Teach a Child to Read Based on Their Learning Style
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Whether you are homeschooling, or your child is in a private or public school system, teaching a child how to read may have its ups and downs. I believe as partners in our children’s education we have the opportunity to make learning-to-read exciting and engaging. Every child has a different learning style, so a method that may work for one child, may not work for the other. Guess what? That’s okay! Some children are audio learners, some are visual, some are hands-on, etc. When you establish what your child’s learning style is (and you know your child best), you can adopt a strategy and system that works the best for you and your child.
What if my child isn’t learning correctly at school? Hopefully, you can have a conference with your child’s teacher to customize what works for them. If this isn’t available, you can supplement at home so that your child is caught up and ready to roll! As an early childhood educator, with a degree in Child Development, and now a homeschool teacher/coach for my own children, I have learned that reading should be enjoyable and can be made enjoyable! Trust me, I have been through headaches and frustration with my own kids. It was heartbreaking watching them struggle, but I took that step back and asked myself…”What is my child’s learning style?” How do you find that out? It’s simple, what does your child love to do the best? What’s their hobby? Use that as a tool to help them in their reading skills. For example, my youngest daughter (9), is very hands-on. I ended up cutting out huge blocks of sight words in different colors and making a game out of it on the floor. I would mix up the words and tell her to find specific words and put them in a color coded envelope. Not only did it keep her active and hands-on, she loved it and could remember the words properly. I discovered this learning style as sitting still and learning-to-read just wasn’t in the cards for her. She couldn’t concentrate. This hands-on method in turn helped her learn to read. When it came time to sit and read an early reader, she could recognize words and not be frustrated. Such an awesome and rewarding feeling. She definitely felt proud and so did mama. 😉
Another key ingredient to helping your child learn to read is finding books in their areas of interest. The library has a nice variety of early reader books that suits your childs likes! These also make great supplements outside of school and can be helpful!
Please keep in mind that if you are are suspecting or concerned that your child has a learning disability that needs extra attention, it’s best to consult a professional first. Every child deserves a customized experience in their learning path, especially when learning to read!
