Articles
Apr 10, 2013
Learning to Read in Kindergarten
By the time children are in kindergarten they will be developing critical reading skills that will help them throughout their academic life. Some of the most fundamental skills that children will learn in kindergarten include: ## Phonemic Awareness Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and identify the individual sounds that make up words. These individual sounds are called phonemes For example, the word ‘cat’ is made up of three phonemes – c/a/t. By developing phonemic awareness, children are also developing critical listening skills to become aware that speech is made up of different sounds and that these sounds make...
Apr 03, 2013
3 Ways to Teach Children Phonics
One of the most common difficulties a child will encounter when learning to read is the failure to understand phonics, that is, how written spellings represent the sounds of spoken words. To help teach your children phonics skills, try engaging them in activities at home that incorporate the following: ### Play Playing with your child is actually enormously significant to their language development. As you play with them, in whatever activity, whether it’s building Lego, block towers, train tracks, playing with dolls in their dollhouse, or drawing, be intentional about using language. This can feel stilted and unnatural at first,...
Apr 03, 2013
5 Ways to Teach Children How to Read
Teaching children to read at home can help set them up for literacy success once they start school. Some of the best ways you can teach your child the basics of learning to read at home include: ### Developing skills with the Alphabet and Phonics Understanding the alphabetic principle, that is, that letters and combinations of letters represent particular sounds, is crucial for children to make any inroads towards reading success. Being able to identify and manipulate the individual sounds that make up words, known as phonemes, not only gives kids a firmer understanding of the alphabetic principle, but makes...
Apr 03, 2013
Story Reading for Kids – 5 Tips
Reading stories together with your child is one of the best ways that you can help them develop the confidence and skills to eventually learn to read on their own. Try some of the following tips to make story reading times for kids all the more fun and effective: ## 1. Regular Reading Time Make sure you designate a regular reading time and place where you and your child can read in comfort and free from any distractions. Your reading place doesn’t have to be indoors, you can try going outside to the park or maybe even the beach to...