If your child is currently having trouble learning how to read, it can be frustrating for both you and them. It can also affect how they feel about other subjects too. Whether they’re still at kindergarten or they’ve started school, knowing how to read can significantly improve their overall confidence.
While you might feel like you’re out of ideas to help your child learn how to read, it’s actually easier than you think. Let’s talk about four ways to help your child with reading so that you can help them improve it over time.
1. Work with Books They Like
There are many different reasons why your child might be struggling with reading right now. One of them could be down to the type of reading they’re doing. If your child isn’t reading books that they are particularly interested in, they might not be putting in the effort they’re capable of.
This is why it’s key to ask your child what they like to read and working with this initially. Your child will become better at reading if they put in the practice, and the only way to do this is to get them to read something they like.
2. Read Out Loud
When you or your child read the book out loud, it makes it a lot easier to understand reading as a whole. This is because when your child reads the words aloud, they are able to make the connection between what’s in their head and what’s on the page a lot easier.
If your child is stuck on a certain part of the book you’re reading together, encourage them to sound out the words one by one to get a better idea of how they’re said, and therefore how they’re read.
3. Go Over Parts that Are Difficult
If you’re thinking ‘how do I help my child with reading comprehension?’ and you don’t feel like you’re any closer to the answer, think about which parts of reading they find difficult. If you’re reading a specific book together, there will be sections that they struggle over every time.
Instead of veering away from these parts and quickly moving on, try to get your child to re-read them again and again. Remember, the more practice your child puts in, the better they will get, so challenge them to read those bits that they find hard and confusing repeatedly.
4. Summarize What Your Child Just Read
There’s nothing better for your child than to discuss what they’ve just read after they have read it. While you might be busy and tempted to shut the book and move on to the next task, it’s important to have a time of reflection.
Asking your child about what they just read is going to help them retain the information better. Ask them what they think they learned from the book and what they think about it.
Figuring out how to help your child with comprehending how to read can be difficult – but not impossible. Apply these helpful tips and discover that it’s a lot more manageable than you might think.