10+ Steps to Teach Your Child to Read

Reading is an important life skill that can significantly improve a child’s language skills, comprehension, and success in school. 

I always preferred reading out to my son until he started picking up a book to read himself. 📚

Teaching your child to read is not difficult as long as you take the time to understand your child’s learning style and design a personalized reading program for them. I will guide you through the steps on how to teach your child how to read with success!⤵️

But teaching to read a book can be tricky, so here are some simple steps to help your preschooler read! 👩🏻‍🏫

Amazing Steps to Teach Your Child to Read

Provide the proper context.

Begin by gently introducing books and explicit language at home. Build up a foundation while they’re still developing their vocabulary. 

Before long, your child will be able to associate books with specific people and stories, making reading an independent activity much easier.

Providing a proper context has always helped my son build his pre-reading inquisitiveness! ✨

Plan a theme-based lesson.

Begin by presenting the book as a whole. An easy way to begin this step is to work with a single character or setting of the story in each lesson. 

Make sure the lessons are short so they don’t wear your little one out too much but still develop the topic of what they have read. Try to vary your presentation by highlighting different aspects of the book at different times to keep their interest.

Offer plenty of positive reinforcement.

This tip is personal and particularly helpful! 🤝

Remember that your child is just learning, so don’t expect them to grasp everything. Keep reading sessions fun for them by highlighting specific words or phrases that spark their interest. 

Also, focus on the positive aspects of reading as much as possible.

Encourage questions

After you’ve read a book together, ask your little one to tell you the story in their own words. 

Be sure to praise any comments they make and encourage them by asking follow-up questions about their reactions and interpretations of the story.

I love asking questions, which has helped my kids be more interested in the daily reading activities! 🤜🏻🤛🏻

Take it slow

When it’s time to read the book independently, let your child hold it. Give them a few days to feel comfortable holding the book and turning pages before allowing them to read the story.

Give books as rewards.

Reading is a natural desire for little ones, so always reward them for reading with something special. Many parents are initially tempted to buy their children books as soon as they can sound out words. 📖

But, it’s more important to promote the joy of reading than to rush them into literature as an act of consumerism.

Try a story and game.

This has always helped me a lot! 🖖🏻

Playing a story game is a great way to encourage your child’s curiosity about reading. This method allows you to introduce new words and phrases in ways that kids find fun and engaging. 

Also, the game allows your child the time they need to understand what they’re hearing before moving on with the lesson.

Use phonics

Once you feel comfortable with your child’s independence in reading, begin encouraging them to sound out words based on their phonetic sounds matched up with letters of the alphabet. 

This will be an easy way to start them on their way to reading, and it’s an introduction that won’t frustrate them.

Buy books

If they’re not too shy, encourage your child to read books in front of you and share their favorite stories with you as well. You can also place a book order online so that they’ll get a few books as gifts throughout the year. 

And don’t be afraid to pick up on some of the new words they’re learning by reading, either! ⚡️

Never stop reading to your child.

One of the most important things you can do to help your child become a reader is never to stop reading aloud to him. 

I still read aloud to my son when he doesn’t feel like reading a book. This ensures that the habit or rhythm isn’t disrupted. 

Through childhood and even into adulthood, this is an important step that will help them enjoy books throughout their lives. Reading to your child is fun and more beneficial than you might think. Making reading part of your everyday life allows you to develop a strong bond with your child that will last for years. 🤜🏻🤛🏻

Signs that your child is ready to start reading

Well, how do you understand that your munchkin is ready to read? 📚

I have listed below a few pro-personal tips that I have learned throughout the years- read on⤵️

• Your child has developed quite a bit of interest in books and will always bring them to camp, daycare, or home.
•  Your child loves to read by themselves and shows an increasing number of reading-related words.
•  Your kid is familiar with the alphabet and knows some basic letter sounds.
•  Your child has become comfortable with introducing new vocabulary.
•  Your child is ready to start trying to read longer and more complex words.

Signs that your child is not ready for reading (yet)

Alternatively, your child might still need to be ready to read a book. 

Nothing to worry about- here are just a few signs you need to look out for before reading to them. ⤵️

• Your child is unfamiliar with the alphabet and shows a complete lack of letter sounds.
•  Your child does not recognize familiar words by sight even though they sound out correctly.
•  Your kid is not yet able to read long and complex words. (My son showed initial difficulty in reading LONG words, and now he FLIES through)
•  Your child cannot yet tell you where to find a certain book or magazine from memory.

What to do if your child doesn’t want to read

If you’ve tried everything and your child still wants to avoid reading, you may have a lazy reader. And the most important thing you can do is be patient. 

Let them read in their own time, and encourage them by giving them age-appropriate books that they’ll find enjoyable.

If you have a child that is difficult to motivate to read at home, try these ten great ways to encourage your child’s literacy.⤵️

Choose the Right Reading Material

Always provide reading material that your child will be interested in. This can include books, magazines, or comic books – as long as the material is geared towards their age and level of interest. The soft fabric will make it more difficult for them to want to read.

Schedule a Daily Quiet Time

Children learn best when relaxed and comfortable, so schedule a daily quiet time with no distractions. 

Your child should spend about 20 minutes in their room each day reading quietly independently.

Of course, monitoring him is a must! 🖖🏻

Encourage a Love of Reading

Explain to your child the importance of reading in their life and help them see the benefits of reading. Read books with them, share some stories, and discuss favorite books they’ve read.

Treat Reading Like a Sport

Working on word attacks is essential for any reader, so you must develop this skill at home and school whenever possible.

Encourage Your Child’s Growth Toward Reading

Develop an understanding of your child’s skills with reading by recognizing the rough spots when they are just beginning to work through the basics of their reading development and pay attention to progress once these areas have been addressed.

Make Reading a Family Affair

When my kids showed little interest in reading, I made it a FAMILY AFFAIR! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Children learn best when exposed to continuous learning, so encourage your child to read at home with you and the rest of the family whenever possible. 

By reading together as a family, you are promoting the value of reading in your child’s life and demonstrating to them what it means to be able to read.

Be Their Advocate

If your school offers after-school reading programs or tutoring in reading, make sure that you encourage this to reinforce the importance of reading and literacy skills in your child’s education.

Be a Good Sport

Enlist the support of your family and friends when you’re training your child to read. Share what reading is like to you, and offer them encouragement, support, and any resources or advice you have on how to help your child succeed with learning to read.

Conclusion

That’s it! You will have a little reader at your home in no days!

If you follow the steps I enlisted, you’ll be surprised at how much fun it is to teach your child to read! Of course, some kids learn faster than others, but most children love being able to read once they get started. 📖

So don’t let their age stop you from building up a lifelong habit of reading in your child. And also, remember, the more you practice, the better your child will get. So have fun with it! 🥳

Frequently asked questions:

1. My child isn’t reading books but reading things around the house. Is this good enough?

A: No, it’s not! You want your child to read schoolwork, not junk mail around the house! This will only make it harder for them to read the text in the classroom with a very different style than what is on their father’s credit card bill. Again, a step backward may be in order.

2. My child started reading just fine, but after some difficulties, she completely stopped reading. What do I do?

A: Time to step back! Sometimes when children start having reading difficulties, they get frustrated, think they are dumb, or give up. It’s a good idea to take a week off from reading so you can start over fresh. Then build it again, slowly progressing in difficulty and working on comprehension.

3. My child hates reading, but we sit down and watch TV together. What can I do about this?

A: This is another instance where you must step back for a moment. Reading skills are essential to success in school and work later in life.