How to teach kids to read

Contrary to what some people believe, learning to read is not a ‘natural’ process that happens all on its own. Reading is a complex process that requires the proper teaching of various skills and strategies, such as phonics (knowing the relationship between letters and sounds) and phonemic awareness (the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds or phonemes).

The good news is that although reading itself is a complex process, the steps taken in order to build these skills are fairly simple and straightforward. Reading with your child is one of the most important things you can do to develop your child’s ability to read, write and build skills for starting school. When children become good readers in the early grades, they are more likely to become better learners throughout their school years and beyond.

Some time, usually between the ages of 5 and 6, most children begin to read. Learning to read accurately, fluidly, with good comprehension and stamina is also a crucial set of skills for school success. Schools know this. That’s why in the best ones, the early years of primary education are devoted to teaching kids to read using scientifically proven methods to ensure that all kids are reading at grade level.

Preschool and kindergarten teachers set the stage for your child to learn to read with some critical early skills. First, second and third grade teachers then take up the task of building the skills that children will use everyday for the rest of their lives. As a parent, you can help by understanding what teachers are teaching and by asking questions about your child’s progress and the classroom reading program. You can also help your children become readers. Learning to read takes practice, more practice than children get during the school day.

Children become best at what they do most. Reading and writing should not simply be another activity that is only done at school. Reading and writing should become daily activities around the house as well as at school. As a start, parents should find out what is being taught each week in school and try to reinforce those lessons at home. Skills that your child is learning, such as sound-letter associations, can be practiced quite effectively through simple games.

But before your child learns to read and write, he needs to develop the building blocks for literacy – the ability to speak, listen, understand, watch and draw. The language experiences that children have before they start school form powerful brain connections. These connections are used for language, thinking and understanding. Without activities like talking, singing and reading, the brain doesn’t develop these important connections.

Becoming a reader involves the development of important skills, including learning to:

• use language in conversation
• listen and respond to stories read aloud
• recognize and name the letters of the alphabet
• listen to the sounds of spoken language
• connect sounds to letters to figure out the “code” of reading
• read often so that recognizing words becomes easy and automatic
• learn and use new words
• understand what is read

And as your child gets older, she also needs to learn about the connection between letters on a page and spoken sounds. For this to happen, she needs plenty of experience with:

• pictures and objects – how you can use words to talk about them
• letters and words – their shapes, sounds and names
• sounds – how words can rhyme, begin and end with the same letters, be broken up into parts like syllables, be formed by blending different sounds and so on.

You can help with all these areas of your child’s early literacy development by:

• communicating with your child
• reading together
• playing with rhyme and other sounds with your child.

And the great news is that you can do this in ways that are fun for both of you.

It’s a good idea to read with your child often. It’s best to start reading from birth, but it’s never too late to begin. Reading with children from an early age helps them develop a solid foundation for literacy. It also promotes bonding and is good for your relationship with your child.

Reading with your child:

• shows her that books can give both pleasure and information
• helps her learn the sounds of letters in spoken language
• helps her understand that stories aren’t coming from you, but from the words on the page – this teaches her about how the printed word works
• helps her develop a larger vocabulary – books might use new or unfamiliar words
• improves her thinking and problem-solving skills
• can get your child thinking and talking about a new concept, an event or something that interests her.

What you can do:

• Choose lift-the flap books, touch-and-feel books or books with rhyming or repeating words for younger children.
• Encourage your child to hold the book and turn the pages. This helps him start to understand that the book should be a certain way up, and that pages are always turned in the same direction.
• Slide your finger underneath the words as you read them, pointing out each word. This teaches your child about print and shows her that we always start on the left and move to the right when reading English. You could ask, ‘Where should I start reading on this page?’ or ‘Do you know this letter?’
• Point out pictures and talk about the pictures your child points to.
• Make the sounds of animals or other objects in the book – have fun!
• Visit the library. There are lots of different types of books you can borrow.

Teaching your child to read

• Teaching the sounds of language. The teacher provides opportunities for children to practice with the sounds that make up words . Children learn to put sounds together to make words and to break words into their separate sounds.
• Practicing the sounds of language. Read books with rhymes . Teach your child rhymes, short poems, and songs. Play simple word games: How many words can you make up that sound like the word “bat”?
• Teaching the letters of the alphabet. Teachers help children learn to recognize letter names and shapes.
• Helping children learn and use new words.
• Helping your child take spoken words apart and put them together. Help your child separate the sounds in words, listen for beginning and ending sounds, and put separate sounds together.
• Practicing the alphabet by pointing out letters wherever you see them and by reading alphabet books.
• Reading to children everyday. Read with expression and talk with your child about what they are reading.
• Systematically teaching phonics—how sounds and letters are related .
• Giving children the opportunity to practice the letter-sound relationships they are learning. Children have the chance to practice sounds and letters by reading easy books that use words with the letter-sound relationships they are learning .
• Helping children write the letter-sound relationships they know by using them in words, sentences, messages, and their own stories.
• Showing children ways to think about and understand what they are reading. Asks your child questions to show them how to think about the meaning of what they read.
• Pointing out the letter-sound relationships your child is learning on labels, boxes, newspapers, magazines and signs.
• Listening to your child read words and books from school. Be patient and listen as your child practices. Let your child know you are proud of his reading.
• Continuing to teach letter-sound relationships for children who need more practice. On average, children need about two years of instruction in letter-sound relationships to become good spellers as well as readers.
• Teaching the meaning of words, especially words that are important to understanding a book.
• Teaching ways to learn the meaning of new words. Children should be taught how to use dictionaries to learn word meanings, how to use known words and word parts to figure out other words , and how to get clues about a word from the rest of the sentence.
• Helping children understand what they are reading. Good readers think as they read and they know whether what they are reading is making sense. Help children to check their understanding. When children are having difficulty, show them ways to figure out the meaning of what they are reading.
• Re-reading familiar books. Children need practice in reading comfortably and with expression using books they know.
• Building reading accuracy. As your child is reading aloud, point out words he missed and help him read words correctly. If you stop to focus on a word, have your child reread the whole sentence to be sure he understands the meaning.
• Building reading comprehension. Talk with your child about what she is reading. Ask about new words . Talk about what happened in a story. Ask about the characters , places and events that took place. Ask what new information she has learned from the book. Encourage her to read on her own.
• Share conversations with your child over meal times and other times you are together. Children learn words more easily when they hear them spoken often. Introduce new and interesting words at every opportunity.
• Read together everyday. Spend time talking about stories, pictures, and words.
• Be your child’s best advocate. Keep informed about your child ’s progress in reading and ask the teacher about ways you can help.
• Be a reader and a writer. Children learn habits from the people around them.
• Visit the library often. Story times, computers, homework help, and other exciting activities await the entire family.

