Preparing a Child to Read

Developing a positive attitude toward reading is important during the early stages of learning. When your child discovers early on that reading can be fun, he learns to read willingly and actively. Make sure that your child gets beyond the challenge of these basic skills:

Knowledge of Letter Sounds:

Your child must be able to identify the separate sounds of letters in order to decipher the words they make.

Knowledge of Letter Names:

In order to successfully learn letter sounds, your child must be able to recognize and name the letters in the alphabet.

Decoding:

This is accomplished when a child can correctly match letters they see on the page with their appropriate sounds.

Reading Comprehension:

When your child has mastered all of the above, it is important to check that he understands the meanings of the words and ideas he is sounding out. When the child learns to decode a new word, he will also be learning to comprehend what the word means and how it can be used.

The next section contains home activities that can be used to develop these basic skills. Click on the link to Parent and Child Activities!