I know you have seen those products on TV showing babies reading at only a few months old, and if you are like me, you are wondering can these babies really read. They can. Babies have a brain like a sponge. They are capable of learning a lot from birth to 6 years of age. So if you want to teach child to read, then now is a good time.
When I saw those babies, I wanted my daughter to be able to read too. I found that there are proven methods that will help your child to read.
1. Multisensory method- this consists of reading books, watching DVDs and power points. This helps your child learn by audio and visual stimulation.
2. Flash Card Method- Write words in big print and show them to your baby as you read them. This will stimulate them and help them to read because babies learn at a rapid pace.
I worked with my daughter every day. She was barely starting to talk, but I was sure it would work. After all, what did I have to lose? In a matter of days she was reading some of the words. She could either say the word or act it out, like "clap" and she would clap. It was amazing. Not only was she reading, she was talking more too.
Now she is 17 months old and is reading books. It is amazing how quick she picked it all up and how much she enjoys books. I'm so glad I took the initiative to find this product and teach my child how to read.
>> Click here to for a simple, step-by-step program that can help your child learn to read, and watch a video of a 2 year old child reading
Teaching your child how to read is crucial as reading is the basis for most future learning. Children who can read well and are confident in their reading will have a better kick start in school and also a more positive attitude towards learning in general.
You as the parent or guardian play the most important role in your child's learning process as you are your kid's first teacher. There is a lot of information to be found on this matter and it can be confusing to know where to begin. Here are my top 7 tips that you can immediately implement to improve your child's reading:
Tip 1 - Teach lower case letters for starters
Nearly all ABC building blocks and books for young children and toddlers are written in uppercase letters. Yet ironically capital letters only count for about 5% of all letters in written English. So it is more important to put emphasis on lower case letters for developing reading skills.
Tip 2 - Teach the sounds of letters along with their names
When we read, it is the sound that matters. However the sounds of most letters are differ from the name of the letter itself. Let's take the letter "c" for example. You can tell your child the name of the letter is "see" and it can make two different sounds, namely "ss" as in "soft" or it can make the sound "kk" as in the word "camel".
Ask your kid to give you different examples. Elaborate if he has questions on different letters with differing sounds. Accept a reasonable effort from your child. See that learning the sounds is only a stepping stone to learning to read.
Tip 3 - Grammar is irrelevant at this stage
It is not important to teach about the difference between a consonant and a vowel and short and long sounds. Children can learn equally well without these rules.
Preschoolers, kindergartners and even first graders think differently, in reading it is the mechanics that count at first. The complicated concepts of grammar will come in due time in school.
Tip 4 - Don't give your child a dictionary to learn, start small
Reading is a very delicate process. There are a lot of words that can't be read using easy phonic rules. Many important words have to be learned by eyesight. A young child only needs a number of words to read well, these 400 key words are called Dolch words. Teach the easier and common words firstly and then gradually increase the difficulty.
Tip 5 - Reading and writing goes hand in hand
It is much easier and faster for children to learn reading and writing at the same time. Seeing the letters in writing and listening to them will reinforce better learning.
Teach your child to write letters and say them. Then move higher to words. The best place to start is to show them how to write their name. After that they will want to wright their names everywhere. =)
Tip 6 - Read consistently and make reading fun
Kids love routines and fun. Read with your child everyday and read something that she/he wants to read, even if you have read it a 100 times. It is great for the child's love of reading and it is something that you and your child can look forward to everyday.
Make turns on who has to read and be patient if your child struggles with more difficult words. Be creative and try make it as fun as possible. Yes, reading is probably the most important skill a child has to master for school and further education, but there is no need to make it a pain.
Tip 7 - Without a tool, there ain't no product
There is nothing worse than having to read something that one does not like or having nothing to read at all. Try creating your child's own small bookshelf at home that he or she can access at any time.
Let your child chose a few books. They will be more likely to read on their own and improve their reading skills by reading something that they enjoy.
Reading is a vital part of a child's young life and I cannot stress enough how important it is that a child learns how to read as early as possible. At first, we learn to read. Then with time we read to learn.
>> Click here to for a simple, step-by-step program that can help your child learn to read, and watch a video of a 2 year old child reading
You can make teaching your child to read a very easy process when you know how learning happens in the brain. It works the same way for young children as for adults but because all their learning is new; it is important for you to understand the process.
Below I will explain the two main processes of learning and later on I will tell you how you can apply this to teaching your child to read. We have only recently discovered how these two processes, Myelination and Mirror Neurons, work through the improvement and use of imaging technology.
Mirror neurons
When you perform an action, like walking, talking, writing, reading or playing the piano, the neurons in your brain will fire, sending signals to the various brain regions and muscles along the nervous system.
A mirror neuron will, however, fire when you are observing an action; in other words, when you are watching someone else perform an action, your brain acts like it is you who is performing the action.
What this basically means is that you literally learn by watching.
Myelination
Myelin is the coating that covers the neural pathways that the signals travel along in your brain. This is like the plastic or rubber coating that covers electrical wires that stops the wires from "leaking" electricity. Myelin is the grey matter of your brain and accounts for most of its mass.
This insulating effect is very thin in children as they are still learning and gets thicker through the repeated firing of a neuron.
