6 Tips for Helping Your Child Improve Their Reading Skills

Did you know that 43 million US adults possess low literacy skills? 

Despite all the advances in online literacy, parents are still concerned about their children’s ability to read texts. Children with poor reading skills risk falling behind in the classroom.

Sending your child off to school with below-average reading mastery is not something you want to do. There are several steps that you can take at home to help your child boost their reading abilities. All you need is some time and commitment.

If you want to know what these are, keep reading to find out.

1. Establish a Reading Routine

Establishing a reading routine is a great way to help improve your child’s reading skills. A regular reading routine will give your child structure and consistency, which is important for any skill.

A good place to start is to set a designated time for reading each day. Decide on a specific amount of time for reading and make sure to allow for enough time for them to enjoy reading. This could be after school or sometime earlier in the day. 

Start by assigning your child one book a week, and gradually increase the number of reading materials as they progress. Check in on them periodically to see how they are progressing. Creating a reading routine can help your child grow to become a strong, independent reader.

2. Make Reading Fun

To ensure your child is a strong, confident reader, it is important to make reading fun. One way to do so is to provide a variety of reading materials, such as magazines, books, comics, and even newspapers. You might also want to consider the reading comprehension workbooks here.

Give your child options to choose what they want to read, whether it’s something educational, a fiction story, or a non-fiction book. Also, reading together as a family can help instill a lifelong love of literature and helps make reading time fun. Talking about stories after reading them can help your child to think more about the material and discuss important topics.  

When you’re reading together, take turns and keep the conversation going by asking interesting questions and discussing characters and topics. Don’t expect perfection, but provide your support, feedback, and any needed aid to help them understand the material.

Finally, give positive reinforcement and rewards they find motivating to encourage your child’s reading progress. Doing all these things should help your child to become a better reader.

3. Create a Reading Environment

Creating a reading environment for your child to help enhance their reading skills is an important part of their early education. Start by providing your child with a reading area, such as a corner of a room dedicated solely to reading.

The environment should be comfortable, relaxing, and full of books. Make that area inviting with cushions, pillows, and a soft rug. Keep the area free from distractions such as televisions, computers, and phones. 

Additionally, make sure the area has comfortable seating and plenty of lighting. These simple steps can help lay the foundation for your child to become a lifelong reader.

4. Use Technology to Enhance Engagement

In today’s digital age, there are many tools available to help your child with their reading skills. Parents should take advantage of these tools to enhance their reading engagement. Technology like interactive e-books, educational games, and apps that provide rewards for reading can create a positive learning environment.

Additionally, parents can look for videos or audio files of their child’s favorite stories that can help introduce the importance of grammar and pronunciation. Aside from the typical reading activities, your child can use the internet to research topics related to their studies, increasing their reading and critical thinking skills. Technology is an invaluable tool when it comes to helping your child enhance their reading engagement.

5. Develop Word Recognition Techniques

An effective method is to start out with basic sight words – words that can be learned and quickly recognized. It is best to introduce a few words at a time and steadily increase them until the reading level increases.

Teaching phonics is also beneficial as it helps to sound out new words. Additionally, writing in phonetic spelling and labeling objects in the home provides continual reading practice.

Help your child practice and master these words by providing flash cards, playing matching games, or even engaging in group guessing games. Once your child has a solid foundation for recognizing these words, it will give them the confidence and skills to recognize more challenging words and improve their reading comprehension.

6. Isolate Unknown Words to Comprehend Better

When a child comes across an unknown word, they should stop, sound out the word and approach it in a slow and deliberate manner. Break down the word phonetically, using the sound a letter makes. Have them sound out any syllables and look for parts that are similar to other words.

By searching for patterns, they can figure out what the unknown word means. It is important to explain the meaning of the word clearly to make sure the student understands it. Finally, the child should practice using the word correctly in a sentence.

Encouraging your child to read and think critically will help them break down and understand more complex texts. Isolating unknown words can be daunting at first. But with practice and comprehension, it will be a great tool to help your child with their reading skills.

Effective Ways to Enhance Reading Skills

Overall, reading with your child, teaching them words, and encouraging them to read aloud can help strengthen their skills. Reading should be an enjoyable experience, so make it one!

Ask your child’s teacher for help to find more creative and practical tips to support their reading skills. Make reading a part of their daily routine and watch their skills and confidence grow!

Consistent practice and support will help your child become confident with reading. Encourage your child to find a passion for reading so they can be successful in the future. 

Looking for more ways to make your child’s life better? Check out our posts on parenting and education to learn more!