How Can I Help My Child Improve Their Reading Skills and Vocabulary?

The answer isn't as hard as you think. Not surprisingly, the answer is simple, just read. A good rule of thumb is to spend twenty minutes reading with your child, and a great time to do it is right before bedtime. Not only is it a great way for the two of you to bond, it's also a great way for you and your child to wind down from a busy and stressful day.
The key for a fun and effective session lies in choosing the right reading level. If the book is too hard, your little one may shut off and become frustrated. If it's too easy, your youngster might become distracted and lose interest. Your child's teacher or local librarian can be a great source of information if you need guidance in selecting age-appropriate material.
As you are engaging in a reading activity, don't feel that it is necessary for your child to do all the reading by him or herself. You too can participate by reading to them aloud, or even better, why not take turns and read every other paragraph and the difficult words? Reading every other page is also a good way to keep them engaged. The goal should always be to make reading time a fun and relaxing activity. Many beginners do not feel confident or comfortable with their reading and tend to want to quit earl, so try to be supportive and encourage your youngster, and offer them a great deal of spoken praise. This small gesture can go a long way.
A fellow colleague described the process of learning to read with an amusing analogy, comparing learning to read with learning how to drive a car. It goes something like this: When we initially learn to drive a car, we have blinders on and are only focused with the road ahead, and we are also a bit jittery and unsure. Then as we get comfortable at the wheel we start to play around with the knobs on the dash and radio. As time goes by we begin to go from point A to Point B without realizing how we got there, and then we find ourselves driving in the rain, talking with our friend in the passenger seat.
As they are taking their first reading steps children go through something similar. At first they are tense and irritated and don't have much self-confidence in their abilities. But when they start to find their comfort zone with reading and the words begin to leap out of the page, you will notice their confidence begin to grow and they are delighted to read.
To recap, remember to make the reading sessions fun. Make sound effects, ask questions, switch out different words, and use different voices for different characters. Don't lose track of the fact that this is a unique bonding time between you and your child, one that they will value and anticipate excitedly every night.
Visit our Super Readers site for more articles and information if you are interested in vocabulary measured books and activities to help your child with reading. Need an app created? Our developer is just getting started but they have some great ideas!

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The Dangers of Ignoring Reading Difficulty in Children

Many children struggle a little when they start to learn to read but time and good teaching helps them to overcome those initial difficulties. However, if by half way through his first year, your child can't recognize around one hundred common, short words then he may be experiencing difficulties. Don't disregard the signs as the dangers of ignoring reading difficulty in children can be traumatic and far reaching.
Embarrassment and Frustration
Reading difficulty in children brings out all sorts of emotions; embarrassment because they look foolish in front of their class mates and frustration because no matter how hard they try, they just can't get the words out and reading aloud in class becomes a trial.
School children being what they are, children with reading problems will be teased and even bullied by their class mates, and may end up in trouble by trying to fight the bullies.
Teachers and parents of these children see an apparently intelligent child who doesn't seem to be trying to learn to read, so they are labelled "lazy" or "careless" or "stupid". This adds to the child's frustrations because he is trying so hard, but he just can't live up to adults' expectations.
Anxiety and Anger
Children with reading problems can become anxious and withdrawn if nobody recognizes that they have a genuine difficulty. Because these children expect to fail, they will become anxious when faced with a new situation which involves participation in school work.
Reading difficulties can also lead to an unstable temperament. Teachers and parents think the child isn't trying, class mates think he's stupid and he can do nothing about it, so he becomes angry and starts to lash out at those closest to him such as parents or siblings.
Self-Esteem
A child who is unable to read properly will have difficulties with any other school work which requires reading. As he gets older there will be more and more subjects which require reading skills, such as history and geography to name but two.
A child with normal reading abilities will develop his own self-image during his school years and in general, it will be a positive one leading him to believe that all things are possible and that the world is his oyster.
Children with reading problems will begin to feel inferior to their school mates and siblings who can read fluently. Constant failure will lead to feelings of low self-esteem and a reluctance to make an effort because doing so doesn't make any difference. Their view of the future will be a dim one and they won't expect to succeed in life.
The Consequences
The dangers of ignoring reading difficulty in children can result in any or all of the above emotions for the children, and many of them fail to complete school because it seems so pointless, and of those who do graduate from high school very few go on to further education.
If you suspect that your child is having difficulty reading, do seek help while he's young and don't let him develop into a frustrated and angry adult.
There are excellent online phonics reading programs to help resolve reading difficulty in children and you can find the best ones on this website, Start to Read.

