Teaching a child how to read can be as enjoyable as it is challenging.The teaching process has a set number of rules which parents can follow in order to make the process a success.
Phonics is currently the recognised method of teaching reading in the UK.In quick summary, phonics focuses on the sound a letter makes on its own and when combined with other letters to form a word.As the child becomes more confident about single letters they can start to put the letters together to form short words. The process may be simplistic but it can be quite challenging for many young children.We all know that the alphabet is made up of twenty six letters, but are you aware that these letters make 44 different sounds? For many children this is where the confusion starts.
Reading with phonics
The first step in the learning journey is understanding the sound made by an individual letter.For instance, understanding the sound made by the letter c in the word cat.As the child progresses they are shown how the sounds can change when letters are paired together.To understand this point consider how the sound the letter c makes changes when you add an h to form “ch”.Eventually, when the child is able to use phonics, they will be able to decode new words and see the link between the letters, sounds and the words.
For many children, learning to read with phonics starts at school age However, if your child appears ready then you can start to teach phonics at home.Reading is fun and there are lots of phonics books available for you to use at home with your child.Colourful alphabet phonics books are ideal for those starting out on the learning journey so look out for these in particular.Patience is crucial when teaching reading, so allow your child plenty of time to build us his / her understanding.