To support their young reader, parents should encourage reading and use supportive decoding strategies in the home. 1) Letters and Sounds: Parents can help their children develop decoding skills by focusing on the letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sound. While reading a story together, occasionally point to letters and see if your child can name them. Find ways to include letters in day to day activities. When packing your child's lunch, ask what letter or sound each snack starts with or when getting dressed ask what does the word 'sock' end with. Use magnetic letters on the fridge, draw letters on the sidewalk with chalk, hide letters around the house for your child to find. All of these activities encourage letter recognition in an engaging and meaningful way. 2) Find Words EVERYWHERE!: Whether you are in your home, in the vehicle, at the grocery store, or out in the community words are EVERYWHERE! Try to point out words your child may know or have them try to guess unfamiliar words. For example, the word “exit” can be found in many different places. Talk to your child about the sounds and letters in the word. Can your child name each of the letters or can they find those letters in other words? What do they think exit means? Conversations that seem simple can have a huge impact on your child's decoding ability. 3) Sing Songs or Nursery Rhymes: Children's songs and nursery rhymes can help children hear different sounds and syllables in the words. Letter sounds and syllables are both important factors in building decoding skills. Try singing songs and nursery rhymes with your child while clapping rhythmically together. This activity isn't only fun for children, it can also help them strengthen the literacy skills that will set them up for reading success. 4) Play Games: Word games can be played anywhere! As mentioned earlier, simple activities such as hiding letters around the house can help children develop letter and sound recognition which will in turn support their decoding skills. Parents can also try playing a version of I-Spy in the vehicle where the child has to find an object that starts with a certain letter or sound. Other games can be made or purchased such as:
5) Make Your Own Flashcards: These flashcards can be the same ones created for games such as Memory or Go Fish! Using recipe cards or regular paper, help your child write letters or words on each of the cards. When your child chooses a card, help them recognize the letter or each of the sounds if it is a word written on the card. Your child will benefit from both writing the letters or words on the cards and practicing reading them. As your child continues to practice, they should be able to recognize the letter or word at a faster rate. 6) Use Technology to Your Advantage: Technology can support literacy when used appropriately. There are many apps (free and for purchase) that can help children develop decoding and overall literacy skills. Ensure the app or technology program you choose is engaging yet supportive to reading development. Below is a list of five apps that Parents can access to help support their child's decoding skills at home.
7) Educate Yourself: One way to help your child learn to decode is to educate yourself on the concepts of literacy development. When your child is learning to decode, they are using a variety of different skills to support their decoding. A child's decoding skills can be impacted by their oral language and phonemic awareness. To best support your child, it is important that you have an understanding of the different literacy skills and how they impact one another. To learn more about the different concepts of literacy please visit: https://readingeggs.com/articles/2016/06/10/five-components-of-reading 8) Create a Literacy Rich Environment: Another way to support your child's decoding skills is to ensure your home is a literacy rich environment. Have books available for your child to look at or read if they can. Books can be bought, donated, or taken out from the public or school libraries. Try to include printed words around the house, labelling items that are important to your child. This allows children to see connections between letters, sounds, and objects around their home. Find ways to include literacy in your day-to-day life, activities, and conversations. 9) READ!: Perhaps the best way to help your child build decoding skills is to read with them every day! Reading books together allows you to model a variety of literacy skills. Children watch and listen as their parents sound words out and read fluently and expressively. It also introduces children to many new words. Children's books have more rare and interesting words than in the typical adult conversation (McKeown & Beck, 2011)! When parents read to their children, conversations about the book develop. Children can engage with the pictures, talking about what they see or what they think may happen next. When your child reads to you, it is the perfect opportunity for them to practice their literacy skills. When your child is struggling to sound out a word, start by helping and encouraging but do not tell them the word instantly. Try covering up some of the letters so your child can focus on one sound at a time. Help your child make each individual sound and then blend the sounds all together. If your child is still struggling, help them with the word and re-read the sentence with them together. Most importantly, reading with your child will help them develop a love for reading. When children enjoy reading, they are more likely to engage in literacy activities setting them up for future literacy success! 10) Remain Patient, Positive, and Encouraging: Learning to decode can be difficult for both children and their parents. What may seem like a simple word to parents can be a challenge for some children. It is important to remember that every child is learning at his or her own pace. Getting frustrated will not help the child learn to decode nor will it make the process more enjoyable. Do your best to remain patient, positive, and encouraging. Working together with your child will help them grow into a successful reader. References:
McKeown, M. G., Beck, I. L. (2011). Making vocabulary interventions engaging and effective. In R. E. O’Conner, & P.F. Vadasy, (Eds.). Handbook of reading interventions (pp. 138-168). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
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The best time to start reading with your child is before they are born! However, it is never too late to create a Reading Routine with your child to support their literacy development. Here are a few tricks that can build a Reading Routine at home: 1) Schedule Reading Time: Find a time that works best for you and your child. Some families may find it best to read together right before bed, others may prefer to read as soon as they get home from school and work. There is no wrong time to read with your child! Parents may wish to set a certain amount of time or a number of books that they will read each night. For example, parents may let their children pick two books each evening or they may want to read a chapter book together, setting a timer for 15 minutes. Make reading a priority by creating a schedule where you can read with your child each and every day. 2) Stay Consistent: There will be evenings when finding time for reading will seem impossible amongst all of the other family events. Try to stay consistent with your scheduled reading time. If you do miss a night of reading, try to get right back on your reading routine the following night! Do your best to stay consistent. Eventually the time scheduled for reading will become as routine as eating dinner or brushing your teeth!
4) Make Reading Fun!: When parents read to their child they should try to make the reading fun and exciting! "Make the read aloud interactive by inviting comments and questions from your child. Encourage connections to the characters and themes. Ask your child questions and encourage him or her to share thoughts and reactions to the reading. Remember that this is a conversation. Keep it fun!" (Picard, 2018, p. 101). References: Picard, M. (2018). Words their way for parents, tutors, and school volunteers. New York, NY: Pearson. 1) Reading Rockets:
Reading Rockets is a wonderful website to support parents' understanding of literacy development. Strategies for decoding, tips for nightly reading, and book suggestions are all provided (for free) on the website. 2) PBS Parents: PBS Parents offers a wide range of resources for parents. Under the literacy tab, parents can find resources and activities for their child depending on age or ability. Book recommendations are also provided under the "Bookfinder" feature allowing you to search for a book based on your child's age, interests, and ability. 3) Scholastic for Parents: Scholastic has a very useful "Parents" section on their website. This section offers resources or book ideas under the "Books & Reading" tab. It also provides activities for kids that parents can do at home with their child. These activities support a wide range of skills including literacy development. |