“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” -Emilie Buchwald
Teaching a child to read is essential. Reading skills are important for learning, working, and even playing. So, it is understandable why this could be an area that is stressful for parents. They want to do it right to help their children succeed in life. Many parents today want to leave this responsibility to the professionals (preschool and elementary teachers, reading coaches, tutors, etc). However, to all of the parents reading this today, I want you to know that YOU are the best person to teach your child to read. YOU are the most important teacher in your child’s life. As the quote above states, the best place for your child to become a great reader is on your lap. By reading together daily, not only will your child learn how to read but you will have the opportunity to use your imagination to travel to many different lands, embark on great adventures, learn new skills, have great conversations, and most importantly develop a closer relationship with one another.
The process for teaching your child to read does not have to be overly complicated, confusing, or stressful. Reading is meant to be fun! We actually want to keep reading simple yet exciting, so it doesn’t become a chore and something they dread doing. Instead, we want to show them the importance of reading and how wonderful it can be. Below, I created videos to share with you on how to begin teaching your child to read. This is broken down into two videos. The first video will discuss the five main areas of reading instruction and the importance of reading aloud and the second video will discuss more general and practical ideas for encouraging your child to become a life-long reader. You will also find below, resource suggestions and links to products I have personally found to be helpful when teaching students and my own children to read.
Always remember you are the most influential teacher they will ever have!
How To Teach Your Child To Read Video Part 1
Practical Suggestions to Development Life-Long Readers Video Series Part 2
University of Florida Literacy Initiative Parent Resources
Primary (Grades K-3) Resources
Beginning Reader Books
Purchase Complete Beginner Sets (1-5) Here:
Engaging Activities & Games
More from Kara:
Teaching Your Child The Alphabet
*Disclosure: Links provided in this article are of products I have personally used in my home or early childhood classroom. I believe they are beneficial items that will assist you in educating your children. These links are special Amazon affiliate links. If/when someone purchases an item using the links provided it will send a small commission to help us further produce quality content for our readers.
