Reading is a type of receptive-writing language skill. Reading definitely provides information, knowledge, and new experiences that were previously unknown. Everything obtained through reading will allow the individuals to increase their mental strength, sharpen their insights, and expand their horizons. It surely affects their ability to drop out of school and make their lives easier.
If we talk about reading, it can also be described as the process by which an individual gains meaning from printed material. The activities of reading are not only passive and receptive but also allow readers to think positively while understanding what is meant in the book they read. In schools and colleges, reading can be defined as a process of understanding with a measurable product.
Of course, there are a number of standard methods for measuring an individual’s reading comprehension. These methods include the use of truth forms, sentence completion, multiple choice, summaries, and many more.
There is no doubt that reading is very useful for every person. That’s why reading should be taught at an early age, so that they can easily get knowledge from any resources they read. For most parents, it is one of the biggest achievements to watch their children go from being unable to read to becoming proficient readers through the books they learn and read.
As a parent, you may already have tips and tricks for teaching your children to read. If not, don’t worry because this post will show you the 13 fastest ways to teach your children to love reading. Let’s check them out!
1. Choose a book that your children love
To make your children love to read, you should choose a book that they love. You can really try this method if your children can recognize and say some words without fluency. Teaching children to read books is an important key to opening learning doors in their lives.
That said, careful reading can be a fun, enjoyable, and engaging source of information for children. To do so, you should also choose a fun and attractive book that your children like. If they love the book, it will be easier to teach them to read. However, make sure to keep a close eye on all the books your children choose.
If you decide whether to read a nonfiction book or a fairy tale book, you may need to first check the table of contents of the book. If they choose a nonfiction book, you have to check the accuracy of the information it contains. It’d be better for you to choose the books that are always updated with the latest information, so that your children can also get the latest knowledge.
2. Read books to your children every day
It is so common that good habits will not happen instantly and immediately; they will instead take a long time to form. Reading the book to children daily is very helpful for parents who are teaching their children to read fluently.
If your children cannot recognize the words yet, you can try to read a book to them every night before they go to sleep. We think this habit can be a good alternative to teaching them to read. It’s highly recommended for you to read fairy tales to your children before going to sleep.
Reading fairy tales to children can improve their memory and knowledge while also unlocking their creative potential. When you read a fairy tale book to your children, they will be curious as well. It really teaches us to trust one another, give opinions, and ask questions.
There is no doubt that the development of reading interest must be started as early as possible, so that your children will get used to activities and interactions with adults. The advantage of reading books to children every day is that it not only teaches them to read but also strengthens the bond between parents and children. When you read a book to your children, they will often fall asleep on your lap or in your arms. That’s why this method can strengthen the relationship between parents and their children.
3. Reading aloud
It’s very important for parents to teach their children to read aloud. This method allows them to know the correct reading intonation in accordance with the sentence they are saying. Learning to read is different from learning to speak.
Reading is not a natural process but an attempt to reveal a code. Certain combinations of letters can represent certain sounds. Thus, teaching your children to read is like trying to crack a code. So, one of the great ways to achieve this is by reading aloud.
It is known that reading is not just a word in a book; it should be said aloud instead. Of course, teaching your children to read is closely related to teaching them how to properly communicate orally. This habit is believed to work by stimulating your children’s interest in reading and training them to speak more fluently.
If you find a word or phrase that is hard to understand in a reading book, you may need to replace it with something your children can easily understand. Aside from that, when you are teaching your children to read a story book, you can ask them to read it based on the available order. Of course, it can help them understand that stories are made up of plots, conversations, and characters.
4. Playing games while reading
While teaching your children to read, you can encourage their motivation through games. You can try to create a game that focuses on learning to hear, recognize, and imitate the sounds of sentences and words.
What you can do is cut simple cards and write simple words to make word cards. You can then ask your children to select a card and read the word together. Of course, this method requires more preparation time, but can teach your children to read more effectively.
5. Learn to read through songs
Learning to read through songs is one of the most effective ways to get your children’s attention, so they can practice reading with fun. This method allows them to enjoy reading without knowing that they’re learning.
