| Helping Children Learn to Read As Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers we play a very important part in helping our children learn to read. Reading to children helps, and we can assist even more by building the five skills kids need to become readers. The five skills are in the chart below: | |
| Skills Needed | How to Help |
| 1) Spoken Words (Phonemic Awareness): Before the child ever sees a printed work, he or she will hear thousands and thousands of words spoken. Children need to learn how sounds go together to make words. | Play word games that rhyme or is you see a boat in the water day: "Hey, look at that coat." Then the child can respond and say, "That’s not a coat, that is a boat!" Or ask, "Who can come up with a word that rhymes with fan?" |
| 2) Written Words (Phonics): Children need to learn that written words are codes for spoken words, or sounds. What may seem obvious to adults is something children have to learn. | Look for words on signs, maps, billboards, cereal boxes, money birthday cards, etc. Point out the words when you see them and say them out loud. Then say them slowly and show them how the combination of letters makes certain sounds. |
| 3) Word Power (Vocabulary): Once a child understands that a written word represents a spoken word, it is time for them to start learning more words. Reading, listening, to music and conversation are ways to learn new words. | When children are very young, point to pictures in a book and say the name of the picture, such as "cow". Alphabet books are great for this. As children get older, the reading material can fit the child’s age. Newspaper and comics work too! |
| 4) Reading Smoothly and Easily (Fluency): Learning to recognize common words (how they look) will help a child read more smoothly. | Read the same books over and over, or take turns reading a sentence in a book. Don’t make it a chore. Just have fun with it and give praise when the child does well. |
| 5) Knowing What the Words Mean (Comprehension): Understanding the meaning of what has been read. | Comment on the story or ask question: "Why do you think he did that?" or "What do you think will happen next?" |
| Check this out! Bedtime at my house was full of reasons my daughter needed to get out of bed after we read a story and turned the lights out. This used to take up to a hour each night! I was exhausted and desperate for a way to keep her in bed at bedtime. While watching the morning news one day, I literally jumped for joy when I heard this idea. Give your child one of the cards below and explain they have just one “pass” to get out of bed. I was skeptical at first, but it worked! Good Luck, Sarah Noll If you have a great idea you would like to share in our newsletter email sarah@dnccc.com | |
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