11 tricks to teach children to read

Reading is one of the most beautiful habits that we can transmit to our children, since it is not only a way to exercise our brain, but it also allows us to cultivate our mind and transport ourselves to other magical and wonderful worlds.

If you are a lover of reading, surely you want to transmit that love for books to your child. A nice way to start is by teaching him to read. We share 11 tricks to teach children to read.

Attract them to reading

Children are naturally curious, but when they observe us doing something, it catches their attention and their curiosity increases. Before starting to teach them to read, we must attract them to reading and books, and the best way to do this is by setting an example: to be seen reading a book .

Buy him books

In addition to setting an example by reading books that we like, another way to begin to bring them closer to books and to become familiar with them is by buying children’s books. Let’s make sure they’re age-appropriate and eye-catching.

Remember that children learn through play, so the more colorful a book is, the more likely it will appeal to them. Look for books that have eye-catching illustrations and, if possible, their favorite characters .

Read to him daily

Once you have a couple of books for them, read them daily. So little by little they will expand their vocabulary and learn new words. In addition, they will become familiar with the stories, which will help them to identify the words more easily in the future when they are learning to read.

Something I do when I read to my daughter and that a friend who is a teacher advised me is that when I read a story to her, I point with my finger under the word that I am saying aloud , so that I pay more attention to them and see that they are the ones who tell the story.

Cards to learn the alphabet

Now it is time to start reading! There are different methods to teach children to read, but if we want to follow the traditional method, the first thing we must do is teach them the letters individually . The easiest way to start is by teaching vowels and then moving on to consonants.

You can make cards for them to practice and then play to identify the letters . At this time just focus on learning to recognize them and call them by name, later you can include the phonemes.

Play to identify the letters in different places

When children are learning to read, it is common for them to pay particular attention to all the words that surround them and that they did not seem to notice before , such as the signs in the streets or in the supermarket. Usually this happens since they are learning whole words, but we can start earlier by doing it with letters.

While they are going to the supermarket, waiting to stop at a traffic light or have a brochure in hand, you can help them identify each letter. For example, if the sign says “Vegetables,” ask and help him identify the letters . It may only identify the vowels and only a few consonants, but don’t push it or despair. Remember to play it like a game – celebrate when he gets it right, and support him when in doubt.

Practice the sound of each letter

Once your child is familiar with the alphabet, they can begin to practice the phonemes for each letter. This is important so that later you can read the words correctly, making the connection between each letter written and the sound or pronunciation that we must give it.

You can support yourself again with cards to be used to show them the alphabet, now adding their phoneme while they practice, saying: ” this is the letter ’eme’ and it is pronounced ‘mmm’ “. As he recognizes the sounds, you can later show him what the “m” sounds like when you put it together with a vowel like “a” , and so on.

Cut the words into syllables

Another trick to teach children to read is to cut words into syllables using flashcards and making a game out of it . You can say a word to them and ask them to put it together with the syllables, or you can give them a word by placing the cards in a disorderly way and for them (with your help, of course) to put each syllable in the correct place.

Play word completion

Another fun way to learn to read and practice letters and words is by playing with incomplete words or phrases . This can be omitting a letter in the case of single words , or omitting a word in the case of sentences.

Remember to give him several options so that he can choose the right one and always support him . If he does not succeed on the first try, tell him to try again, but without pressure, since the idea is that learning is something fun and pleasant for him.

Help him memorize words he uses frequently

A good trick to teaching her to read is to allow her to memorize the words that she uses frequently . Some people believe that by memorizing them they are not really reading, but knowing them by heart will help them to identify those syllables in other words and it will be easier for them to learn new words.

Also, you can teach him whole words on flashcards, which are on topics of interest , such as family names, foods, characters or animals, so that he learns them globally and then he can begin to form sentences with the cards.

Support yourself with song videos

Now with YouTube in our hands, we can use countless resources to teach our children to read : from videos of songs and rhymes, to exercises and fun games with which they can reinforce reading. Just do a simple search to find many examples that we can use at home.

Turn on subtitles on movies and shows you watch

Finally, a trick that also helps children learn to strengthen their reading and practice it, is to activate the subtitles in the movies and programs that you watch on television at home.

With these tricks, and a little patience but a lot of motivation and enthusiasm, you can support the teaching of reading to your child. Remember that it will always be easier for them to learn by playing and that each child learns and matures at their own pace. Don’t pressure him and make learning to read fun for both of you.