How to teach a child to read
The ability to read is the basic skill without which further mastery of school subjects is impossible. That's why some parents start thinking about how to teach their child to read very early on. The truth is that teaching a child to read is easy if you follow certain rules.
When to teach a child to read
How to teach a child to read? First of all, do not rush into it. Psychologists note that early reading can be harmful to the baby. And here's why:
- The left hemisphere of the human brain is responsible for speech and logic, and the right hemisphere is responsible for creativity and imaginative thinking. If you teach your child to read early, it will accelerate the development of the left hemisphere and slow down the development of the right hemisphere.
- Children under the age of 5 think in images, not words or concepts. Early reading will interfere with the imaginative perception of the world and, as a result, slow down the child's emotional development. Keep this in mind if you are thinking about how to teach your child to read at the age of 4.
- Do not forget that the eyes of a young child are not yet ready for long-term strain. In order not to cause your child to develop myopia, keep the lessons as short as possible.
You should start teaching your child to read when he or she demonstrates his or her readiness. Most often, this happens closer to the age of 5. But the following criteria will help to determine the exact moment
- the child has a good vocabulary,
- he/she pronounces most sounds clearly and fluently,
- easily separates the first and last letter in a word,
- has basic concepts about the world around him/her,
- can easily keep attention on a topic or object for 15 minutes.
If the child does not yet meet these requirements, it is better to postpone learning to read for later.
How to teach a child to read correctly
There are different methods of teaching reading. The most common among parents and teachers is the sound method. How can a child be taught to read using this method? First, he or she must learn all the sounds that correspond to the letters of the Ukrainian alphabet, and then learn to combine them into syllables
But this method is not the only one. The following approaches have also proven themselves in working with kids:
Maria Montessori's method. | According to the basics of this method, a child first learns to write and only then begins to read. Each word is perceived as a whole, without breaking it down into syllables. |
Glenn Doman's method | This method involves the use of special cards that depict different objects and have captions for them. |
Zaitsev's method. | Words consist of separate cubes with different letters or syllables on the sides of each cube. |
Reading by the Tyulenev system | This method is based on the principles of visual perception, which helps children learn the sounds and letters that make up words more easily. |
The Voskobovich Method | This method is based on the principles of phonetic awareness, which means teaching reading based on the sounds that form words. Even if you are thinking about how to teach your child to read |
| The Kushnir method | According to this method, an adult should read a book to a child, and the child should carefully follow the words with his or her eyes. The author of the method is sure that with regular repetition, the child begins to memorize the words in the book. |
Computer-assisted learning to read | is based on the use of special programs. |
How to teach a child to read by syllables
The fact is that reading by syllables is the first stage of the sound method of reading. It is important that the child already knows all the basic sounds at this point. It is the sounds (B, K, R), not the names of the letters in the alphabet (BE, CA, ER).
So how do you teach a child to read syllables in Ukrainian?
- First, the child learns to put two letters together - a consonant and a vowel (PA, MA).
- Then he or she reads syllables where the vowel is not only behind the consonant, but also in front of it (AP, AM).
- The child also reads syllables that contain the same consonant but different vowels (PA, PO, PU, PE, PI).
- The next step is to add one more letter to the two-letter syllable (MA-MAC).
- After that, you can move on to words that contain more than one syllable.
This method is the best answer to the question of how to teach a child to read in the first grade. However, to make it easier for your child to learn to read, don't forget to turn your lessons into a pleasant and interesting game.
How to teach a child to read whole words without mistakes
How to teach a child to read whole words? There are several effective ways to do this:
- Start with simple words consisting of a small number of letters, for example, MOM, JUICE, SLEEP, CAT, etc. These words should be understandable to the child.
- Use pictures to support the word with an image. This will help if you are wondering how to teach a child to read 1st grade.
- Use words in context. The child should understand how they are used in sentences. For example, say "There are trees in the forest" and show the corresponding picture.
- Find books with simple words and read them with your child. This will help your child develop reading skills and increase their vocabulary.
- Do not put pressure on your child in any way. Even if he/she makes mistakes. What is the right way to teach a child to read? Support him/her and praise him/her for any achievements. Be sure to create a friendly environment for your child where he or she can learn to read at his or her own pace.
How to teach a child to read quickly
If you're wondering how to teach your child to read quickly, you should listen to the advice of leading child psychologists. Experts say that you can achieve rapid success in reading only if you manage to arouse a child's sincere interest in this process. How can this be done?
A personal example | If parents read a lot of books, then the child will strive for the same. This is the main answer to the question of how to quickly teach a child to read |
Prospects for independent reading | Explain to your child that the ability to read will allow him or her to understand what is written on store signs and food packages. In addition, the baby |
| Playful form. | Tell your child that the letters in the middle of the word "friends" and "hold hands" and that is why they should be pronounced one by one. Such explanations are usually very popular with children and help them learn. |
Regardless of which form of teaching reading you choose, make your exercises regular. And don't forget that your child should enjoy these exercises. Only if these two conditions are met will you be able to achieve results quickly. And after that, the question of how to teach a child to read syllables will no longer be a concern.