Are you worried that your child is not learning to read fast enough? It’s a concern that many parents have, and moreover, it’s a very legitimate concern.
After all, this world is becoming increasing competitive, and when it comes to landing a job, as well as general success in life, literacy is a huge part of it.
How to improve reading skills in children is an issue that many parents struggle with.
Luckily, there are ways to help your children improve their reading skills. It doesn’t have to be hard, and it can actually be quite fun too.
Tips on How to Improve Reading Skills of Children
Here we have a number of tips that can help improve a child’s reading skills. Keep in mind that many of these tips apply to adults just like they do to kids.
Enroll Them in a Reading Course
If your child is not yet in school and is still very young, and you are unsure of how to go about teaching them, you may want to look into some reading programs.
A very reputable and popular educational reading program for kids is Children Learning Reading.
It’s very popular due to its proven educational methods and its ability to teach very young children how to read with great skill.
Programs like this are specially designed to teach kids the basic building blocks of reading in an easy-to-understand and step-by-step manner that works.
The fact of the matter is that not all parents have the time to spend hours teaching their kids every day, and moreover, not all parents have the required skills to deal with a struggling child.
Therefore, finding some outside assistance is never a bad idea. Going to outside sources for help is not a sign that you are failing as a parent, but it shows that you as a parent are taking all of the necessary steps to ensure that your child becomes literate and successful in life.
Master the Basics – Then Move on Up
Another thing that your child needs to do first is to master the basics. As an example, you cannot learn to play a difficult Beethoven piece on the piano if you have not first learned the scales, finger placement, and other piano basics. This is just like with children and reading.
You do want to improve your children’s literacy and reading skills, but that said, they have to start at the beginning. You can’t just shove book in front of your child and expect them to read it front to back if they have not mastered the essential building blocks of reading.
In order for somebody to become better at something, no matter what it is, it all works in stages.
For a child to be able to improve their reading skills, they first have to learn the alphabet, then phonemics, then phonics, and more (all things which Children Learning Reading specializes in teaching children).
As your child masters these basics, through their own virtue, they will they help improve your child’s reading skills.
Take things slow, work in a step-by-step manner, and ensure that your child has mastered the basics before attempting to move onto the harder stuff. Slow and steady wins the race.
Keep Kids Interested and Entertained
If you want to improve your child’s reading skills, one of the most important things that you can do is to keep your kids interested.
There is nothing worse than trying to learn something that you have zero interest in, and this goes for adults just like it does for kids.
If your child appears to be having trouble reading, and they really don’t like that story about the big red dog, maybe they might find an Archie or a Donald Duck comic more interesting. Maybe your child likes ponies, maybe firetrucks, or maybe airplanes.
It is much easier for kids to get on board in the first place if they are interested in the topic at hand.
Although the specific topic your kid reads about, and their interest in it, will not automatically improve their reading skills, it will keep them entertained and it should help motivate them to keep trying.
Read with Your Kids
If you want to improve your child’s reading skills, there is no better way to do so than by leading by example and through simple repetition. Ever hear children’s songs like Wheels on the Bus, Old MacDonald, or the Hokey Pokey? Have you noticed how repetitive they are?
This endless repetition may be near unbearable for adults, but it’s also one of the best ways to learn.
The more the ears hear something, the more the eyes see it, and the more the mouth says it, the more likely a person is to remember. It’s the same concept with soldiers and military drills.
Do something enough, and eventually it becomes second nature. This is the approach you need to take with children and reading.
Simply put, the more you read with your child, the better they will get at it.
Moreover, reading with your child is a great way to bond with them, to spend some quality time with your family, and kids usually love spending time with their parents.
So, make reading fun, spend some time with your kids, and try to power through at least one story every day.
As you read, you can ask your kids questions about what is being read, you can take turns reading with your child, and eventually you may be able to get them to read to you.
Leading by example and encouraging your child to practice, practice, and practice some more, will work wonders for their literacy level.
Limit Screen Time in Favor of Book Time
We live in a world of tablets, smartphones, computers, and video games, but this doesn’t mean that books don’t exist anymore.
You may be tempted to let your kids spend all day in front of a screen, because it’s easy. However, when it comes to learning basic reading skills, it doesn’t do them any favors.
A good idea is to limit screen time in favor of reading time.
That said, the technological age we live in does have its benefits for reading too. There are plenty of online and web-based educational resources for reading that your child can take advantage of.
Also, if you find the right channel, there are plenty of educational TV shows that do their best to teach reading. A combination of time spent reading and educational resources will help your child improve their reading skills.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that there are many ways to improve reading skills, and this is true for kids and adults alike.
When it comes to your children, take your time with them, be patient, make sure they are having fun and are engaged, and if necessary, sign them up for an educational course like Children Learning Reading.