How to Raise a Good Reader

Do you want to raise a good reader? Teaching reading skills early establishes good habits that teachers will appreciate once your child starts Kindergarten. Here are some good habits that will help your child develop not only a love for books, but the reading skills to go with them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Read early, read often. Read at least 2 to 3 books daily, starting in infancy. This may seem silly when your child appears too little to understand the words or to pay attention to the pages, but it establishes a habit for your baby. Habits help children learn.

2. Point to the pictures. As you're reading to young children, point out the pictures that correspond to the words you are saying. Reading books this way helps your child understand what the words mean, and to learn that stories move from left to right. Encourage little ones to point at the same picture. For example, say, "I touched the rabbit; now you touch the rabbit."

3. Point to the words. Once your child is about 3 years old, begin pointing to the words as you say them. Don't let word-pointing slow your flow; just do it a few times per book to help the child recognize words as units.

4. Identify letters and sounds. Think phonics, an essential reading skill. Once your child reaches about 4 years, you can begin teaching them not only the letters, but the letter sounds. Focus first on capital letters, since your child may already recognize those. Try using the capitals in character names or at the beginning of sentences. Say the letter, then the sound of the letter. Then, say the word, pointing out how it starts with the "B" sound, for example. Point out the letter in other places in the book.

5. Ask questions. Now think comprehension, another important reading skill. Ask your child what is happening in the picture. Point out details that support the story, such as, "There's the blue hat Josh is looking for!" Ask your child to point out objects, too. For example, if you're reading a story about frogs, have your child point to all the frogs she sees. As your child gets older, ask more open-ended questions, such as, "What do you think will happen next?"

6. Know when to back off. If your child seems annoyed with your interruptions, stop and wait for another time. The goal is not to create a fluent reader before Kindergarten; the goal is to have your child familiar with basic reading skills and prepared for instruction with a trained professional.

7. Know when to get help. If your child struggles with learning letter names and sounds, pronouncing certain sounds, or understanding the meaning of what he's read, talk with his teacher. While some of these problems are a normal part of learning to read, others can be signs of reading disorder. Early recognition can make a big difference in fixing a child's reading problems. And if you've been reading to him all along, you'll be in a better position to notice a lack of progress.