How Parents Can Help Their Dyslexic Child Develop Reading Skills
Reading is an essential skill for success in school and in life. It allows us to learn new things, communicate with others, and understand the world around us. Parents play a vital role in helping their children develop strong reading skills. By providing a supportive and literacy-rich environment, parents can help their children become confident and successful readers.
What are the benefits of reading?
There are many benefits to reading, including:
Improved academic achievement: Reading is a foundational skill for success in all academic areas. Children who are good readers are more likely to do well in math, science, and social studies. They are better able to comprehend and engage with classroom texts and materials.
Increased vocabulary: Reading exposes children to new words and helps them to build their vocabulary. This can lead to improved communication skills and a better understanding of the world around them. Children who are good readers tend to have stronger vocabularies.
Enhanced critical thinking skills: Reading helps children to develop their critical thinking skills. They learn to analyze information, draw conclusions, and form their own opinions. Good readers can synthesize information from multiple sources.
Increased creativity and imagination: Reading exposes children to new ideas and experiences. This can help them to develop their creativity and imagination. Stories allow children to explore new worlds and possibilities.
Reduced stress and anxiety: Reading can be a relaxing and enjoyable activity. It can help children to reduce stress and anxiety. The imagination and creativity inspired by reading provides an outlet for emotions.
Lifelong learning: Children who develop strong reading skills are setting themselves up to be lifelong learners. Reading opens doors to learning about any topic.
How can parents help their children develop reading skills?
There are many things that parents can do to help their children develop reading skills. Here are some tips:
Read aloud: Reading aloud to children, even from an early age, helps them to develop important pre-reading skills, such as understanding the sounds letters make, expanding vocabulary, and grasping story structure. Exposing children to the rhythm of language in books is key.
Make reading interactive: Encourage discussion and engagement with the books you read together. Ask children questions about what's happening in the story and what they think will happen next. Pause throughout to explain words and ideas.
Set an example: Children are greatly influenced by seeing their parents read for pleasure and information. Let your child see you enjoying books yourself.
Keep reading material available: Have lots of interesting books and reading material around your home. Rotate books to keep things fresh and interesting. Bring your child to libraries and bookstores.
Let them read what interests them: Give children control over picking out their own books to cultivate intrinsic motivation and reading enjoyment. Don't force them to stick with a book they find boring.
Encourage independent reading: Children need time to read independently to practice their skills. Create cozy spaces for your child to read and provide books at the right level.
Be patient: Don't get discouraged if your early reader struggles. Reading takes a lot of practice. Offer support and encouragement along the way.
Read anywhere: Bring books along on outings to sneak in reading time wherever you are. Reading can happen anywhere!
Make connections: Help your child make connections between what they read and their own experiences. Compare story events to your child's life.
Praise progress: Offer specific praise when you notice reading improvements and milestones to encourage further advancement.
Foster reading enjoyment: Make reading an appealing, rewarding experience by being enthusiastic about books yourself and providing positive reinforcement.
Monitor development: Pay attention to your child's reading skills development. Seek extra support from teachers or tutors if needed.
Use technology wisely: While too much screen time can be detrimental, educational apps and ebooks can be useful tools when used judiciously.
Incorporate reading skills practice: There are many ways to work reading skill practice into everyday activities, like spelling practice, learning new vocabulary words, or reading road signs.
Here are some examples of parents using these strategies:
- Amy reads a chapter book aloud to her son Henry before bed each night. They talk about the plot and characters. Amy pauses to define new words and ask Henry questions to check comprehension.
- Carter's mom Jackie brings him to their local library every Saturday to pick out new books for the week. Carter gets excited browsing the shelves and finding books about his interests like dinosaurs and robots.
- Evelyn was struggling with reading, so her dad Tyler found an educational app that makes reading practice into a game to help her. The app allows Tyler to monitor Evelyn's progress.
- Mason loves reading on his own, so his mom Monica set up a cozy reading nook in his bedroom stocked with lots of engaging books at his reading level.
- Emma's parents notice she likes reading picture books, so they got her a subscription to a monthly program that mails a new picture book and reading activities.
- Jacob's dad reads road signs and grocery lists aloud when they are out to incorporate extra reading practice.
The importance of reading comprehension
Reading comprehension is a critical component of reading skills. It involves not just understanding the words on the page, but really grasping the meaning behind them. There are various parental strategies that can aid reading comprehension development in children:
- Discussing stories and texts after reading encourages deeper engagement and understanding. Asking questions about the plot, characters, and themes requires analysis.
- Making predictions while reading encourages children to actively think ahead about what information is coming next. Check if their predictions were correct.