When should I start reading with my young child?

You can start reading to your child as early as you like – the earlier the better. Reading together is a chance to hold your baby in your arms, for your baby to listen to your voice, and for you to share the pictures in the book. Babies love all these things, so why not start as early as possible.

There is no specific age to begin sharing books together. Some say that reading with young children can begin soon after birth. Other parents like to start around 4 to 6 months because your baby will have some head control then and can sit up in your lap. You should start whenever you’re ready.

What is phonemic awareness?

Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Reading is the product of decoding and comprehension ¹⁾. Although this sounds simple, learning to read is much tougher than people think. To learn to decode and read printed English, children must be aware that spoken words are composed of individual sound parts termed phonemes. This is what is meant by phoneme awareness.

Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of words. The levels of phonological awareness are, from simplest to most complex: syllables, onset–rime, and phonemes. Scientists know that a student’s skill in phonological awareness is a good predictor of later reading success or difficulty.

Phoneme awareness and phonics are not the same. When educators assess phoneme awareness skills, they ask children to demonstrate knowledge of the sound structure of words without any letters or written words present. For example, What word would be left if the /k/ sound were taken away from cat. What sounds do you hear in the word big? To assess phonics skills, they ask children to link sounds (phonemes) with letters. Thus, the development of phonics skills depends on the development of phoneme awareness.

Why is phoneme awareness critical in beginning reading, and why is it difficult for some children? Because to read an alphabetic language like English, children must know that written spellings systematically represent spoken sounds. When youngsters figure this out, either on their own or with direct instruction, they have acquired the alphabetic principle. However, if beginning readers have difficulty perceiving the sounds in spoken words for example, if they cannot hear the /at/ sound in fat and cat and perceive that the difference lies in the first sound they will have difficulty decoding or sounding out new words. In turn, developing reading fluency will be difficult, resulting in poor comprehension, limited learning, and little enjoyment.

Scientists are beginning to understand why many children have difficulty developing phoneme awareness. When you speak, the individual sounds (phonemes) within the words are not consciously heard by the listener. Thus, no one ever receives any natural practice understanding that words are composed of smaller, abstract sound units. For example, when one utters the word bag, the ear hears only one sound, not three (as in /b/ /a/ /g/. This is because when bag is spoken, the /a/ and /g/ phonemes are folded into the initial /b/ sound. Thus, the acoustic information presented to the ears reflects an overlapping bundle of sound, not three discrete sounds. This process ensures rapid, efficient communication. Consider the time it would take to have a conversation if each of the words you uttered were segmented into their underlying sound structure.

However, nature has provided a conundrum here: What is good for the listener is not so good for the beginning reader. Although spoken language is seamless, the beginning reader must detect the seams in speech, unglue the sounds from one another, and learn which sounds (phonemes) go with which letters. Scientists now understand that specific systems in the brain recover sounds from spoken words, and just as in learning any skill, children understand phoneme awareness with different aptitudes and experiences.

Developing automaticity and understanding

In the initial stages of reading development, learning phoneme awareness and phonics skills and practicing these skills with texts is critical. Children must also acquire fluency and automaticity in decoding and word recognition. Consider that a reader has only so much attention and memory capacity. If beginning readers read the words in a laborious, inefficient manner, they cannot remember what they read, much less relate the ideas to their background knowledge. Thus, the ultimate goal of reading instruction for children to understand and enjoy what they read may not be achieved.

Reading researchers reveal that making meaning requires more than phoneme awareness, phonics, and reading fluency, although these are necessary skills. Good comprehenders link the ideas presented in print to their own experiences. They have also developed the necessary vocabulary to make sense of the content being read. Good comprehenders have a knack for summarizing, predicting, and clarifying what they have read, and many are adept at asking themselves guide questions to enhance understanding.

What is the difference between phonological awareness and phonemic awareness?

Phonological awareness refers to a global awareness of the sound structures of speech and the ability to manipulate those structures. Phonological awareness is an umbrella term that encompasses both basic levels of awareness of speech sounds, such as rhyming, alliteration, the number of words in a sentence, and the syllables within words, as well as more advanced levels of awareness such as onset-rime awareness and full phonemic awareness.