So, when your child first learns to read, this myelin sheeting is very thin but through repeated practice it gets thicker and thicker; and the thicker this myelin sheeting is, the better your child will be able to read.
How to use this information to teach your child to read
Your child first learns by watching. They walk upright because you walk upright (feral children walk like the animals that raised them for example). Your child will want to read because they see you reading. You, as the parent, already know that they will copy everything you do, and now that you know that it is because of these mirror neurons, you can use this to your advantage.
When you sit and read, or read with or to your child, they will want to copy what you do, and this is the first step to teaching your child to read.
Myelin increases when your child practices an action and the more they practice, the thicker this myelin sheeting gets and the better they do at the practiced activity.
You can make this learning process easier for your child by moving from large to small and from wide to more detailed. Let me explain.
When you are teaching your child to read, start by teaching them the process of reading. Begin by getting them to read a book as soon as possible. There is nothing as confusing for a child than to learn to read one word at a time when they want to read a whole book like you.
The easiest way to do this is to teach them the 100 most common words in English (this one simple action allows them to read half of everything written in English) and get them started on very simple books.
This encourages reading and removes the chore from learning. Your child is now doing what you do (mirroring what you do) except they are starting on a lower level.
From here you only have to expand their reading skills by teaching them phonics, which, since they are already reading they will take to like fish to water.
Learning to read and teaching your child to read is an easy and enjoyable process when you understand how naturally children can do it. They don't have to struggle and neither do you. By simply understanding the learning process and applying an easy to use reading system your child should be reading in less time than you could have possibly imagined.
>> Click here to for a simple, step-by-step program that can help your child learn to read, and watch a video of a 2 year old child reading
English varies in accent, colloquialism and even grammar in different countries of the world, yet the methods used to teach your child to read remain the same and will be naturally adapted to your country and region.
However, unlike languages like Finnish and Greek where there is a one-to-one correspondence between a letter and its sound and where children read automatically after a few months of schooling, English has many different rules, pronunciations and foreign words that require a more unique method of teaching.
A reading method
When you are teaching your child to read, no matter which country or region you are in, whether in Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, South Africa or in the Caribbean, all that is required is a simple reading method that will have your child reading a book within a very short time.
Children have an innate learning ability that you will tap into to teach them to read and no matter which country you are from, cultivating their reading confidence early on is of prime importance.
Children read words like symbols
Children learn to read words like symbols and can memorise large amounts of information. For example, by having them memorise the most common words in the English language, you can have them reading more than half of everything that is written in English.
The pronunciation of the words will vary according to the country and area where you live, but the method of learning remains the same. By teaching your child to read their first 100 words visually you begin to build their confidence and ignite a love for reading. Once your child is able to read their first book and enjoy the reading process, they will be ready for you to teach them phonics.
In this again, the rules of English remain the same, it is only the pronunciation that will change; if a patois is spoken in your country (the Caribbean for example), the words still remain the same, but the arrangement of the grammar will change.
Thus, reading remains universal throughout all English speaking countries with only minor differences in pronunciation and grammar.
When you are teaching your child to read the only thing you need concern yourself with is to find and use a system that allows you the flexibility to use your own pronunciation, grammar and themes to suit your and your child's needs. Learning to read English is the same worldwide; you simply need the right reading method and your child will do the rest, and astound you in the process.
>> Click here to for a simple, step-by-step program that can help your child learn to read, and watch a video of a 2 year old child reading
What are the best ways to ensure that your young child loves reading and doesn't find it a daunting task and a chore?
The top thing you can do is set an example. If you show how you value reading, enjoy it and your child can see the benefits then they are much more likely to see reading as an integral part of everyday life.
Show your child how useful reading is. Read for information, read recipes, read on the internet, read the post, magazines, instructions and newspapers. Demonstrate how to find things out and how essential reading is to help us do things.
Start a book collection for your child. Start with the library and then buy your child's favorite authors books. Leave the books on low shelves where your child can access them freely as and when they want to.
Put posters with alphabet characters in your child's room. Look at them together often pointing out the letter names such as A B C and the sound they make, a, b c. Don't worry about saying the letter sounds or names. Most children will learn both at the same time with little problem. Some reading schemes make a fuss over this but I just taught my children a say a for apple and A says A for Acorn. Before you know it your child will know the letter names and sounds. Sing the alphabet song. Before you know it your child will know the letters of the alphabet.
When you read with your child which you should do every day, make is a loving and rewarding experience. Sit close, chose a book each so your child has a choice and you share a favorite book too. Say why you picked that book and what you enjoyed about the book when you have read it.
When reading use different voices and read with as much expression and fun as possible. Encourage your child to point to the words with you as you read. Point out words as you go especially repeated words.
Pick a letter or sound such as 'sh' or 'th' and play spot the letter in the book. Or play find something beginning with a letter.
Don't make your child read any words if they don't want to.
Don't ever say NO that's wrong - EVER. Simply say 'good try' and say the word correctly for your child.
Encourage all attempts to say a letter of word, give plenty of positive reinforcement and positive feedback. That way your child will experience success and love reading.
>> Click here to for a simple, step-by-step program that can help your child learn to read, and watch a video of a 2 year old child reading
