How to help my child read

If your child is having a hard time learning to read, you can inspire him (or her) to while nurturing your child's self-confidence. Most children struggling to learn to read feel embarrassed and afraid of not being up to their parents' expectations, and this keeps them from practicing and trying harder. 

Children learn a lot better when there is no anxiety and when they feel love, safe and praised by their parents. These Tips will motivate your child and strengthen your "connection":

     Read to your child every day 

     During dinner, talk about this book you two are reading. There is an article with very helpful tips for you to become a great “out-loud reader” for your child: Helping Your Child Learn to Read

     Create mind-games from that book you are reading

     A fun mind-game we have is to change parts of the story and make a whole new book out of it. Let your child make the story and you write it down as he or she speaks. Show your child how important it is to write down the story he or she just pulled together. After a few days, you can read to your child that story he or she made up.

     Let your child see how much you enjoy reading a book

     We grownups spend a lot of time reading from our phones and other devices. Our children learn by example, meaning they will most likely imitate you. So, if you want your child to spend his or her time in books, start by yourself and let them see how excited you are about this new book you are reading, tell them what is it about. There are very good classics you can start with. My favorite author is Jules Verne. Children love to hear about the adventures captured in his books, like “A Capitan at Fifteen”.

     Let your child play with books 

     Give them the right message: Books are fun. Learning is fun. We have many “lift-the-flap” books and my child enjoys them by herself. They are pricey but worth it as they reinforce the message: “Books hide many wonderful secrets and it is so fun to find them all”. After all, that is what learning is all about: “Unveiling the Secrets of the World”.  

Make a major event out of your trips to the Bookstore. 

     Plan your trip to the bookstore as if you were going out on an adventure trip, like camping. Talk about what book you would like to read together. Try to spend hours in the store just “diving” into all the options. Sit on a table together with your books and enjoy while you are leafing through the pages. When you are done, let your child pick only one book.