Teach a Child to Read Better by Reading with Them

Since the year 1983 more than 10 million Americans reached the 12^th grade without being able to read at a basic reading level according to A Nation Still at Risk, U.S. Department of Education, 1999. The statistics behind reading are sad but it doesn't have to be this way. Teaching your child tread better begins with the parents and teachers but as parents we are also teachers.

I am a firm believer that if a child has problems reading early in life then they will have trouble throughout the rest of their lives. Some children will simply give up if they can't find a way to read. We use reading everyday to follow instructions and for our jobs. Without reading your child may end up on a road that leads to nowhere. Teach your child to read better even if you only have a few minutes to spare a day. This guide is meant to show you how to teach your child to read better by reading with them.

Tips to reading with your child

There are different ways that you can read with your child but one of my favorite ways is to take turns reading pages. If your child comes to a word that he may not know ask them to sound it out. If the child becomes frustrated with not being able to sound the word out, offer them a helping hand by sounding it out for them and then letting them guess. If the child still does not know the word after guessing then go ahead and tell them what the word is.

Some parents choose to take turns reading chapters in a book but this can't always be done especially if you are trying to teach a younger child to read. Praise should always be given even if your child seems to make mistakes during reading.

Age appropriate books aren't always best

If your child is having trouble reading then what makes you think that he is going to be able to read a book that is at his age level? Start with books that are a grade below the age level of your child so that you can boost their confidence and practice adding words to their vocabulary. Once your child is able to read these books at a faster pace and with proficiency, it will be time for you to move on to the next step of books.

Practice reading with writing

Children seem to not like to write but it is something that we must enforce. Enforcing writing does not mean that they should have to write everyday until dinner time but a few practice sheets won't do them any harm. There are many places that you can print off free reading and writing practice sheets online. One of my favorite places to print off free practice sheets online is at Starfall. Starfall is a website that offers free printable practice sheets for children that are just learning to read but I have also seen some that are more advanced so you could use these for children as old as eight or nine.