My son has shown a keen interest in reading since last spring. It started for a very specific reason: he wanted to play Pokémon and understand the game’s story line. When your child is motivated, teaching them to read becomes much easier—but there’s still plenty you can do to encourage them!
When I saw how eager he was to learn, I immediately took action.
I made my son a chart to help him memorize the sounds made by certain letter combinations. I also bought him several books designed for early readers. All of these tools helped him, but they weren’t exactly what he needed.
A few months later, it clicked.
Text is everywhere. In fact, reading is such a fundamental part of our lives that we sometimes don’t even realize we’re doing it. I discovered that I could use day-to-day opportunities for reading to help my six-year-old practise unconsciously, without feeling anxious or pressured.
At our municipal library, the limit is 20 books—per child! We visit every two weeks or so. Our kids never hit the 20-book limit (they run out of patience before then!),
so we come home with plenty of our own picks to surprise them with. During reading time, my son loves trying to sound out the books’ titles. Of course, we give him hints to make sure he has fun and doesn’t get discouraged.
Since doing groceries can sometimes take a long time, giving your child a task can help keep them from getting bored. If they’re still learning to read, you can give them a chance to practise by asking them to read out each item on your shopping list!
Keep in mind: If your handwriting is less than legible (like mine), you might want to type up and print your grocery list, making sure to choose a basic typeface. Also, remember to use simple vocabulary.
I wear glasses.
Several times a day, I use this as an excuse to ask my son for help reading. I always give him an easy place to start. For example, I might say:
Can you help me read this word? I see that the first letter is T, so it makes a “ttt” sound, but I can’t make out the rest.
My son will then try to figure out the word with me. If he’s stumped by a letter, I help him along.
Since we often take trips during the summer, we’ve started asking our son to read out road signs and store displays. Sometimes, he gets it right by simply recognizing an image or brand logo, but other times, he surprises us. Just the other day, he said:
We’re almost home! I saw a sign that says “Drummondville.”
To help my son understand the mechanics of a word, I’ll sometimes sound out what I’m writing. For example, when he asks me to write down the name of a make-believe character he drew, I spell out the name aloud as I write.
Pitou? We start with a “ppp” sound, so that’s the letter P. Then, letter I. The “ttt” sound is the letter T . . .
Before long, I noticed that he was doing the same thing!
At first glance, these simple suggestions may seem trivial. But in reality, they can help your child get into the habit of reading. Soon they’ll realize that text isn’t just in books, but everywhere around them!