The Most Important Way Parents Can Help Children Learn to Read


It is so important to parents to have a child who does not struggle in reading.  After all, if children can't read words, they struggle in almost all other subject areas.  There are several ways to help your child become a confident, fluent reading machine.  

The one MOST important ways to teach young children how to read is by reading to them.  Parents should start by age two if not as soon as the child is conceived, for the greatest results.  There should not be one day that goes by that a parent does not read to or with a child. This isn't hard or an "extra" chore for you or your child.  It can be a simple book with only pictures, discussing how a story unfolds, a short picture book, the newspaper, magazines, one page of a chapter book or directions to a game.  Parents can also read from a computer, ingredients on boxes while grocery shopping or street signs; however it is extremely important that they see text in book form.

When I taught Pre-K, I knew if a child had ever been read to prior to their first school experience. The students who were read to regularly, knew how to hold a book, which way the page turns, how to look at pictures for clues and to read from left to right.  The other students had no clue how to hold a book.  They became frustrated easy.  This was a large percentage of my class.  Whether it was lack of time, knowledge or the old belief of  "That's what teachers are for." attitude; these students struggled for months.  Many learned the basics but still had a negative first impression of reading which will impact them for years, if not longer.

Another technique for helping children develop a sincere love for reading is to let them choose their books.  Even as adults, we can easily fall asleep if the materials we read are not on our interest level.  Take them to the books store or the local library.  Let them choose the book or find books on topics that your child has expressed interest in from other activities like dinosaurs, sports, boats, butterflies, etc...  Pick up a book today and read with your child!

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." — Frederick Douglass

Sponsored by Cash for Creations, Inc. - Classroom Visual Aids

 del.icio.us  Stumbleupon  Technorati  Digg 

Posted by Cindy Martin at 6/18/2009 4:32 PM
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: children learn to read parents teach reading reading parents help children read
 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
Trackback specific URL for this entry
  • No trackbacks exist for this entry.
Comments
  • No comments exist for this entry.
Leave a comment

 Enter the above security code (required)

 Name

 Email (will not be published)

 Website

Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.