Phonemic awareness is the most advanced level of phonological awareness. It refers to a child’s awareness of the individual phonemes — the smallest units of sound — in spoken words, and the ability to manipulate those sounds.

Phonological awareness involves a continuum of skills that develop over time and that are crucial for reading and spelling success, because they are central to learning to decode and spell printed words. Phonological awareness is especially important at the earliest stages of reading development — in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade for typical readers.

Explicit teaching of phonological awareness in these early years can eliminate future reading problems for many students. However, struggling decoders of any age can work on phonological awareness, especially if they evidence problems in blending or segmenting phonemes.

How about phonological awareness and phonics?

Phonological awareness refers to a global awareness of sounds in spoken words, as well as the ability to manipulate those sounds.

Phonics refers to knowledge of letter sounds and the ability to apply that knowledge in decoding unfamiliar printed words.

So, phonological awareness refers to oral language and phonics refers to print. Both of these skills are very important and tend to interact in reading development, but they are distinct skills; children can have weaknesses in one of them but not the other.

For example, a child who knows letter sounds but cannot blend the sounds to form the whole word has a phonological awareness (specifically, a phonemic awareness) problem. Conversely, a child who can orally blend sounds with ease but mixes up vowel letter sounds, reading pit for pet and set for sit, has a phonics problem.

Why should I read with my young child?

Reading is vital for your child’s development. Sharing books with your young child helps them to start to develop the sort of skills that they will need when they start school. Reading together is not trying to teach your little one to read before they are ready, it is helping your child to develop a love of books. Reading together from an early age helps your child to understand how a book works and to learn how much fun they can be. Sharing books together is a special time. The pictures and words in the book give you lots of things to have fun with, talk and laugh about, all while you bond with your child.

Why some children have difficulties learning to read?

Good readers are phonemically aware, understand the alphabetic principle, apply these skills in a rapid and fluent manner, possess strong vocabularies and syntactical and grammatical skills, and relate reading to their own experiences. Difficulties in any of these areas can impede reading development. Further, learning to read begins far before children enter formal schooling. Children who have stimulating literacy experiences from birth onward have an edge in vocabulary development, understanding the goals of reading, and developing an awareness of print and literacy concepts.

Conversely, the children who are most at risk for reading failure enter kindergarten and the elementary grades without these early experiences. Frequently, many poor readers have not consistently engaged in the language play that develops an awareness of sound structure and language patterns. They have limited exposure to bedtime and laptime reading. In short, children raised in poverty, those with limited proficiency in English, those from homes where the parents’ reading levels and practices are low, and those with speech, language, and hearing handicaps are at increased risk of reading failure.

However, many children with robust oral language experience, average to above average intelligence, and frequent early interactions with literacy activities also have difficulties learning to read. Why? Programmatic longitudinal research, clearly indicates that deficits in the development of phoneme awareness skills not only predict difficulties learning to read, but they also have a negative effect on reading acquisition. Whereas phoneme awareness is necessary for adequate reading development, it is not sufficient. Children must also develop phonics concepts and apply these skills fluently in text. Although substantial research supports the importance of phoneme awareness, phonics, and the development of speed and automaticity in reading, we know less about how children develop reading comprehension strategies and semantic and syntactic knowledge. Given that some children with well developed decoding and word- recognition abilities have difficulties understanding what they read, more research in reading comprehension is crucial.

Substantial evidence shows that many children in the 1st and 2nd grades and beyond will require explicit instruction to develop the necessary phoneme awareness, phonics, spelling, and reading comprehension skills. But for these children, this will not be sufficient. For youngsters having difficulties learning to read, each of these foundational skills should be taught and integrated into textual reading formats to ensure sufficient levels of fluency, automaticity, and understanding.

How often should I read with my young child?

There is no magic number for how long or how often you should read together. Young children generally like routines so you could try to make reading a part of your everyday routine. Bedtime is a time that lots of families like for sharing stories. Anywhere, anytime is great. Your child might choose books for you to share at any time of the day, just because they like it.

How do I get my young child involved in reading?

• Try to find a quiet space to share books (turn off the TV and radio) so your child can hear your voice. A quiet space will let you both enjoy the experience.
• Get comfy together, and sit so that you can both clearly see and touch the book. Encourage your toddler to point to things in the book and turn the pages.
• Let your child choose the books.
• Your child might like to have the same book read over and over. Imagine how good your child will feel about themselves when he or she tells you the word that finishes the sentence or describes what is going to happen next.
• Your child’s interests will change as they grow. When they choose the book you are supporting your child to share their interests with you.
• Play games and have fun. Books can help you get started on lots of different activities. Your infant will like being moved to the rhythm of the book and actions that match the book. There are many stories that are actually songs. You can sing them together.
• Ask questions and point to familiar things in the book. Help your child to explore what they see in the book and relate it to their real world. Ask about things they like, things they have seen before, the colors they see, and to count things on the page.
• Join the library, it’s free. Your child will have fun selecting the books and have lots to choose from. You may also be able to go to “read aloud” sessions at the library. You and your child will see many people who love reading and have lots of fun.

Reading milestones

This is a general outline of the milestones on the road to reading success. Keep in mind that kids develop at different paces and spend varying amounts of time at each stage. If you have concerns, talk to your child’s doctor, teacher, or the reading specialist at school. Early intervention is key in helping kids who struggle to read.

