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How can I teach my child at home? How can I teach my child to read fast and easy? How can I teach my preschooler at home? What can I teach my child at home?

These are the common questions that parents struggle with when they consider how to teach kids to read, whether they want to teach reading to their children preschool or are dealing with school-going children. If that is the case with you, fret not because we have compiled a list of fun learning activities for kids you can do at home. That will help show you how to teach kids to read easily and fast at home.

Teaching Your Child From Home

We live in a world where the key to unlocking success is through profound literacy skills. The process of learning to read is a crucial milestone that every child goes through. Do you have a child who is trying hard with this process? Most parents get concerned when they see their kids struggling with the whole ordeal. 

Children usually start reading between 6 to 7 years of age, some at 4 or 5 years. However, teaching them should begin as early as possible, preferably before they start school as per experts. Some are of the impression that their children will ‘learn’ to read at school. This is an entirely wrong approach, as learning to read doesn’t come naturally. It is a complex process that makes use of various strategies and skills. 

This is why you should embark on this teaching spree sooner than you thought. Are you wondering how to teach kids to read? We have chalked out some of the best tips and tricks to make your little one pro at reading.

Before we start, let us assure you that every child is different and learns at his/her own pace. Parents and teachers need to be patient with children who are already struggling with their learning process.

1. Look Out For Pre-Reading Signs

Make sure you follow the signs of pre-reading behaviour. These may appear by the child’s observation of power, or a parent can encourage them.

Look out for the following signs:

• Manipulating words: This is when your child plays along with sound manipulation. 
• Recognizing Signs And Symbols: You can tell a child is ready to start reading once he/she starts recognizing labels and signs on different food items and packages. 
• Rhyme: Your child can rhyme different words. 
• Basic concept: Your child can hold a book properly in the correct direction and knows that the book’s pages are turned one by one. 

Phonics Is A Stepping Stone

Research has proven that when children are able to recognize a combination of letters or can identify different letters, they are ready to read. This is why a child needs to have ample phonemic awareness to take his/her reading skills to the next step.

If a child has trouble getting a grip on phonics, the chances are that he/she may have trouble reading. This is why, make sure you pay the utmost attention to instilling a thorough phonemic knowledge in a child while he/she embarks on the quest of reading.

Now let us look at a few steps that you can incorporate to help you teach your child to read at home.

2 How To Teach Kids At Home?

There is a reason why children’s rhymes and songs are so addictive and follow a specific rhythm and tune. They allow the children to focus on the different syllables and sounds, which in turn helps them in their reading process.
The best way to polish your child’s phonemic awareness is by singing these songs and rhymes together and clapping with the rhythm. This fun activity will nurture your bond with your kids and also act as a stepping stone in their reading journey’s success.

3 Bedtime Stories Are A Must:

The nightly ritual of reading your child’s favorite storybook before tucking them in bed does more good than you think. This night-time bonding strengthens your relationship with your child, but it also helps to polish their reading skills.

• Make it a habit to snuggle next to your little one so that he can see the book.
• Point to each word while reading.
• And don’t forget to focus on the ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs.’

Not only will this spark an immense reading interest, but it will also help them to distinguish different letters and words. Also, these make excellent educational activities for preschoolers.

4. Get Creative With Letters: 

Do you helplessly try to get your children interested in some form of learning but to no success? Before you give up, why don’t you change your approach? Come down to their psychological level and start thinking like a kid. What would spark your interest?

You know your kids better than anyone, so devise different fun activities that you can incorporate, such as drawing letters in sand or crafting their own letters from playdoh. Let them play around with letters, whether they are in the park, beach, or snow. Draw letters with them, and we guarantee your children will fall in love with learning them. 

5. Keep Your Pace Slow: 

The whole process of getting a child to read can become overwhelming for both the children and parents. Kids are not robots and need time to process an influx of information that is thrown their way.

This is why we suggest you start with a few words at a time. Make sure you choose a book that has a few words on its pages, so children do not get confused. Then guide your child to focus on individual words before you start with full sentences. 

6. Focus On Visuals: 

Visual elements play a huge role in developing your child’s reading skills. By seeing different words printed on posters, books, labels, and packaging, children are able to connect the dots between letters and sounds.

Remember, never under-estimate the importance of visuals and images when children are learning to read. They help the child to recognize and identify the words that he/she is reading. It’s best to start with books with lots of visuals and large bold letters that are easy to read.

Therefore, always pick reading material with a visual aid like The Reading Head Start program. You can also point to different billboards and posters when you are enjoying a day out. Say the letters in words by drawing focus to the first letter in each word. Ask your child questions such as ‘what word rhymes with ___’ or ‘what words start with ___?’

7.   Lead By Example: 

They say children are like monkeys; they copy everything they see in their environment. If you want your child to develop a keen interest in books, it is best you start with yourself as an example.

Let them see you with a book or a magazine in your hands, even for a few minutes in a day is enough. This will spark a reading interest in your child that you longed for.

8. Play Letter Games: 

Some children may find vowels a bit hard to get a grip on. This is why you should include an activity like learning letters with magnets.

You can place the magnets either on a fridge or any other metal surface. Then place the vowels ‘a, e, i, o, u’ at one end. Say a word in which the vowel is in the center, such as ‘dog,’ and tell your little one to spell it out with the magnets’ help.

You can help by pointing and saying each vowel’s sound in a loud voice and asking your child if he knows which letter makes a similar sound like the middle sound in the letter. 

9.  Include Technology-Based Teaching Program:

It’s frustrating when your child refuses to cooperate with you and drops his interest in learning. Parents shouldn’t feel helpless but should make the most of technology. You can try their hand at The Reading Head Start program, which is a thoroughly researched and extensively thought out teaching strategy to cater to young children.

Loaded with fun-filled activities and songs, your child will enjoy sounding out words while learning basic sight words. It is a trusted and go-to teaching program that parents will be thankful to get their hands on. 

10. Start With Familiar Words:

All children have a distinct base vocabulary that they start with. So you should begin teaching them to read familiar words that they can relate to. You can start with their names and add visual cards to take this learning process to another level. This is how to start homeschooling.

Final Words

So, now you know how to teach a child to read at home. Teaching kids to read at home is a process that requires patience, resilience, and thought-out strategies that will work best for them. Every child takes his/her own pace to achieve the required reading goals, so it’s best to work with a pace that the child is comfortable with.

Try incorporating the above-mentioned learning activities for kids at home and watch your child accomplish his reading goals.