This post was originally published in 2011, and was updated in 2021

Teaching reading is one of my favorite things in life – I just love it when a young child finally makes the connection and gets excited about the new world opened up before them in BOOKS!

So, how did I teach public school children and my own kids to read?

I taught Kindergarten for 3 years with a Whole Language approach and for 1 1/2 years with a Phonics approach {the school I was teaching with switched to Open Court} so I have seen all types of kids use both methods.

When it came time to teach my own kids to read to read, I discovered an amazing homeschool reading program and fell in love. I used it with each of my children and recommend it highly! In addition to having a solid reading program, I have some other recommendations to help your child learn to read and love reading!

What exactly do we do?

Here are a few basic ideas to get you started…

• Read to your child multiple times daily {I know this seems like a DUH point, but seriously, don’t slack on this}. Read with enthusiasm, talk about the text {increase comprehension}, ask questions, discuss the pictures, point out letters and words, and enjoy the read-aloud time together!
• Integrate reading and literacy activities into normal life as much as possible, in a fun way! One simple idea is to begin doing a Morning Message with your child{ren}. This is something I did as a Kindergarten teacher and then adapted for my own kids.
• Have some decodable readers available for your child who is learning to read. Bob Books are a great place to start, simple decodable books for early readers.
• Add in some fun activities to reinforce the reading concepts being taught. We have many free reading printables for letter identification & sounds, rhyming,  CVC words, digraphs, and so much more!

 

Please Remember…

All children are different and some will be interested in learning to read earlier than others… Just because your friend’s 3 year old can read and yours can’t- don’t stress!!! My own children were very different and learned to read at their own pace. This is a great place to learn: Is YOUR Child Ready to Learn to Read?

Happy Teaching!!!