Infancy (Up to Age 1)

Kids usually begin to:

• learn that gestures and sounds communicate meaning
• respond when spoken to
• direct their attention to a person or object
• understand 50 words or more
• reach for books and turn the pages with help
• respond to stories and pictures by vocalizing and patting the pictures

Toddlers (Ages 1–3)

Kids usually begin to:

• answer questions about and identify objects in books — such as “Where’s the cow?” or “What does the cow say?”
• name familiar pictures
• use pointing to identify named objects
• pretend to read books
• finish sentences in books they know well
• scribble on paper
• know names of books and identify them by the picture on the cover
• turn pages of board books
• have a favorite book and request it to be read often

Early Preschool (Age 3)

Kids usually begin to:

• explore books independently
• listen to longer books that are read aloud
• retell a familiar story
• sing the alphabet song with prompting and cues
• make symbols that resemble writing
• recognize the first letter in their name
• learn that writing is different from drawing a picture
• imitate the action of reading a book aloud

Late Preschool (Age 4)

Kids usually begin to:

• recognize familiar signs and labels, especially on signs and containers
• recognize words that rhyme
• name some of the letters of the alphabet (a good goal to strive for is 15–18 uppercase letters)
• recognize the letters in their names
• write their names
• name beginning letters or sounds of words
• match some letters to their sounds
• develop awareness of syllables
• use familiar letters to try writing words
• understand that print is read from left to right, top to bottom
• retell stories that have been read to them

Kindergarten (Age 5)

Kids usually begin to:

• produce words that rhyme
• match some spoken and written words
• write some letters, numbers, and words
• recognize some familiar words in print
• predict what will happen next in a story
• identify initial, final, and medial (middle) sounds in short words
• identify and manipulate increasingly smaller sounds in speech
• understand concrete definitions of some words
• read simple words in isolation (the word with definition) and in context (using the word in a sentence)
• retell the main idea, identify details (who, what, when, where, why, how), and arrange story events in sequence

First and second grade (Ages 6–7)

Kids usually begin to:

• read familiar stories
• “sound out” or decode unfamiliar words
• use pictures and context to figure out unfamiliar words
• use some common punctuation and capitalization in writing
• self-correct when they make a mistake while reading aloud
• show comprehension of a story through drawings
• write by organizing details into a logical sequence with a beginning, middle, and end

Second and third grade (Ages 7–8)

Kids usually begin to:

• read longer books independently
• read aloud with proper emphasis and expression
• use context and pictures to help identify unfamiliar words
• understand the concept of paragraphs and begin to apply it in writing
• correctly use punctuation
• correctly spell many words
• write notes, like phone messages and email
• understand humor in text
• use new words, phrases, or figures of speech that they’ve heard
• revise their own writing to create and illustrate stories

Fourth through eighth grade (Ages 9–13)

Kids usually begin to:

• explore and understand different kinds of texts, like biographies, poetry, and fiction
• understand and explore expository, narrative, and persuasive text
• read to extract specific information, such as from a science book
• understand relations between objects
• identify parts of speech and devices like similes and metaphors
• correctly identify major elements of stories, like time, place, plot, problem, and resolution
• read and write on a specific topic for fun, and understand what style is needed
• analyze texts for meaning.

Reading with babies (from 4 months)

Sharing stories from birth gives children a great start to life. Share rhymes, songs and stories every day

What babies like:

• being close to you
• watching your face and lips move
• hearing the sound of your voice
• listening to different sounds and music
• hearing same words, rhymes and stories over and over again
• looking at books with colors, faces and pictures of other babies
• touching and tasting books

What are the benefits of reading to my baby?

An infant won’t understand everything you’re doing or why. But reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful shared activity you can continue for years to come and it’s important for your baby’s brain.

Reading aloud:

• teaches a baby about communication
• introduces concepts such as numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way
• builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills
• gives babies information about the world around them

By the time babies reach their first birthday they will have learned all the sounds needed to speak their native language. The more stories you read aloud, the more words your baby will hear and the better they’ll be able to talk.

Hearing words helps to build a rich network of words in a baby’s brain. Kids whose parents talk and read to them often know more words by age 2 than children who have not been read to. And kids who are read to during their early years are more likely to learn to read at the right time.

When you read to your baby:

• Your baby hears you using many different emotions and expressive sounds. This supports social and emotional development.
• It encourages your baby to look, point, touch, and answer questions. This helps with social development and thinking skills.
• Your baby improves language skills by copying sounds, recognizing pictures, and learning words.

But perhaps the most important reason to read aloud is that it makes a connection between the things your baby loves the most — your voice and closeness to you — and books. Spending time reading to your baby shows that reading is important. And if infants and children are read to often with joy, excitement, and closeness, they begin to associate books with happiness — and new readers are created.

Young babies may not know what the pictures in a book mean, but they can focus on them, especially faces, bright colors, and different patterns. When you read or sing lullabies and nursery rhymes, you can entertain and soothe your infant.

Between 4–6 months:

• Your baby may begin to show more interest in books. Your little one will grab and hold books, but will mouth, chew, and drop them as well. Choose sturdy vinyl or cloth books with bright colors and familiar, repetitive, or rhyming text.

Between 6–12 months:

• Your baby starts to understand that pictures represent objects, and may start to show that they like certain pictures, pages, or even entire stories better than others. Your baby will respond while you read, grabbing for the book and making sounds. By 12 months, your little one will turn pages (with some help from you), pat or start to point to objects on a page, and repeat your sounds.

