Helping your Children to Read and Write

Helping your Children to Read and Write

Reading and writing are two of the most fundamental learning basics of any education program. Parents often like to get a jumpstart on facilitating how quickly their children are learning to read or learning to write. Follow these suggestions to help your children to read and write:

1. Build an environment that fosters reading and writing in your home. Things such as books, educational toys, learning supplies and an area that is dedicated to learning will help with writing in particular. Writing is largely hand/eye coordination ad the more that you can encourage your child to write and draw, the stronger those skills will develop.
2. If you are working with your young child on learning to read or write, ensure that the sessions are brief in nature. Young children have short attention spans and you will want to have effective, short lessons that are spaced apart. This method of teaching will ensure a greater retention of the material.
3. Leverage educational tools and teaching aids such as phonics programs, activity lessons, and activity white boards. Children learn by what they hear, see and do, so the more stimuli that you can use to teach your child to read and write, the more effective you will be as a teacher.
4. Use everyday experiences to foster learning for your child. Point to as many stimuli that you come into contact with daily and help them to associate the word with the item in a repetitive fashion until your child picks it up. For example, when you are driving if you see something of interest like an animal, or a landscape or even another car, point at it and use the word.
5. Reading is a great way to teach your child both reading and language skills. Young children love to hear stories. So, choose books that weave stories together with learning to engage your child. Point to the pictures and say the associated words to help your child to learn them as well. Read a variety of books to your child to also help them expand their learning capabilities.
6. Work to make learning fun for your child. Working with different lessons, different learning tools and different environments will not only help your child to learn, but it will help them to build an appreciation and a fondness for the learning process.
7. Be consistent with your children when you are teaching them something. This requires discipline on the part of the parent, but is necessary to reinforce concepts and ideas. Work with your child until they have grasped a concept and then move onto the next learning concept.
8. Use positive reinforcement when you are teaching your child. It is important that your child does not associate learning as a negative process. So, reward when appropriate and be encouraging when they are having challenges with a particular subject or area.

About the Author:

Rebecca Walker writes articles on child development. More articles written by Rebecca Walker related to learning, education and reading techniques which are available in the internet.