It is so fun to watch a child who is eager to start to learn to read. They start to play with books and ask what words say. It is at this point, a lot of parents wonder how to teach a child to read, where to start, or if they started if it is the right approach. When teaching a child to read, in order for children to develop reading skills, it’s crucial for them to grasp the basics of letters, sounds, books, and sentence structure. Explore some simple and fun activities you can do with your child to practice these foundational elements in fun, gentle, and effective ways.
Important note: First, every child is different. Like a flower will bloom when it is ready, your child will read when he/she is ready. Also, it is important to note that there are different expectations for children based on their age (education professionals call this developmentally appropriate). For example, it would not be developmentally appropriate to teach a four year old to read a chapter book. Yes, all children are different, but reading can occur in certain developmental stages. This is what teachers and reading instructors look for. Finally, IMSE (the people behind Orton-Gillingham) have this super helpful article, linked here, that explains the appropriate developmental stages of reading and teaching a child to read.
Show a Child How a Book Works:
- Show children how to hold a book.
- Point out the title, cover, and spine.
- When you read together, have your child turn the pages.
- As you read, point to each word as you read it. Then talk about how the words are part of sentences on the page. Point out the punctuation and the upper case letters and spacing.
- Talk about how the illustrations match the words.
- Have the child “read” you the book! They will make up the story based on memory and that is okay.
Teach Letters and Their Sounds:
- You can show your child each individual letter and talk about the sound the letter makes
- Sing the alphabet song. You can use the standard one we all grew up with or another fun one found online.
- Point out letters as you see them in books or in day to day activities, like the S on a stop sign.
Practice Letters and Sounds:
- Draw out the alphabet in sidewalk chalk and have your child jump from one letter to the next and name the letters.
- Get an alphabet puzzle like and have your child practice putting it back together.
- Play alphabet matching games-get plastic letters or write letters on index cards. Have your child match the uppercase letter to its lower case letter.
- Get my free printable below and have your child draw lines and match uppercase and lowercase letters.
Be a Reading Model:
- Make reading together nightly part of your bedtime routine
- Have your child help choose any books you are reading (for bedtime story time or at the library).
- Read a book your child will be interested in. Children who are interested in a book will be better readers. You can try some of my favorite Laugh out Loud picture books that children and adults love.
- Get excited when it is time to read together.
- If you have time, let your child see you reading a book!
Try some of these suggestions with your child, and share your experiences in the comments section below! I would love to hear about your progress teaching your child to read.