Teaching Your Student to Read

Parents are often at a loss as to how to start their student on their learning journey. The first step is learning to read. The rest flows from there.

Pointing out words in various places teaches your student that words are all around us. Stop signs, words at a crosswalk, names of stores and businesses - all are a way to learn words in a repetitive manner.

Here is a way you can read with your student that involves them in the reading. Have your learner select a book that they would like to read. Choose one or two simple words for them to read. Make sure the word is used at least once per 2 or 3 pages. The word can be the, and, or, can, he, they or she or any other word that repeats throughout the story.

When you reach the word, stop and let your student read it. After you read the page, ask them to count how many times the word appears. This encourages your student to look for and recognize the word. You can read the story again and again with your student reading more of the words to you. Soon, they will be completely reading on their own! While that is quite a milestone, reading together is a wonderful bonding experience and a motivator for future happy readers.