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Teaching your child to read is both an exciting and rewarding milestone in their life. You get the opportunity to see firsthand as they take their first steps into the world of reading and writing.
There are many ways to help your child learn how to read, but one of the best ways is by teaching them phonics. Introducing a phonics program at a young age can help your child develop socially, intellectually, and emotionally.
If you employ the right approach, your child will gain confidence as they progress from sounding out words to reading complete sentences.
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind as you teach your child phonics:
1. Use Flashcards
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Phonics is taught in many ways, but one of the most common methods is through phonics flashcards. Phonics flashcards are specially designed cards with letters and pictures on them. The pictures represent each letter’s sound, and there are different types of phonics flashcards for different levels of learning including:
- Talking flashcards
- Graphic flashcards
- Learning flashcards
Children can use phonics flashcards to learn how sounds are represented by letters, which letters make which sound, and how words are formed from these sounds.
Phonics flashcards help children learn to read by connecting sounds and letters. The goal of phonic flashcards is for children to recognize patterns in words so they can match them up with similar patterns in other words. They also help children understand how words are formed from smaller parts called syllables.
2. Read with Your Child Every Day
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Reading with your child daily is a great way for them to develop a love of reading and improve their literacy skills. It also allows you to connect with your child and share an activity you both enjoy. Reading aloud is a great way to build young children’s fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills.
As they grow older, they can read more complex books that match their interests and abilities. Choose age-appropriate books, so that reading time stays enjoyable. If your child stumbles on a word, encourage them to figure out how it’s pronounced.
But if they still can’t get it, help them out, so they don’t feel discouraged.
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Create a set of empty squares and create letters to fill them. Use a chalkboard or whiteboard to make empty squares, each to represent a sound in the chosen word.
A good starting point is a consonant-vowel-consonant sequence (CVC). Examples are:
- Cat
- Hat
- Nap
Say the CVC word and let your child repeat after you while pronouncing each sound in the word. Let your child select the letter for each sound and ask them to construct the CVC word by placing the first letter in the first empty square from left to right.
As the child gains confidence with the CVC words, increase the difficulty level by introducing words with vowel pairs.
4. Sing the Phonics Songs
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Listening to phonics songs is a great way to ensure children’s study sessions yield maximum results. Phonic sounds set to a tune are easier to memorise.
If you are unable to conduct a lesson one day because of exhaustion, YouTube has thousands of phonic sounds and songs that will help you.
Search for a reputable children’s channel like educational shows for preschoolers on Netflix and help your child sing along to the phonics songs. This ensures that your child doesn’t miss their daily recommended dose of phonics.
5. Use Card Games
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There are many phonics card games that you can create or purchase that make learning phonics fun.
If you’re at home simply draw the letters in bold lettering on a piece of paper and let your child colour and decorate it to make it more enjoyable to learn with. Your child can practice sounding out the letters as they decorate them.
6. Keep it Short
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Children’s attention span is known to waver after some time. They are curious and as such, they want to explore their surrounding. Shortening the time you spend teaching your child about phonics will ensure that they can concentrate through the lesson.
But if you keep your lessons short and sweet, your child will be more likely to retain what they learn.
It’s important to remember that children are still developing their language skills, so keep it simple and focus on one or two concepts at a time. The more complicated you make things, the less likely your child is to learn.
7. Enrol Your Child for Phonics Tuition
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Literacy is the ability to use a language system, distinguish between phonemes (basic sound units) and link these with written symbols. A phonics tutor can teach a child the sounds and letters of the alphabet and what components make up words.
Children with difficulty with reading often struggle with comprehension because they lack the necessary skills to understand how words are formed.
When you enrol your child for phonics tuition, your child will better recognise word patterns and common letter combinations within words. As a result, they can pick out words more quickly when reading aloud or silently.
Conclusion
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All children are individuals, each with their own learning styles. Phonics education is a method that can be incorporated into a well-rounded reading program that encourages visual learners to recognise words by sight and creates opportunities for extensive reading and creative writing.
Phonics is an important tool for your child’s education and future success.
As a parent, you need to make sure that your child is prepared for the challenges of the world by giving them a solid foundation in phonics. Phonics is one of the most important ways to help your child become a strong reader, and it’s also a fun way for you to spend time together.
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