Did you know that reading is not a natural skill?
It seems shocking in a very literacy-based world, but it’s true!
Reading (and writing) has been around for about 5,000 years, compared to the 300,000 that homo sapiens have walked the earth. Unlike speech – which does have a natural and evolved brain system – reading and writing are human-made and must be human-taught. The Science of Reading explores the most efficient and effective ways to teach reading. It is this research that guides my work as a Specialist Teacher, but also provides insight when children struggle to read.
Here are some top tips to help your child learn to read:
1. Read to them.
Pick books that you can read aloud. Share stories of adventures, the universe, families, kindness… anything that expands their oral vocabulary: the words you can use every day.
2. Build sound-letter knowledge.
English has 44 phonemes (sounds) using 26 letters. We combine the letters to make different sounds. For example, ‘S’ and ‘H’ work together to make ‘sh’. Working with your child on the alphabetic principle (that sounds are represented by letters) can be a good way to help start rewiring their brains for literacy.
3. Build on their teacher’s work.
Building sound-letter knowledge takes time. For best results, ask which programme they are following and if they provide practice material, use it!
4. Keep letter sounds pure.
The letter b makes the sound /b/, not /buh/. Adding /uh/ to consonants can add to decoding and blending challenges later.
5. Decode the words; show the blends.
Explore blends in new words, then fill in gaps starting from the beginning.
What to do if the process is challenging:
Talk with your child’s teacher or the school SENDCO. See what they are doing to help. Ask what you can do at home.
Some children need more time to consolidate their phonics and literacy skills.
But, if the process becomes incredibly challenging, or they just cannot pick up the phonics, make sure their hearing is good and have an eye test.
If their hearing is good, their sight and vision are good, but they are still having difficulties with learning to read, it may be time to work with a Specialist Teacher to get targeted interventions.
If interventions don’t help after six months:
It may be time to consider a dyslexia assessment.
This will explore your child’ skills, abilities, and challenges. It will pinpoint which areas they find most difficult and suggest a specific plan to help them make progress.
Is your child struggling to read? Are their teachers in need of guidance?
Email or book time with me using my contact page – I’m here to help.