How Do I Teach My Child to Read?

Read to Succeed!


Early Reading skills are essential for developing good readers. Research shows that starting your child
reading at an early age gives a definite advantage in school. Children who start reading before the first
grade malnLaln Lhelr lead" ln readlng and comprehenslon. Larly readers are also llkeller Lo excel ln
other academic subjects.
I have been teaching Pre-School for the last 20 years. The question I often get asked by parents is, How
do I teach my child Lo read?" 1he concepL ls slmple: ConslsLency, 8epeLlLlon and lmlLaLlon. lL really
doesnL maLLer WPA1 you are Leachlng your chlldit could be telling time, it could be tying a shoe; it
could be riding a bike. The most important thing to remember is that you must reinforce any concept
on a daily basis.
Each morning I sit my students down on a large area rug and we do a 10 minute circle time. My circle
time includes: The Alphabet Song, Counting to 20, Months of the Year, Days of the Week, Colors and
Shapes. I also Lhrow ln, WhaL year ls lL?" and sLarL wlLh 1wo Lhousand and .. A child always yells
ouL 14!" My nexL quesLlon ls WhaL monLh ls lL?" I start sounding out the name of the month which is
displayed brightly on our calendar. It is currently September so I would begin by sounding out the word.
By doing this daily my students can recite this to me and they can recite this to their parents and to
anyone else who is willing to listen!
What does all this mean?
Consistent-
To be consistent means that you must practice a concept each day.
Repetition-
Repetition means that if you want to learn the Alphabet song, then you should sing the Alphabet song
over and over each day.
Imitation-
Parents should model good reading habits even if it is just by reading a newspaper or even a magazine
daily. If you read daily, your child will want to read daily.


7 Read to Succeed Strategies!
Children are learning from the moment they are born and absorb whatever we teach them. Introducing
readlng" Lo a young chlld can be done simply by reading each day. Make it a daily routine. It could be
after school, or it could be before bed. Whatever you choose will become an expected daily event. Read
aloud to your child and follow each word with your finger. Reading aloud to children helps to broaden
their vocabulary and develop their knowledge of different types of print. Eventually a child will learn
that print is read from left to right and from the top of the page to the bottom. They will learn to
correlate the spoken words with the printed words.
1. Read 15 to 20 minutes per day.
2. Keep a variety of books on hand.
3. Discuss the story as you read.
4. 8ead ouL loud uslng funny volces and acL Lhe sLory ouL. (1hls keeps a chllds aLLenLlon.)
5. Point to the words as you read
6. Create flash cards that help identify letters. If you have mastered letter recognition then create
flash cards that teach letter sounds. If that is mastered then start sounding out or decoding
words.
(Helpful Hint: Learn 3 letters or letter sounds at a time, once that is mastered add two more,
then when those 3 are mastered, add two more, until all 26 letters or letter sounds are
completed or known)
7. 8ead everyLhlng! LreeL slgns, Lore lgns, Menus, 8lllboards, eLc.

lease keep ln mlnd Lhe earller ln a chllds llfe you begln Lo read, Lhe beLLer your chlld wlll be. Make it
fun, make it engaging, and ultimately make a solid foundation that begins your chllds educational
journey.

Beth Costanzo has been educating children for 20 years and is the former owner of Majestic Harbor
School in Gloucester, Massachusetts. She is currently the owner of The Adventures of Scuba Jack
whlch helps boLh parenLs and Leachers supplemenL chlldrens learnlng with skill building activities,
pro[ecLs, workbooks and uvus.


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