How Your Child Can Learn to Read 20,000+ Words
Your child can learn to read. Even if they are struggling today. Moreover, they can learn to read A LOT of words very quickly.
But first, let's talk about memorizing words versus learning the phonics principles and rules to reading. First let me say, your child must be able to do both to become a master reader. But here's why only relying on memorizing words hurts them. Take a look at this quote from Dr. Martin Kozloff, Professor of Education at the University of North Carolina:
If a child memorizes ten words, the child can read only ten words, but if the child learns the sounds of ten letters, the child will be able to read 350 three-sound words, 4,320 four-sound words, and 21,650 five-sound words.
How Can You Help Your Child Become A Better Reader?
By making sure they are taught the phonics principles of the English language. It gives them an advantage where they're able to analyze words.
Of course, you don't just want them to know the phonics principles. You want them to know HOW to use them and what specific steps they need to take each time they come across a word they don't know.
All too often, I have parents reach out to me and say, "Rebecca, I keep telling my child to just sound out the words and they still aren't getting it. I'm frustrated! Maybe they just want me to do the work for them."
Here's the truth: telling your child "just sound it out" doesn't work. They need to know HOW to sound out words. They need to know HOW to analyze unfamiliar words. So instead of telling them to sound it out, use the model conversation below the next time your child comes to you and says they don't know how to read a word:
Child: What's this word?
You: Hmmm..... what do you think the word is?
Child: I don't know.
You: Ok. Let's work through it together. What sounds do you know in this word?
Child: Ahhh, I don't know.
You: Well, let's look at this word. What is the first letter in this word? What sound does it make?
Child: Oh yea! I know that sound!
You: Good. You're thinking about what you've learned about sounds. Let's keep going. Do you see any other sounds in this word that you know?
Child: Yes! I know this sound, too!
You: Let's find all the sounds you know in this word. We will use your wonderful thinking brain to figure out this word together.
After I shared this strategy with one of my parents, she laughed and said to me, “Rebecca, you really are a teacher. That is not how I normally talk to my child at home, especially after a long day.”
Yes, yes I am a teacher. Even though I’ve had many titles in my career, including Reading Interventionist, Instructional Specialist, and Assistant Principal, my primary role is teacher. And honestly, an exceptional teacher with the skills to make sure your child excels academically is what you need to transition your child from struggling to master reader.
Here’s What Will Happen If Your Child Gets Behind In Reading
A few years ago, I came across a study about the long-term effects of ineffective teaching. Sadly, if your child has just one year of poor instruction in any subject, they may not catch up to their peers for up to three years.
Now imagine if your child starts showing small signs of struggling in reading in kindergarten that go unnoticed in kindergarten, first and second grade. Guess what? It is highly likely, without intervention, they'll never catch up and certainly not move ahead of their peers.
This is why I take my role so seriously. I know that with the right instruction, your child can excel.
I also know you may see some signs of struggle but think, overtime, they'll grow out of it. Unfortunately, they will not. Learning to read is a process and requires your child to experience engaging reading lessons that are consistent and research-based.
The reading gap only grows month to month unless there is immediate intervention.
Trying to figure out why children struggle with reading takes work. But the good news is, there is always a reason why some children have a more difficult time which means there's always a solution. I believe EVERY child is capable of excelling in reading. The sooner you know the root cause, the sooner a child will move from struggling to success!
5 Reasons Children Struggle With Reading:
Relying too heavily on pictures instead of print. Some children look only at pictures to try and guess at words in a book. This strategy may work for them with baby books, but it is not a long term strategy for reading words.
Difficulty decoding words. Decoding means your child can break apart the individual sounds in a word and then blend them together to correctly pronounce a word.
Unable to distinguish sounds in words. When your child has not received adequate reading instruction and is missing some foundational skills, they are unable to decode words because they don't know the 44 sounds of the English language nor the hundreds of ways those sounds are spelled in words.
Unable to monitor their own reading and use new information to create meaning in text. Reading means more than just sounding out words. Your child must be able to think about what they are reading, ask questions about their text, and use that to create meaning in their own minds about the text.
Unable to make connections to their text. Your child's comprehension increases and reading becomes far more meaningful for them when they can connect to the text.
This Will Make Your Child A Stronger Reader
You can make sure your child never encounters these issues (or if you're already seeing some of these concerns, begin to resolve the issue) by:
Making sure your child has a strong literacy foundation rooted in phonemic awareness and a strong phonics base
Creating space each day for your child to read (or be read to) at least 30 minutes a day
Engaging your child in meaningful conversation about what they're reading (or what's being read to them if they can't yet read)
Encouraging your child to look at the sounds within a word and use what they know to decode the word instead of just guessing at what the word may be and looking to you for reassurance
I'm happy to share more with you about how to guarantee your child's reading success. If you haven't already done so, sign up for my webinar by clicking here and learn the secret strategies that easily enhance your child’s ability to read.
When you’re ready to enroll your child in my learn to read course to jumpstart their reading success, click here.
