How can I help my beginning reader at home?

 

Parents often hear that they should help their children with reading at home, and they sincerely want to. But they might wonder what helping looks like. What should they do and say? You don't need to be a reading professional to play an important role in helping your child gain traction as a reader. The suggestions below can help. And for more specifics on what to actually do and say, check out this excellent resource "Tips for Supporting Reading Skills at Home" from What Works Clearinghouse.

You've got this!

Read aloud to your child every day. 

Reading aloud exposes your child to a range of vocabulary, concepts and writing styles. This helps them develop listening comprehension, imagination, and curiosity. Switch it up. You can read books, magazines, newspapers, or anything that interests your child. Ask questions before, during, and after reading to encourage their thinking. Click here for some great questions to ask.

Let your child choose what to read. 

Giving your child some choice and autonomy in what they read can increase their motivation and enjoyment. Provide them with a variety of reading materials that match their interests, hobbies, and preferences. You can also visit the library or bookstore together and let them pick their own books.

Lighten the load by taking turns or reading together.

When your child reads to you, they can feel overwhelmed and tire quickly. There are many ways to take some of the strain off of your beginning reader so that they stay engaged. Click here for examples of ways to partner-read with your child.

Be a coach.

Beginning readers often make mistakes and get stuck. Gently coaching them in the moment can help their brains build the right connections for reading fluently. Help your reader sound out words by asking them to say the sounds of the letters and blend them together into words. Help them divide long words into syllables to read chunk-by-chunk. 

Avoid telling them to look at the pictures or guess the words from the context. This takes their attention off of the letters and teaches them to rely on inefficient brain pathways for reading. Click here for a step-by-step guide on helping your child sound out (decode) words.

Keep it positive.

Reading is a complicated process that requires rewiring of the brain, a significant amount of work for beginners. Praise your child's efforts and accomplishments–when they figure out a new word, notice and fix a mistake, read a complete sentence, or persevere through a whole page of text. Learning to read is a unique process for each person, and is not correlated to intelligence. Avoid making comparisons to other children or older siblings. Let your child know that, like every great skill,  reading takes a lot of practice, and they will get it!

If needed, find a qualified reading tutor.

If your child is lagging significantly behind their peers in reading, reach out for more support. Discuss your concerns with their teacher and take advantage of extra help available at school. If your child is not progressing, seek out the help of a qualified reading tutor, such as our team at Reading Rays, who can evaluate your child's needs and provide structured literacy instruction. 

Reading is a lifelong skill, and the sooner your child becomes an independent reader, the better. By following these suggestions, you can help your child develop a positive attitude towards reading and become a confident and proficient reader.

To learn more about supporting your child, check out our other articles,:

Signs of a Struggling Reader in Elementary School

What to Expect from Your Child's School Reading Instruction