How to Make a Child Read Faster
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body," Joseph Addison said. In sports, we help children grow faster and stronger with the techniques and practice we assign them. It's the same with reading--a knowledge of techniques and fun, engaging ways to practice will encourage them to succeed.
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Instructions
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Make Reading Fun
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Finding a book your child will love is the first part of the battle, and it doesn't have to be fiction in the form of classics or a thick Harry Potter book. Your child's personality, likes and interests can steer you to the starting point. Don't overlook magazines, comic books, the comics in a newspaper, websites and nonfiction books. Any literature that catches your child's interest is where the practice should begin.
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Spell it out. When a child doesn't know a word, traditional methods indicate sounding out every letter phonetically, but spelling it out can have the same result without as much struggle. Often children feel embarrassed sounding out each syllable. For example if your child gets frustrated because she sounds out 'c' then 'h' instead of 'ch,' it's time to switch techniques.
Some children simply realize they've been skimming over a couple important letters in their quest to read faster, and this slows them down enough to realize what they're missing.
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Read aloud. As a child sits next to you while you read, they will begin to associate words with your sounds, and reading becomes less of a challenge. Add inflection to dramatize quotations and change your voice with different characters. The more interesting your aloud reading is, the more interested your child will be in reading at your speed and level.
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Repeat. It's okay if your child wants to read the same book, article or comic strip collection over and over again. In fact, the more familiar they are with the material, the faster their reading becomes, and this knowledge of words is like a library stored in their brain. The words in the materials they repeatedly read will become easily recognized in other literature.
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Have fun. No need to pull out the timers at home. Fluency tests and phonetic flashcards will be used frequently at school. For a lifelong reading habit, make reading a fun, entertaining experience at home. Dramatize fun books. Start a book club with your child where you read the same book-even if it is "Captain Underpants." Provide your child with a headlamp or a fun reading light.
The more reading is enjoyed, the easier it becomes for a child and before you know it they'll be faster readers than you.
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