How Do I Teach My Child to Read?

by Chris O Games and Activities Language Development Reading School
How do I teach my child to read?

Children learn to read through consistent exposure to various kinds of literature, as well as by engaging in different types of reading strategies like those outlined above. Image source: infographicsmania.com

Reading is a critical component of communication, and age 7 seems to be the magical turning point by which most children learn to read. Children who struggle up until this point – and those who still aren’t reading beyond 7 years of age, don’t necessarily have disabilities that are preventing them from acquiring literacy skills. However, it is valuable for parents to acknowledge the typical milestones for literacy and recognize the warning signs that something more serious than just a delay is preventing their children from reaching reading milestones. If you find yourself asking: How do I teach my child to read?, these following strategies are might give your child the support and extra attention to literacy that is needed. Continue reading →

Apps for Phonics

by Jacky G. Language Development
Economy in Trouble Cartoon

Image source: Cascadesoft.net

Times are tough these days, economically speaking, and many families are even tapping into their retirement savings to pay for debts and day-to-day living expenses. Families of children with special needs are hit even harder; speech therapy isn’t cheap. Fortunately, speech therapy activities at home don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. There are plenty of low-cost methods of teaching your child phonics, for example. (Speech Buddies are also cost-effective – after the initial investment, you’ll have countless speech therapy lessons in one simple tool.) If you’re not certain about what phonics actually is, or about its importance in speech and language development, check out our post from last week. And then mosey back over to our recommended apps for teaching phonics, listed below. You can also check out a whole bunch of useful speech therapy apps at SpecialNeeds.com.

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More Sight Words Apps

by Jacky G. Language Development
Child Learning to Read

Image source: Media.photobucket.com

As your child heads back to school this year, do your own homework to help keep him on the right track. Network with other parents and teachers at the Open House night and at parent-teacher conferences. Talk to his speech therapist about his progress and what you can do to help him at home. Beginning readers benefit from regular reading at home. As you read with your child, make a note of the words that he typically struggles with. Many of them are likely sight words, also called Dolch words. Sight words are the most frequently used words in English texts, but unfortunately, they can also be tricky for beginning readers to master. This is because many of them cannot be sounded out or visually illustrated. Your child must learn them “on sight.” Here are some apps that can help your beginning reader master sight words, accelerate his language development, and enhance his progress in school this year.

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Apps for Beginning Readers

by Jacky G. Language Development
Children Reading at a Nursery

Image source: Guardian.co.uk

Despite technology having taken over the world, books are undoubtedly the foundation of education. Your child can be inspired by a book about a ballet dancer’s hard work to perfect her craft. Or he could broaden his horizons with a book about conservation efforts in the National Park Services. But it takes a lot of hard work and effort for your child to learn how to read in the first place. And children with a speech or language disorder may need a little extra help. So despite books being the gold standard of education, your child’s efforts to learn to read might benefit from a boost from technology. This back-to-school season, help your child get ready for school with some kid-friendly apps for beginning readers. Encouraging reading as a regular habit early in life can not only bolster his speech and language development, but also accelerate his academic progress.

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