- Retelling main ideas and details from a story ensures the key points are cemented. Ask children to summarize the beginning, middle and end.
- Relating reading content to real life experiences forges connections and relevance for kids. Find ways the story relates to your child's life.
- Using reading comprehension graphic organizers provides a structured technique. Fill in story maps with settings, characters, problems and resolutions together.
- Incorporating non-fiction exposes kids to more complex informational texts with challenging vocabulary and concepts. Read articles and books about science, history and the arts.
- Promoting visualization has children create mental images and pictures from texts. Have them draw scenes from stories.
- Evaluating and critiquing texts develops critical thinking skills. Ask for opinions on books and discuss likes/dislikes.
- Checking for understanding ensures kids comprehend reading material. Ask clarifying questions and have children demonstrate knowledge.
Here is a glossary of common terms related to dyslexia and reading disorders used by school psychologists:
- Dyslexia - A learning disability characterized by difficulties with accurate word recognition, poor decoding, and poor spelling abilities.
- Decoding - The ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships to correctly pronounce written words.
- Encoding - The ability to spell words correctly based on knowledge of letters and sounds.
- Phonological awareness - The understanding of the sound structure of language, including rhyming, alliteration, and phonemic awareness.
- Phonemic awareness - The ability to focus on and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
- Phonics - Teaching reading by developing the understanding of letter-sound correspondences and their use in reading and spelling.
- Fluency - The ability to read text quickly, accurately, and with proper expression. Fluency provides the bridge between word recognition and comprehension.
- Orthographic mapping - The process of storing words in memory based on their spelling so they can be quickly retrieved for reading.
- Rapid automatized naming (RAN) - The ability to quickly name aloud familiar stimuli such as letters, numbers, colors, or objects.
- Working memory - The ability to temporarily store and manipulate information in the mind. Important for following multistep directions.
- Processing speed - The time it takes to perform mental tasks such as decoding words or comparing similarities and differences.
- Auditory processing - The interpretation of sound information including distinction of specific speech sounds, word recognition, and understanding spoken instructions.
- Visual processing - The ability to interpret and give meaning to visual information including visualization, spatial awareness, and visual memory.
- Reading comprehension - Understanding, remembering, and communicating with others about what is read.
- Specific learning disability - A disorder affecting one or more psychological processes involved in understanding language or numbers that may manifest as an imperfect ability in reading, writing, or math.
- Individualized education program (IEP) - A written statement of the educational program designed to meet a child's individual needs. It provides additional support and services as deemed necessary.
- Accommodations - Changes in how a student is taught or tested including presentation, response, setting, and timing accommodations. Designed to provide equal access to learning without reducing expectations.
- Modifications - Changes in what a student is expected to learn and demonstrate. May include reductions in content and simplified instructions.
Helping struggling readers
It's common for some children to struggle with reading. There are many techniques parents can use at home to help struggling readers:
- Work on phonics skills. Use games and exercises focused on matching letters to sounds.
- Practice sight words. Use flashcards, apps, or verbally drill common words.
- Take turns reading aloud. Your child can follow along as you model fluent reading.
- Use books on audio. Following an audiobook version helps comprehension.
- Read simpler books. Don't frustrate kids with texts too advanced for their level.
- Improve vocabulary. Discuss word meanings and add new words to their lexicon.
- Work on reading fluency. Reading passages aloud repeatedly helps with pace and expression.
- Give positive reinforcement. Praise effort and improvement to encourage advancement.
- Be patient and celebrate small victories. Learning to read is challenging.
- Schedule regular reading time. Daily practice time, even just 15-20 minutes, leads to improvement.
- Rule out learning disabilities. If struggles persist, have your child evaluated for dyslexia or other issues.
- Seek professional support. Tutoring is available if your child needs intensive reading intervention.
By employing special techniques tailored to the specific needs of struggling readers, parents can help facilitate reading breakthroughs. With time, effort, and positive reinforcement, reading challenges can be overcome.
Building motivation and engagement
Children are more likely to put in the work needed to get better at reading when they are intrinsically motivated. There are many ways parents can help build reading motivation:
- Make reading enjoyable. Reading should not feel like a chore. Keep it fun with jokes, funny voices, snacks, and movement.
- Let kids choose books. Allowing choices gives them a sense of control and interest.
- Connect books to kids' interests. Find books about things they already find exciting like dinosaurs, fairies, or sports.
- Allow reading breaks. Don't force too much reading at once. Short periods spread out work better.
- Read together. The social nature releases feel-good hormones that get kids hooked on reading.
- Set up reading challenges. See who can read the most books in a month or have reading marathons.
- Give reading rewards. Reward reading time with stickers, small prizes, or activity treats.
