Practice reading Activities
If your child is just learning letter sounds and blending, when you are out ask your child to find a letter that makes different sounds. For example, while grocery shopping you might ask your child to find a letter that makes the /m/ sound. If they showed you a mango, they are on the right track! This is a fun way to make the grocery store enjoyable, and keep children engaged.
Play games with your child. Scrabble, boggle, and bananagrams are all great games to build literacy skills.
You can help your child learn words by having your child say the word, write the word, and then spell it out loud.
Rhyming activities are especially fun for young learners, and we would encourage you to read nursery rhymes or make up rhymes that your child can fill in. For example: The box has a lot of (socks).
Have your child practice reading a short text more than once. Repeated reading can help to build fluency and accuracy with their reading. It also builds confidence as children become more familiar with the text.
Have your child write a story, or write in a journal. Writing activities can help with vocabulary, spelling, and recognizing words.
Work with word families to make new words. The words can be real or made up. For example have your child make -ack words. Their list might include black, tack, sack, mack, dack...Have your child read the different words that they made.
This activity (click the link above for more information) is one that we use a lot for students who have mastered blending words, and are ready to practice reading longer texts, such as a paragraph or a page. Any text can work for this- even the book that your child is reading each night. This activity promotes accurate reading!
Read aloud to your child
Reading aloud to children each day has a significant impact on a child's early reading habits. Even rereading favorites will help your young reader! Reading aloud helps children in these areas:
Improves fluency
Expands their vocabulary
Helps with comprehension
Involves your family members
Brings the fun back into reading
Reading Resources for Parents
Reading Buddies TV Show - This show focuses on different letter sounds and spelling patterns- a lot of fun for kids to watch!
Reading Rockets: Website to assist parents and caregivers in helping students become more confident readers.
Reading Eggs: Learn more about the "science of reading." Lots of informative videos
Parent Information Course: Want to learn EVEN more about the science of learning to read?