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Why Reading to Your Child Is So Important

Reading to children daily is one of the best ways to set them up for success in reading and indeed life. It is in fact the first step in teaching children how to read.

One of the world's leading reading experts, Marie Clay, said that children need to have had at least 1,000 books read to them before beginning school and starting to learn how to read by themselves.

Reading to young children helps develop pre-literacy skills which lay the groundwork for reading and writing ability later in life. Children learn that words and storytelling are important and they start to make connections between the words on the page and the words they are hearing read or spoken. Often young children begin to imitate reading by "rereading" the story that they have heard their parents reading in their books, turning page by page mimicking the story they have heard by looking at the pictures.

Reading gives children a broader vocabulary and an expanded understanding of all the ways language is used to communicate and convey ideas. Research shows that children who are read to from an early age have a richer vocabulary and know more words than children who are not often read to. Having a large bank of words greatly assists children's early reading skills and has the additional benefit of making them appear more intelligent.

A child's natural inquisitiveness can be activated when being read to by a parent. In reading both fiction and nonfiction books, children's minds and imaginations are opened up to exciting adventures and new worlds of information, encouraging them to ask questions and learn more. Through regularly listening to stories, children learn to focus, pay attention and process information. Once they begin to read themselves, there are still great benefits to be gained from continuing to read out loud to children, discussing the story or information and developing new vocabulary.

Children who have listened to stories regularly are better prepared to begin school and are ready to read, write and learn. Not only does reading to children help them do well in the early grades, but it also sets the stage for ongoing success in school and life. Every subject area in school requires extensive reading and comprehension skills. Literacy skills are essential to lifelong academic success.

Just 10 - 20 minutes a day reading to your child can have a huge impact on their learning and provide profound benefits that will last a lifetime.

View the original article here

[Read More...]

Why Reading to Your Child Is So Important

Reading to children daily is one of the best ways to set them up for success in reading and indeed life. It is in fact the first step in teaching children how to read.

One of the world's leading reading experts, Marie Clay, said that children need to have had at least 1,000 books read to them before beginning school and starting to learn how to read by themselves.

Reading to young children helps develop pre-literacy skills which lay the groundwork for reading and writing ability later in life. Children learn that words and storytelling are important and they start to make connections between the words on the page and the words they are hearing read or spoken. Often young children begin to imitate reading by "rereading" the story that they have heard their parents reading in their books, turning page by page mimicking the story they have heard by looking at the pictures.

Reading gives children a broader vocabulary and an expanded understanding of all the ways language is used to communicate and convey ideas. Research shows that children who are read to from an early age have a richer vocabulary and know more words than children who are not often read to. Having a large bank of words greatly assists children's early reading skills and has the additional benefit of making them appear more intelligent.

A child's natural inquisitiveness can be activated when being read to by a parent. In reading both fiction and nonfiction books, children's minds and imaginations are opened up to exciting adventures and new worlds of information, encouraging them to ask questions and learn more. Through regularly listening to stories, children learn to focus, pay attention and process information. Once they begin to read themselves, there are still great benefits to be gained from continuing to read out loud to children, discussing the story or information and developing new vocabulary.

Children who have listened to stories regularly are better prepared to begin school and are ready to read, write and learn. Not only does reading to children help them do well in the early grades, but it also sets the stage for ongoing success in school and life. Every subject area in school requires extensive reading and comprehension skills. Literacy skills are essential to lifelong academic success.

Just 10 - 20 minutes a day reading to your child can have a huge impact on their learning and provide profound benefits that will last a lifetime.

View the original article here

[Read More...]