How you can help your baby grow into a strong reader

• smile and hold your baby close so they can see your face and the book
• copy the sounds your baby makes e.g. “da-da-da”
• help your baby bounce and move to the rhythm of your voice or music
• talk or sing about what you are doing when caring for your baby
• notice what your baby is looking at and name it
• share stories with your baby in the language you feel most comfortable with
• start at the front of a book — you don’t have to finish it, a few pages is great.
• keep books in easy reach of your baby
• join the library — it’s free and fun.

How to read to your baby

Here’s a great thing about reading aloud: It doesn’t take special skills or equipment, just you, your baby, and some books. Read aloud for a few minutes at a time, but do it often. Don’t worry about finishing entire books — focus on pages that you and your baby enjoy.

Try to read every day, perhaps before naptime and bedtime. Reading before bed gives you and your baby a chance to cuddle and connect. It also sets a routine that will help calm your baby.

It’s also good to read at other points in the day. Choose times when your baby is dry, fed, and alert. Books also come in handy when you’re stuck waiting, so have some in the diaper bag to fill time sitting at the doctor’s office or standing in line at the grocery store.

Here are some other reading tips:

• Cuddling while you read helps your baby feel safe, warm, and connected to you.
• Read with expression, make your voice higher or lower where it’s appropriate, or use different voices for different characters.
• Don’t worry about following the text exactly. Stop once in a while and ask questions or make comments on the pictures or text. (“Where’s the kitty? There he is! What a cute black kitty.”)
• Your child might not be able to respond yet, but this lays the groundwork for doing so later.
• Sing nursery rhymes, make funny animal sounds, or bounce your baby on your knee — anything that shows that reading is fun.
• Babies love — and learn from — repetition, so don’t be afraid of reading the same books over and over. When you do, repeat the same emphasis each time as you would with a familiar song.
• As your baby gets older, encourage your little one to touch the book or hold sturdier vinyl, cloth, or board books. You don’t want to encourage chewing on books, but by putting them in the mouth, your baby is learning about them, finding out how books feel and taste — and discovering that you can’t eat them!

What to read to your baby

Books for babies should have simple, repetitive, and familiar text and clear pictures. During the first few months of life, your child just likes to hear your voice. So you can read almost anything, especially books with a sing-song or rhyming text. As your baby gets more interested in looking at things, choose books with simple pictures against solid backgrounds.

As your baby begins to grab, you can read vinyl or cloth books that have faces, bright colors, and shapes. When your baby begins to respond to what’s inside the books, add board books with pictures of babies or familiar objects like toys. When your baby starts to do things like sit up in the bathtub or eat finger foods, find simple stories about daily routines like bedtime or bathtime. When your child starts talking, choose books that let babies repeat simple words or phrases.

Books with mirrors and different textures (crinkly, soft, scratchy) are also great for this age group. So are fold-out books you can prop up, or books with flaps that open for a surprise. Board books make page turning easier for infants, and vinyl or cloth books can go everywhere — even the tub. Babies of any age like photo albums with pictures of people they know and love. And babies love nursery rhymes.

One of the best ways to make sure that your little one grows up to be a reader is to have books around your house. When your baby is old enough to crawl over to a basket of toys and pick one out, make sure some books are in the mix.

Besides the books you own, you also can borrow from the library. Many libraries have story time for babies too. Don’t forget to pick up a book for yourself while you’re there. Reading for fun is another way you can be your baby’s reading role model.

Reading with babies (from 12 months)

Sharing stories from birth gives children a great start to life. Share rhymes, songs and stories every day.

What babies like:

• sitting close, seeing the book and your face
• looking at and listening to the world around them
• moving to the rhythm of stories, nursery rhymes and music
• touching objects with different textures (soft, smooth, prickly)• hearing the same songs, books and stories over and over again
• feeling and holding the book and helping to turn the pages — board books are great
• looking at books about family, food, animals and colors.

How you can help your baby grow into a strong reader

• ensure your baby can see your face and the book you are sharing
• play and laugh with your baby
• give your baby different textures to touch and talk about what they feel like
• sing songs that your baby can clap, dance and move to• talk about what your baby is doing or pointing to
• tell your baby’s favorite stories and rhymes over and over again
• name the pictures your baby touches or points to in the book
• keep books at home to share with your baby
• take your baby to the library to look at books and join in reading sessions and activities — it’s free and fun.

How to teach toddler to read

At this age and stage, reading with your child is all about having fun with books, spending special time together and modelling a love of books.

Reading, storytelling, talking and singing with your toddler helps him learn about sounds, words and language. Try to read daily with your toddler. Ask your child to fill in the words in stories she knows, and name what she sees in the pictures. Your toddler might enjoy books with animals, stories about playtime, and lift-the-flap and pop-up books.

Sharing stories, talking and singing every day helps your child’s development in lots of ways. You’re getting your child familiar with sounds, words, language, print and, eventually, the value and joy of books. This all builds your child’s early literacy skills and helps him go on to read successfully later in childhood.

Reading stories also stimulates your child’s imagination and helps her learn about the world around her. And reading together creates a precious time for bonding with your child.

What toddlers like:

• talking with you about the games they are playing
• pointing to and naming things they see
• reciting the same rhymes, songs and stories over and over again
• listening to songs and stories with his or her name in them
• filling in the words in songs and stories they know
• reading about animals and making animal noises
• choosing the book and helping to turn the pages.

NOTE: Ebooks can be handy, especially if you’re travelling or away from home. If your child wants to read ebooks, share them with your child and choose stories without distracting animations or games. Ebooks shouldn’t replace paper books. It’s important to balance screen time with other activities.

