5 Strategies for Teaching Your Preschooler How to Read
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5 Strategies for Teaching Your Preschooler How to Read

5 Strategies for Teaching Your Preschooler How to Read

Reading is one of the most essential skills your child will ever learn. As their primary caregiver, you have an important role in helping them develop a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

While some children naturally take to reading, it can be challenging for others. Keep in mind that kids at this age are just beginning to master other essential skills like counting, spelling, and basic arithmetic. These are all connected, so helping your preschooler develop a passion for reading now can have lasting benefits and make future learning easier for them.

If you’re unsure how to best help your child learn to read, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many parents feel anxious when it comes to teaching their kids this new skill. Don’t let that keep you from trying; trusting your intuition and learning as much as possible about reading readiness and techniques for teaching literacy is the first step toward success!

1. Read together with your child

Reading together is a great way to expose your child to new vocabulary and spark their interest in reading. For many preschoolers, it may be challenging to sit still long enough to read an entire book on their own – especially if they are just beginning to learn.

Reading with your child can help them stay focused, practice their skills, and gain confidence in their abilities. It’s also an excellent opportunity for you to model the behaviours you want your child to adopt when reading on their own, such as proper posture and getting lost in the story.

If you have more than one child, consider reading one-on-one with each of them so they each feel special and get individual attention. Reading with your child can be a great way to bond with them and foster a love of reading that will last a lifetime.

Enrolling your child in drama classes for preschoolers in Singapore is another approach to instil a love of reading in them. Kids love to act, and drama classes have a far-reaching impact on their development. By allowing your child to express themselves through role-playing and other pretend scenarios, you can help them to improve their social skills and grow self-confidence.

2. Use repetition and rhythm

Repeating words and phrases your child already knows and increasing the rhythm of your voice can help your child build confidence in their abilities and make the reading process feel less intimidating. Stop and explain what it means when you come across a word your child doesn’t know. This is a great way to build your child’s vocabulary and help them approach new words confidently when they begin to read on their own.

You can also encourage your child to “sound out” words they don’t know. This will help them discover new strategies for decoding words, which can be helpful down the road as they move on to reading more advanced texts.

3. Think about your child’s interests

Find books related to your child’s interests and ask them to read them with you. This can help make reading more fun and give your child a chance to feel successful as they learn.

For example, if your child is obsessed with animals, look for books that feature animals at their reading level and encourage them to read them with you. If your child loves a particular TV show or character, you can also find books related to that that might make reading a more appealing activity.

4. Don’t be afraid to mix things up!

Reading is often a very one-dimensional activity. Try to find ways to make it more lively and engaging for your child. Ask them to act out the story with toys or make up their own ending for a book once they’ve finished reading it.

Host a themed reading party with their friends, or invite their classmates over for a reading time with your child as the lead reader. For example, if your child is learning about animals, read them books about animals and host a “camp-out” where the kids pretend to be animals and make their own animal sounds.

Reading aloud is a great way to introduce your child to new subjects and can be tons of fun when you open it up to creative interpretation and imaginative play.

5. Try using apps and technology

If you’re struggling to find books your child is interested in, or they seem uninterested in reading period, using apps and technology may be the way to go. There are a lot of apps out there designed to teach kids how to read, and they often include ways to make the process fun and interactive.

However, if you intend to use technology to help your child learn to read, it’s crucial to find a developmentally appropriate program for their age group. Be sure to look for reviews, and check with your child’s paediatrician or librarian to ensure the program is a good fit for them.

Reading apps may be more appealing to some kids than traditional books and may help get them excited about reading. Be sure to follow the recommendations for how long your child should be using the app daily, and try to incorporate other reading activities into their daily routine to keep things balanced.

Conclusion

Reading is an essential skill and one that many adults wish they had spent more time mastering as children. Helping your child learn to read and love reading now will pay dividends down the line and can be a lot of fun for parents and kids alike.

While every child is different, most kids will start to show an interest in reading appropriate for their age between the ages of three and five. Use these five strategies to help your preschooler develop a passion for reading and guide them to lifelong literacy.

Viv’s Schoolhouse, an award-winning speech and drama school for preschoolers in Singapore, will provide your child with the tools and guidance they need to build literacy skills. Our curriculum is designed to promote active learning through hands-on activities. Students will discover new things and develop important life skills, such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and curiosity.

Thanks to the expertise of our dedicated teachers, our bilingual preschool in Singapore offers a balanced and harmonious learning environment for your child. Send us a message today to discover more about our stimulating programs.