Teammate Tips for Reading with Children
Reading is a complicated and difficult subject to learn. It is easy as parents to forget just how hard it is since it becomes more natural with time. The most important thing to remember when reading with your children is PATIENCE.
You have to accept that there are a ton of different sounds, rules, and things that even when know makes little sense to most adults that they are trying to learn all at one time. Don't let this bother you. Your child is NOT necessarily behind just because someone else has a child that can read twice as fast.
Child development is the development of an individual. One who will have different strengths and weaknesses, either way, I know, they have to learn how to read. Which means you will have to correct and help them. There are no right and wrong per se, but there are better and worse practices for this to get the results you are looking for.
Make sure you do not and are not using a frustrated tone at all if they struggle or ask you a word you think they should know. Doesn't matter if they read it right a minute ago. Doesn't matter if they had that word down yesterday. You absolutes can NOT get frustrated at them struggling today.
Today is a new day, it doesn't mean your child has a terrible memory. Retention and focus are things that take a ton of time to develop. Though they develop faster when it is an enjoyable experience that they love. One way to ensure this is not to let your tone or body language show frustration.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE PRESENT IN READING WITH YOUR CHILD AND NOT WORKING ON OR THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. DEFINITELY NOT WHILE TRYING TO HOLD A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
YOUR CHILD WANTS AND NEEDS YOUR PRESENCE!
Don't just correct either.
When you do need to correct or help with a word, make sure to leave room for them to attempt to figure it out. This is where many parents get super frustrated because they try to break it down to help their child work it out, but in many cases aren't sure themselves how their child's brain learns best yet. Those traits simply aren't heavily developed yet. Maybe attempt to begin to say the word first while they look at it and see if it comes to them.
Don't get too stuck on using phonics, there are many children who learn well this way. There are also many children who do not learn well this way. That is something you will have to figure out about your child. Which is an opportunity to learn about them and build a better relationship as they get older! Understanding how they learn helps you guide them into being amazing adults throughout their growing years!
Once they have made some attempt and still can't, make sure to PRAISE THE EFFORT before giving them the answer. Such as, "that was a great try! The word is ____.".
If your child gets frustrated. "It's okay, you will get it I promise. You have your whole life to learn it, and when you do it will open up whole new worlds into other people's imaginations!"
Make sure you stop every few sentences or page and talk about the story, recapping what has happened with your child from time to time to see how they are understanding and translating the story mentally. This also gives you wonderful opportunities to imagine with your children, take guesses as to what might happen, and show them other exciting emotions that can come from reading.
After the story is over, go over the moral of the story, ask your children if they can think of situations they have come across that apply to the story. This opens lines of communication between you and your children from an early age on that you wouldn't believe in opening up to you about their problems!
Make sure you always thank them verbally and with affection for taking the time to read with you. Yes, I said thank your children for reading with you.
Honestly, they are the ones that put in all the effort.
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