How you can help your toddler grow into a strong reader

• talk to your toddler about what they are doing as they play
• help your toddler notice words, sounds and letters in everyday life e.g. street signs, grocery packaging
• sing simple songs together, make your own music and dance to the rhythm
• find words that rhyme in stories and songs
• play and have fun — you don’t have to read the whole book
• encourage your toddler to turn the pages and talk about what he or she sees e.g. “Show me the snake”
• share books, read-along storytelling apps and eBooks wherever you are
• carry books with you when you go somewhere
• visit a library, borrow some books or join in toddler story time sessions at the library — it’s free and fun.

Here are some tips that can help you and your toddler reader make the most of book time:

• Help your child choose a book, then ask him to hold the book and turn the pages.
• Get your child to fill in the words in a story she knows. Also try pausing and letting her finish sentences for you.
• Ask your toddler to name what he sees in the pictures.
• Talk with your toddler about the sounds animals make.
• Sing nursery rhymes and fun songs together.

These general tips are helpful for reading and storytelling with most young children:

• Make a routine, and try to share at least one book every day. The routine could include a special reading space – for example, a chair, lounge or beanbag that’s big and comfortable enough for you and your child, with a box of books or bookshelf nearby.
• Make reading and storytelling relaxed and fun so that your child looks forward to it. There’ll be days when she doesn’t want to spend a long time reading, and that’s OK. Just be guided by her interest.
• Turn off the TV or radio, and find a quiet space to read so your child can focus and listen to your voice.
• Hold your child close or on your knee while you read so he can see your face and the book.
• Involve your child in reading by encouraging talk about the pictures, and by repeating familiar words or passages. Try out funny noises and sounds – play and have fun.
• If she wants to, let your child choose the books. She might have favorite authors and illustrators. Be prepared to read your child’s favorite books over and over again.

What to read with your toddler

There are so many books to choose from that it can be hard to know where to start.

In general, young children often enjoy books that have good rhyme, rhythm and repetition and these qualities can help children learn. Books that are the right length for your child will keep him engaged.

Toddlers might especially enjoy:

• books with animals and animal noises
• books about a favorite topic, like cars, trucks, fairies, pets, stars and planets, music, castles, the ocean, princesses or trains
• books about playtime that relate to their experiences
• lift-the-flap and pop-up books – at this age, children can have fun with books with moveable pieces.

Here are some great books for toddlers:

• Crocodile beat by Gail Jorgensen and Patricia Mullins
• On your potty by Virginia Miller
• Rumble in the jungle pop-up book by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz
• Time for bed by Mem Fox
• The very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle
• The wheels on the bus by Penny Dann
• What colour are your knickers by Sam Lloyd
• The whose … series by Jeanette Rowe, which includes Whose baby? and Whose nose?
• I went walking by Sue Williams
• Peepo by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
• Each peach, pear, plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
• Cuddle time by Libby Gleeson
• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
• The Hairy Maclary collection by Lynley Dodd.

Why not visit your local library? It’s free to join and borrow. The staff will be able to recommend books for you and your child to enjoy.

How to teach 3 year old to read

Sharing stories from birth gives children a great start to life. Read, play and learn with books.

What children like:

• naming the things they know
• talking, singing and moving to music
• hearing words that rhyme
• making up their own stories and drawing the pictures
• listening to stories about themselves, families, friends and going to school
• reading alphabet and counting books
• helping to tell a story or song they know.

How you can help your 3 year old grow into a strong reader

• point out signs, grocery packaging and other words and pictures when you shop
• help your child to draw and talk about the drawings they make
• make up actions to go with the words of songs
• as you read, run your finger under the words
• talk about the story and ask questions e.g. “What is the bird doing?”
• help your child find the first letter of their name in the book
• share eBooks and apps to help your child learn about sounds and letters in words
• keep books at your place to share with your child
• visit your local library regularly and borrow books.

How to teach a kindergartener to read

Reading, storytelling, talking and singing with your child helps her learn about sounds, words and language. Sharing stories, talking and singing every day helps your child’s development in lots of ways. Try to read daily with your kindergartener. Encourage him to turn pages and trace words. Ask him questions about the book and story. Your kindergartener might enjoy alphabet, shape and counting books, and funny stories with quirky characters.

You’re getting your child familiar with sounds, words, language and, eventually, the value and joy of books. This all builds your child’s early literacy skills, like the ability to listen to and understand words. It also helps her go on to read successfully later in childhood.

Reading stories stimulates your child’s imagination and helps him learn about the world around him.

And reading is also a great time for you to bond with your child and share time together. When your child sees you reading and writing, you’re creating a home environment that helps develop literacy skills. Your reading and writing can be as simple as reading magazines or newspapers and writing shopping lists or messages for your partner or children.

At this age and stage, reading with your child is all about spending special time together, and having fun by enjoying the language and illustrations in picture books. Here are some tips that can help you and your kindergartener make the most of your reading time.

NOTE: Ebooks can be handy, especially if you’re traveling or away from home. If your child wants to read ebooks, share them with your child and choose stories without distracting animations or games. Ebooks shouldn’t replace paper books. It’s important to balance screen time with other activities.

Looking at the book

Before you start, ask your child some questions about the book:

• Who are the author and illustrator of the book?
• What do you think this story is about?
• Who might be in it?
• What do you think will happen?

