Getting Your Child Ready to Read is Easier Than You Think

If you are like most parents, you are concerned about getting your child ready to start school. There are many things that you, as a parent can do. Most important, you can make sure that your child has important pre-reading skills so that when it is time to read, your child already has the skills that he or she needs. You do not spend a lot of money on expensive programs or software to help your child. Below are some simple and easy things that you can do to help your child become a good reader.

Reading to your child is commonly known to help a child become a reader. What is not commonly known, however, is that reading to a child does more than simply foster a life long love of reading and books. By pointing to each word as you read it, you show the child that the word on the page corresponds to the words that you are saying. Knowing that the words make sentences and the sentences make the story is very important to developing reading skills.

It is also important to help your child understand that sounds make words. There are several ways that you can help your child to develop this awareness. Nursery rhymes or any type of rhyme (Dr. Seuss is also very good) help your child develop sound awareness. Singing songs with your child can help as well. Talking about the sounds of words is extremely helpful for your child. Take a word that is fun to say or sounds funny and talk about what sounds you can hear in the word. Talk about words that sound similar. Together, you and your child can talk about what sounds the same about the words and what sounds different. Sound recognition is very important and you can do a great deal to help your child.