- Start book clubs. Discussing books with peers makes reading social and sparks enthusiasm.
- Meet inspiring readers. Exposure to authors, older readers and literacy heroes motivates kids.
- Share your own reading habits. Your passion and enjoyment of reading is contagious.
- Celebrate all reading progress. Any advancement a child makes should be applauded.
Making reading an exciting adventure will create eager readers who crave time with books.
Reading tips for parents of preschoolers
As a preschooler, your child is starting to build crucial emergent literacy skills but is
Here are some tips for parents of preschoolers:
- Read interactive books that allow kids to lift flaps, touch different textures, and participate. Getting hands-on boosts engagement.
- Point out letters and words in everyday life. Note signs, labels, and logos when you are out and about.
- Talk about storybooks after reading. Discuss what happened, ask questions, and make connections to your child's experiences.
- Make reading cozy and fun. Cuddle up together and use funny voices and props to make stories come alive.
- Let your child turn pages and repeat refrains from familiar books. This builds confidence, participation, and print motivation.
- Have writing tools like crayons, markers, paper available. Scribbling and pretending to write alongside reading fosters literacy development.
- Look for alphabet and rhyming books. These build phonological awareness skills.
- Keep reading short. Preschoolers have limited attention spans. 5-10 minutes is plenty time for a story.
- Don't push reading instruction too early. Focus on equipping the foundations like letter knowledge, print concepts, and oral language.
- Be a model. Let your child see you reading books, magazines, signs to imitate good literacy habits.
- Make every space a reading space. Keep books in your car, diaper bag, stroller. Read on-the-go.
- Let kids retell stories in their own words as you turn pages. This shows comprehension.
- Visit the library often for new, stimulating books to build your home collection.
- Give books as gifts for birthdays and holidays to show books are special.
With patience and encouragement, reading to your preschooler now pays off later when formal reading instruction begins. Laying the groundwork gets kids ready to take off when school starts.
Building reading skills for elementary students
Here are some tips for parents to help build reading skills as children enter elementary school:
- Make time for daily independent reading. Kids should read books they pick themselves for 20-30 minutes to bolster fluency and comprehension.
- Ask about what they are reading in school and what strategies they are learning. Reinforce those strategies at home.
- Work on reading aloud with expression, proper pacing, and inflection. Have them rehearse more challenging passages.
- Expand vocabulary by discussing new words they encounter and adding them to a vocabulary journal. Use words in context and play word games.
- Improve comprehension by asking questions before, during, and after reading. Check for understanding and have kids summarize.
- Help make inferences using clues from the text. Encourage making predictions about what will happen next.
- Practice identifying main ideas, supporting details, and text structure like problem and solution or chronological order.
- For fiction, focus on plot, setting, characters, and make connections to their own lives.
- For nonfiction, work on distinguishing facts vs. opinions and identifying key details about topics.
- Explore different genres like mystery, adventure, historical fiction, informational texts, poetry, etc.
- Make reading multisensory with props. Use character voices, act out scenes, and make sound effects.
- Offer positive reinforcement and celebrate milestones like finishing a challenging chapter book.
By giving them tools to actively engage with texts, parents provide a strong foundation to meet increasing reading demands at higher grade levels.
Fostering advanced reading skills in middle and high school students
Here are tips for parents to stretch reading skills for tweens and teens:
- Make time for reading without other distractions. Encourage 30-60 minutes of uninterrupted reading per day.
- Discuss mature themes in books like identity, social issues, and relationships. Share perspectives.
- Push kids to analyze complex characters, symbolism, motifs, and figurative language in literature.
- Have them summarize key information from nonfiction texts and argumentative essays. Identify evidence used.
- Practice speed reading techniques like skimming, scanning, and finding context clues.
- Encourage reading diverse genres: contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, drama, graphic novels.
- Help grow their vocabulary by keeping a running list of new words and definitions from reading.
- Select books on more advanced reading levels to stretch skills. Aim for books with longer, complex sentences.
- Share your own enjoyment of reading as a model. Discuss interesting articles you've read.
- Let kids choose books relevant to their lives and interests to stay engaged.
- Visit the library and bookstores together to browse new book options.
- Make reading social by starting family book clubs or mother-daughter/father-son reading groups.
By continuing to nurture reading habits through the middle and high school years, parents promote enduring literacy and discovery.
Conclusion
Strong reading skills provide a crucial foundation for overall learning and success. While schools play a central role, parents are vital partners in fostering reading development. By making reading a fun, interactive experience from an early age and continuing to support growth in comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, and fluency as children mature, parents can instill a lifelong love of reading. Adjusting techniques to fit the needs of each stage lays the groundwork for raising capable, confident readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you!