To help your child with their reading abilities, there are a range of activities and exercises to explore with them as they grow. From an early age children will be getting attuned to spelling, vocabulary and more; and with the help of a nursery in Chiswick here are some top tips to help them along the way
Use specific times to excite your child
Kids are often motivated by getting a reward or something to gain if they do something you request of them. Reading can be made fun this way by doing it at certain times of the day – be it dinner time, bath time or just before they head to bed. They’re working towards something when they know it’s the end of their reading time, like having toy time in the bath or having something nice to eat afterwards. Revolve reading around a certain goal or reward in mind to keep children enticed.
Keep reading time short where possible
If your child loves to read then it’s easier to have longer reading times, but for those just easing themselves into reading regularly may benefit from having shorter breaks in between reading sessions.
Alternatively, start small. Get out the picture book and lay out what you’re going to read to your child straight away. They’ll get a whole lot more fun out of reading if they know that they only need to do a few minutes a day. Incorporate reading and spelling games from other media forms if you find they’re lagging behind.
Use songs and rhymes
Rhymes are meant to be fun and engaging, which is why they’re popular with children and their learning. Thankfully a lot of TV and music songs are made for the aim of getting kids to say things, pronounce words, read the screen in some cases and follow the rhythm of the song. They’re also great tools for getting your child to read often as they’re getting used to different words and sounds more often.
Unsure if it is worth the effort? Have a look at why reading is so important for children and you may change your mind.