Life hacks and tips on how to teach your child to read in English in a fun and productive way. List of books in English for children. An overview of the most effective techniques - from professionals.
Use a variety of techniques to teach reading
Of course, the first acquaintance with a book and reading comes from pictures. However, sooner or later, the child will need to be helped to remember how to pronounce various sounds, as well as to learn frequently used exception words. There are several techniques, the most popular and effective ones.
Learn to read English in a playful way / istockphoto.com
Phonological method - tells how to pronounce the letters correctly and what sounds they form. And if everything is more or less clear with consonants, although there are exceptions, then with vowels everything is much more difficult. Each of them can be read in four different ways, depending on which letters it is surrounded by in a particular word. For example, reading with the letter "a" in a closed type of syllable is always read through "e". It is important to bring the child's understanding of such rules and the reading of the same type of words to automatism so that he does not think about how to read the word every time.
To do this, you can use many reading exercises with large lists of words, where the same vowel is read the same way, only the consonants around it change. Repeatedly reading aloud similar words will give a good result. In the absence of a teacher, it is desirable that these exercises be supported by sound or video to control the correct pronunciation. The main goal of this method is for the child to begin to immediately understand how to read the words correctly, even if he sees them for the first time.
Whole word method - here the child immediately goes to words. Starting with simple ones, further complicating them. Children remember how a certain set of letters is read in a certain word, and subsequently transfer the learned pattern to the pronunciation of others.
2. Don't read in lesson format
So that the child does not quickly get bored with reading lessons, do not work with him in the format of a "classic" lesson, but in a more interactive and relaxed form. For example, if your child usually studies at the table, then you can sit on the couch for reading or go to the nearest park, where the background noise will not be distracted. The main thing is that the child feels comfortable, and there are no excessive distractions around.
To make your activities more entertaining and less stressful, you can watch a cartoon based on a book. For example, if you decide to read "The Wizard of the Emerald City" with your child in English - do not forget about the cartoon! This will fix new unfamiliar words, phrases and expressions in the baby's head, and a vivid picture and an interesting plot will leave a pleasant viewing experience.
It is important that the reading is not in a lesson format. Read in the park, on the couch. The main thing is not in a formal setting / istockphoto.com
3. Use worksheets with letters (Worksheets)
It is better not to use such worksheets for very little ones, but for school-age children it is a great solution! After all, in order for the baby to reproduce the sound correctly, you need to remember how the letter looks and how it is read. Phonics worksheets can be downloaded by entering your query in the search engine and choosing the appropriate option. Combining worksheets with sound clips can be helpful. Find a video for certain sounds and turn on the child, so he learns the material as much as possible.
4. Read small books and always with pictures
Children love, contrary to popular belief, books and bright pictures. Therefore, choose those that have large, large text and colorful illustrations. When you read aloud to a child, be sure to run your finger over the text - this way you can draw the child's attention to the words written in the book. We recommend that you start acquaintance with your little one by reading the books of Dr. Seuss or the good stories of Julia Donaldson. Fun stories will increase your child's interest in reading. Draw your child's attention to the illustrations. Thanks to them, he will quickly remember the history and become more involved in the process. Such pictures can be accompanied by explanations - after all, new words and phrases are much easier to remember when they are supported by associations.
5. Take time to read the book with your child.
Let it be only 5-10 minutes of your time, but the kid must understand that they are the ones devoted to reading. In such cases, rituals that prepare children for reading. For example, every night after dinner, you take out a book and have a productive time together.
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