Reading the story

• Vary the pace of your reading, as well as how loud you read. Changing your voice and expression for different characters can also be fun.
• Encourage your child to use her finger to trace the words while you read them.
• Let your child turn the pages of the book himself.
• Ask your child some questions about the story – for example, ‘What do you think happens next?’, ‘Why is the baby happy?’ and ‘Who has the ball?’
• Chant or sing repetitive phrases and words together.

Looking at letters, words and punctuation

• Point out the differences between letters and words, and the difference between a lower-case and capital letter. For example, ‘There is a capital M. Can you see how it’s bigger than this lower-case m?’
• Point out different punctuation marks, including full stops, exclamation marks and question marks. Explain what these mean – for example, ‘There is a question mark. When we see one of those, we know that somebody is asking a question’.
• When you see words printed in bold or large font, point these out and explain how this changes the ways that we say those words. For example, ‘Look at how big the word BOOHOO is. The baby must be crying very loudly’.
• Ask questions about the names and sounds of letters.
• Play ‘find the letters and words’ games, especially with the letters in your child’s name.

Other reading activities

• Help your child make up her own stories and drawings to go with them.
• If your child can’t read words yet, encourage your child to tell you a story based on the pictures in a storybook.

General tips for kindergartener readers

• Make a routine, and try to share at least one book every day. Sharing a book can be a nice way to start and finish the day. A comfortable and favorite reading place can be part of the routine.
• Turn off the TV or radio so your child can focus.
• Hold your child close or on your knee while you read so he can see your face and the book.
• Try out funny noises and sounds – play and have fun!
• Involve your child by encouraging talk about the pictures and repeating familiar words.
• Let your child choose the books. Be prepared to read favorite books over and over again.

In kindergarten, work on building the following skills.

Develop sound awareness

• Have your child recognize and give rhyming words. For example: “what rhymes with cat?”, or “do cat and mat rhyme?”
• Try naming pictures of objects and grouping those that rhyme together.
• Work on isolating and identifying the first and last sounds in words, for example, I Spy: “I spy with my little eye something that starts with /B/.”

What to read with your kindergartener

There are so many books to choose from that it can be hard to know where to start.

As a broad rule, young children often enjoy books that have good rhyme, rhythm and repetition. In fact, one of the ways that children learn is through repetition and rhyme.

In the preschool years (ages 3-5 years), your child might especially enjoy:

• alphabet, shape, size and counting books
• books that tell simple stories, especially ones with rhythm and repetition
• books about families, friends and going to school
• books with characters who are about the same age as your child and characters who have quirky traits
• books that use humor and have a sense of fun – for example, a character who uses a funny word, or who is silly or even ‘naughty’
• books relating to particular interests – for example, books about dinosaurs, fairies, football or animals. Some preschoolers are very interested in non-fiction books, including books about the
• stars, the ocean, inventions, food and travels around the world.

Here are some books for you and your preschooler to explore:

• Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day by Judith Viorst
• Are we there yet? by Alison Lester
• Early learning big book of Australian nature by Steve Parish
• The Hairy Maclary collection by Lynley Dodd
• Koala Lou by Mem Fox
• Let’s get a pup by Bob Graham
• Naughty agapanthus by Barbara Macfarlane
• Olivia by Ian Falconer and others in this series
• One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish by Dr Seuss
• Owl babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson
• Possum magic by Mem Fox
• Squish rabbit by Katherine Battersby
• The cat in the hat by Dr Seuss
• The rice bag hammock by Shaeeza Haniff
• The very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle
• The wheels on the bus by Penny Dann
• Za-Za’s baby brother by Lucy Cousins.

Why not visit your local library? It’s free to join and borrow. The staff will be able to recommend books for you and your child to enjoy.

Or if your child attends child care, kindergarten or preschool, you could talk to his teachers or carers to get some ideas. Some preschools allow children to borrow books each week or to bring a special book from home to share with the group.

Teach sound blending skills

Use a few pictures as cues. Ask your child to listen to some sounds and put them together to tell you which picture you mean. Start by splitting the words into only two sound units. Say “c – at.” If your child can blend these to find the picture of the cat, then increase the number of sounds your child has to blend, for example: “c-a-t.”

Develop the concepts of a word and a sound

Clap out the number of words in a sentence and clap out the number of sounds in a word. For a variation, tap blocks as you say each word or sound.

Teach letter recognition and sound-letter associations

• Teach one or two letters at a time. Practice until they are well learned before introducing more letters. The Jolly Phonics method teaches not only the letter name, but also the sound the letter makes and a unique movement to help the child remember the associations.
• Play “Concentration,” “Go Fish,” or Letter Dominos using the letters you are practicing.
• Try recognizing the letters you are working on when looking at signs, billboards, food packaging, labels, and store fronts out in the community.

How to teach a grade one child to read

In grade one, developing the following skills is important:

• Help your child to focus on the position of sounds in words.
• Draw a picture of a train (engine, passenger car, caboose). Put the letters representing each sound into the “train cars.” Say the sounds while pointing to the letters. Then blend the sounds together.
• On a sheet of paper. Have your child point to the correct letter or letters every time you say a word beginning with the sound(s).
• Read daily with your child, pointing to each word.
• Read simple pattern and phonics books with your child.

Develop a personal Word Bank

Make cards with words that your child has started to learn. Have your child practice sounding out and reading the words. Shuffle the cards daily and see how many words your child can read in two minutes. Graph their progress over the week.
Introduce one or two sight words each week. Have your child trace the letters and make up sentences using those words. Put sight words on flash cards. Add to the Word Bank.
Make up simple pattern books using sight words and pictures. “I like _______.”, or “______ is fun.”

