Learning to read is a very difficult process that demands a lot from a child. Therefore, you should only take small steps with your child.
First of all, it is very important that you take only small steps with your child and do not overtax him or her.
Don’t ask your child to learn too much at once. This applies to the amount of material and the time spent learning to read each day.
What looks very easy to you and is done quickly, turns out to be extremely difficult for our children.
Now, if I ask them to do too much at once, they will be overloaded. I am not helping them by doing this, but only making everything more complicated.
In such a case, our children can no longer process the information when reading.
This is called cognitive overload, which in the worst case makes learning impossible.
The children shut down, no longer understand anything and are deeply sad, maybe even cry. Moreover, they do not look forward to practicing reading again, but only associate it with negative experiences.
But you should not only give your child time, but also always be patient when learning to read with him.
Even if your children ask for a letter for the hundredth time, or mispronounce something for the thousandth time, be patient.
It will pay off because your children will accept you as a learning partner if you accept their learning pace.
And then they will be happy to ask you for help again and again. And eventually, they won’t have to ask you anymore because they will have learned.
Just as important as patience is the right environment for learning to read.
Because learning to read is very exhausting for your child’s brain, and in the process it needs rest above all.
If there are too many distractions around your child, learning becomes very exhausting. The running TV, raging siblings or a roaring washing machine are all distractions that make it difficult for your child to concentrate.
Therefore, make sure that the situation is calm and relaxed, free from stress or pressure. This will make it much easier for your child to learn to read.
Regularity is the most important factor in learning to read, along with patience, quiet and time, and small snacks. Perhaps it is even the most important and decisive point of all.
Because it’s no use if you practice reading with your child in the perfect learning environment, but only once a month. That is far too little.
It is much more effective if you read with your children in small units of 10 to 15 minutes a day. But do it every day.
That’s not much in a day, but the brain needs the regular input to see information as relevant.
Otherwise, the new information is classified as unimportant and not stored. The brain is lazy, because learning requires a lot of energy, which it saves for the important things.
So if you skip learning to read regularly, it will take much longer for your child to learn to read. In addition, as time goes on, your child will find it harder and harder to keep up in school, as classmates get better and better by comparison, and the lessons and texts become more challenging.
Therefore, don’t let it get that far, and it’s best to learn to read with your child in small doses every day.
You can also support your child by acting as a role model. If you don’t have a single book at home and you don’t read anything yourself, your child probably won’t believe you when you tell him that reading is very important.
Therefore, be a role model. Go to the library with your child, create reading situations and pick up a book yourself or read a story. After all, our children want to emulate us and if we like to read, they will also experience this as normal and valuable.
Your role modeling is a very good motivational option for your child.
But there are other ways to motivate your child to read.
Sometimes it’s also a good idea to simply bring your child a book.
In addition to such ways of motivation, you should above all praise your child for his performance. And tell him that he is reading well.
Also, pay attention to improvements that your child makes and also tell him that he has improved. This is probably the greatest motivation you can give your child. You’re showing your child that you see his progress, and at the same time you’re acknowledging his learning.
You should also continue to read to your child. Just because your child has started to read on their own doesn’t mean they don’t love being read to.
Otherwise, though, it’s also an opportunity to take turns reading in sections. If you no longer want to read everything alone.