of the characters. Reading aloud also challenges kids to use their imagination and think outside the box to create new stories that go with the books they’re reading. If your child has trouble imagining what’s happening in the book, reading aloud or using a personification worksheet are great ways to challenge them to use their creativity.
Set up a regular reading schedule.
Reading regularly keeps reading exciting and fun. Reading a few pages or short chapters every day is much better than trying to read a book in one sitting. Reading in short chunks is also better for kids’ concentration and comprehension. When kids constantly read for long periods, especially in one sitting, they get distracted by other activities, such as watching TV or playing video games. Reading regularly in one to two-hour chunks is much better for your child’s development. Kids who don’t routinely read often lose their love of reading because they become too used to reading and don’t find it as exciting anymore.
Allow your child to read different formats.
Reading is often thought of as one thing: a book. However, reading can be different, such as listening to audiobooks, magazines, podcasts, or watching educational shows online. Reading other formats allows your child to read different types of material and learn about various topics. Audible audiobooks are one of the current favorite tools for fostering literacy skills. You can listen to them in the car when running errands, and it’s a great way to keep kids occupied and interested during car rides. Educational shows and videos on YouTube (and other similar channels) are great ways to help kids learn how to read and build their vocabulary. Reading magazines and online articles can supplement your child’s reading and help them develop their language.
Use apps to support literacy and reading skills.
Apps can be a great way to help your child build literacy skills and promote better reading habits, especially when they’re struggling with reading. Some literacy apps include:
- Read It Later: This app lets your child save any articles, making it easier to remember what they’ve read.
- Reading Eggs: Reading Eggs is a flashcard app that allows your child to study new vocabulary words by playing them out loud in a voice reading the word. Reading Eggs also has a reading mode that lets your child read their own flashcards in a library book-style mode, making it easier for your child to learn new words.
- Vocabulary Builder: This is a word app that helps kids study and builds their vocabulary by giving them synonyms for words and example sentences for each word.
- Reading Wizard: Reading Wizard helps kids develop their reading skills by reading aloud from flashcards, highlighting the words your child misses, and correcting your child’s reading. Reading Wizard has free and premium versions, making it easy to choose the best version for your family’s needs.
Use music and singing.
Reading is often a quiet activity that doesn’t involve much music or singing. However, reading can benefit from both music and singing. Reading isn’t the same as singing, and it’s more about allowing your child to express themselves through singing. Reading music or singing lyrics allows your child to get past their own self-doubt and find the confidence to express their ideas. Reading through singing helps kids build their rhythm while they read and helps them gain confidence in reading. Reading along to music, especially music that is challenging to your child, helps them develop their concentration and creativity.
Encourage your child to act out the story.
When reading a book, instead of just reading, encourage your child to act out the story. This can be as simple as acting out a few of the scenes from the book, or it can be as involved as acting out the whole story. This will help your child gain confidence in reading and reading aloud. Encourage your child to act out the story whenever they can, such as your child jumping up and down while reading, or it can be as involved as acting out the whole story. This will help your child gain confidence in their literacy skills. By acting out a story, your child engages their hands, eyes, and ears in the activity, all parts of the brain that are involved in reading. By acting out a story, your child engages their hands, eyes, and ears in the activity, all parts of the brain that are involved in reading.
Use art to help them express themselves and encourage them to share their ideas.
Art is a great way to help your child express themselves and build confidence while they read. You can encourage your child to create art by drawing, painting, or sculpting. By expressing themselves through drawing and painting, your child will have more confidence in their drawing and painting skills, which will help them gain confidence in reading, writing, and listening. Your child can also use art to express themselves when reading. This can be as simple as drawing a picture that goes with the book, or it can be as involved as painting a mural that is part of the story.
Use educational shows to build more skills.
Educational shows are a great way to help your child build their literacy skills. These shows can be found on YouTube, Netflix, or Hulu and watched on-demand or downloaded for offline viewing. The best educational shows are those that are tailored to your child. This will allow your child to make the most of the show based on their interests and abilities. The best educational shows are those that are tailored to your child. This will allow your child to make the most of the show based on their interests and abilities. Educational shows are also a great way to help your child build their reading skills. These shows can be found on YouTube or Netflix and watched on-demand or downloaded for offline viewing. A good reading show can help your child learn and develop their reading skills. A good reading show can help your child learn and develop their reading skills.
Conclusion
Reading is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Reading helps children gain knowledge, develop critical thinking skills, and become interested in learning more. However, reading can be challenging for kids with trouble concentrating or decoding words. To foster your child’s love of reading, you need to help them build foundational reading skills that stay with them for life.
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