Create a daily journal

Begin a daily journal about family events. Start with one sentence and gradually increase the number of sentences. Encourage your child to try to sound out words. Provide correct spellings for mis-spelled words. Teach the use of capitals and periods. Type edited work on a computer. Keep this work in a binder with pictures from the event.

Other useful tips

• Develop a personal dictionary or buy a simple dictionary.
• For children who are still reversing letters, tape an alphabet strip to their desks for easy reference that shows correct capital and lowercase letters. Since b/d reversals are the most common, color code the letters (b in red, d in blue) to help the child remember which is which.
• For children who forget the short vowel sounds, tape a sound strip to their desks. Use pictures as cues. For example, a picture of an ant could be placed above or below the letter a, to represent the short a sound.

How to teach a grade two and three child to read

Repeated reading technique

To develop reading fluency, try the Repeated Reading technique. Select a three or four paragraph, non-fiction passage which is slightly too hard for child. Read the passage to your child, while your child reads along. Then ask your child to read the passage while you listen. Go over the words they cannot read. Have them read the passage aloud daily. Keep track of the time they take to read the passage, and their errors and then graph their progress.

Paired reading

Use Paired Reading if your child struggles with decoding. Read one sentence, then have your child read the next, or you read one paragraph, and your child reads the next.
Teach spelling rules

Practice spelling rules until application of the rule becomes automatic, as follows:

• Review the rule.
• Spell single words to dictation.
• Make up sentences using words exemplifying the spelling rule. Mis-spell some of those key words and have your child find and fix the spelling errors.
• Complete spelling dictations.

Promote good reading comprehension

• Continue reading age-appropriate books to your child to develop vocabulary and awareness of different grammatical structures.
• When reading familiar books, leave out a word occasionally and see if your child can supply the right word.
• Ask questions about what has happened and what might happen next.
• Ask your child to define new terms; if they cannot, provide a definition.

Have your child assessed by a psychologist as soon as you feel their reading or spelling skills are lagging behind academic expectations.

How to help a child struggling with reading

Parents can be a huge help when their child is learning to read and write. Parents and family members can be a huge help when children are learning to read and write. At each grade level, parents can work with their child at home to build certain skills and abilities. Children become best at what they do most. Reading and writing should not simply be another activity that is only done at school. Reading and writing should become daily activities.

Problems with expression go beyond spelling and grammar. They have to do with the organization of thoughts and ideas. For example, most children’s stories have a beginning, middle, and end. As a child learns to write and express themselves, they should be able to organize and structure their own compositions in a way that makes sense to another reader. Expressive writing programs address these and other issues of this nature.

Kindergarten

In kindergarten, work on building the following skills.

Sound awareness

• Have your child recognize and give rhyming words. For example, “What rhymes with cat?”; “Do cat and mat rhyme?”
• Try naming pictures of objects and grouping those that rhyme together.
• Work on isolating and identifying the first and last sounds in words, for example, play I Spy: “I spy with my little eye something that starts with /B/.”

Sound blending skills

Use a few pictures as cues. Ask your child to listen to some sounds and put them together to tell you which picture you mean. Start by splitting the words into only two sound units. Say “c – at.” If your child can blend these to find the picture of the cat, then increase the number of sounds your child has to blend: “c-a-t.”

Understanding the concept of a word and a sound

Clap the number of words in a sentence and clap the number of sounds in a word. For a variation, tap blocks or a table as you say each word or sound.

Recognizing letters and linking letters with sounds (sound-letter associations)

• Teach one or two letters at a time. Practise until they are well learned before introducing more letters. The Jolly Phonics method teaches not only the letter name but also the sound the letter makes and a unique movement to help the child remember the associations.
• Play “Concentration,” “Go Fish,” or Letter Dominos using the letters you are practising.
• Try recognizing the letters you are working on when looking at signs, billboards, food packaging, labels and store fronts out in the community.

Grade 1

• Help your child to focus on the position of sounds in words.
• Draw a picture of a train (engine, passenger car or caboose). Put the letters representing each sound into the “train cars”. Say the sounds while pointing to the letters. Then blend the sounds together.
• Write letters on a sheet of paper. Have your child point to the correct letter or letters every time you say a word beginning with the sound(s).
• Read aloud with your child every day, pointing to each word as you say it.
• Read simple pattern and phonics books with your child.

Develop a personal word bank

• Write out any challenging or new words on paper or flash cards. Have your child practise sounding out and reading the words. Shuffle the cards daily and see how many words your child can read in two minutes. Keep track of their progress over the week.
• Introduce one or two sight words each week. Have your child trace the letters and make up sentences using these words. Put sight words on flash cards and add them to the word bank.
• Make up simple pattern books using sight words and pictures. “I like _______.”; “______ is fun.”

Create a daily journal

Begin a daily journal about family events. Start with one sentence and gradually increase the number of sentences. Encourage your child to try to sound out words. Provide correct spellings for mis-spelled words. Teach the use of capitals and periods. Type edited work on a computer. Keep this work in a binder with pictures from the event.

Other useful tips to help with reading in grade 1

• Develop a personal dictionary or buy a simple dictionary.
• For children who are still reversing letters, tape an alphabet strip to their desks for easy reference that shows correct capital and lowercase letters. Since b/d reversals are the most common, color code the letters (for example, b in red, d in blue) to help the child remember which is which.
• For children who forget the short vowel sounds, tape a sound strip to their desks. Use pictures as cues. For example, a picture of an ant could be placed above or below the letter a, to represent the short a sound.