Children can sing the words they first learned. However, you can easily switch to a sound approach, recognizing the relationship between letters and sounds so that you can identify the letters that make up the sounds your children can sing.
So far, teaching your children to read through songs is a good way to develop their reading and writing skills so they can read more fluently.
6. Using a tech tool
There is no doubt that the process of learning should be fun. To do so, you can choose some tech tools that are currently ready-to-use. It is possible to teach your children to read effectively and efficiently using advanced technology.
Well, learning to read involves not only concentrating on books but can also use existing tech tools, so your children do not get bored while learning to read. Usually, children get bored and overwhelmed when facing difficulties. If you force them to learn to read, the process of learning to read can be a pain for them.
That’s why using a tech tool to teach them to learn is very necessary. Examples of tech tools you can use include mobile apps you can download and install on your mobile device. Most learning apps will allow your children to recognize letters and listen to various educational videos from the internet. We think this method is very useful when your children find it hard to learn to read.
7. Learn to read in a cozy room
Teaching your children to read involves not only selecting the appropriate books and making alternatives, e.g., through games or the use of apps, but also providing comfortable rooms and a reading corner. It’s very important to make your children more focused when reading. That said, a calm and cozy atmosphere will raise their interest in reading.
What you can do is provide a cozy chair with a cupboard full of neatly arranged books. This cozy atmosphere will make the process of learning to read more fun and enjoyable for children. Make sure to avoid reading in the television rooms since the volume will be too loud and can distract your children.
8. Use the surrounding environment for reading facilities
Another tip to teach your children to love reading is to try to make your house full of items that are easy for them to read. Then, you can print the words and display them in every part of the house. These words can be in the form of charts, posters, books, labels, and so on. This method allows your children to see and apply the relationship between letters and symbols.
When you go out with your children, you can point out letters on billboards, posters, and other signs. This method is one of the things you can do to teach children to pronounce letters and make words. You can focus on the first letter of the word and try to ask your children, “What letter is this?” and “What other words start with this letter?”
9. Introduce letters to children
The first step you can take is to teach your children to introduce letters A to Z if they do not know or master the letters of the alphabet at all. Aside from that, you can also pronounce the letters correctly. When your children see the shape of the letter, e.g., “B”, they voluntarily say that the letter reads “be.”
10. Play vocabulary
A fun way to teach your children to read is to introduce them to word games that encourage them to listen. You can ask them to remember and repeat the letters pronounced by Mama.
11. Arrange letters
One of the great ways to teach your children to read is to use stickers or magnets in the form of letters. You can then have your children repeat it.
12. Read the entire word aloud
The way to teach your children to read without spelling may sound hard. Initially, they may also have difficulty, so they have to speak first. As a parent, you should be diligent and never give up on training your children so they can read without spelling. Make sure to teach them with learning methods that suit their character; over time, they will start to read fluently.
The more often your children read full words without spelling them, they will become more proficient in reading. You can train your children daily with this method after they know about letters and syllables so that they can read more quickly. When your children can read fluently, they can easily gain knowledge from any book or resource.
13. Be patient and consistent when teaching your children to read
You shouldn’t give up if your children still cannot read fluently, even though you have used various methods. That’s because what needs to be considered is that teaching children to read should be fun since each child has their own way to understand and be able to read fluently.
Never compared them to other children. The key to providing opportunities for your children is to be patient and consistent when teaching them to read. You should avoid being harsh or pushy, as this will only make learning to read more difficult for them.
Read also: 4 Signs Parents Are Too Strict with Children
Aside from that, you can ask for help from your partner and other family members to teach your children to read, even in the simplest way. We think your children will also indirectly follow if there are so many people around them who love to read the books.
Okay, those are the 13 tips to teach your children to love reading faster. As a parent, you must be patient and consistent and make sure to follow these tips so that they can quickly read fluently.
If you need some book references, you can find them on Amazon and eBay. Look for books with teaching materials for children aged 3 and up. The books, generally, provide the materials along with attractive pictures so that they can easily recognize them. The materials are commonly provided in stages, starting with the introduction of letters, reading one, two, three, or more syllables, and then learning to read simple stories.
