English reading classes for kids

16 Free Online Reading Courses To Help Your Kids Keep Learning

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May 8, 2020

I am all the way here for screen time that is not only interactive and entertaining, but will also help teach my kids something useful. Basically any kind of free online reading course with a mix of games, educational lesson plans, and read-aloud stories fits the bill. I mean, who says you can't keep your kids engaged (and out of your hair) while learning a crucial skill set?

Although both of my kids love reading now, that wasn't always the case. When my oldest first started school, he had zero interest in learning how to read. He knew his letters, but putting sounds together was a struggle. As an avid reader, I was severely disheartened by his reluctance to try and learn how, so I scrambled to help make the activity as fun for him as possible. Truly, without the help of free online reading programs and resources, I'm not sure he would be the little bookworm he is today at nearly 8 years old.

If your kid already has a tablet glued to their hands, why not take the opportunity to make it educational? These 16 free online reading courses are perfect to help your child excel when it comes to phonetic awareness and reading comprehension. Plus, they're fun, and if they happen to develop a passion for reading along the way, they'll be set up for a lifetime of success.

1

ReadWriteThink

This free educational website focuses on reading and writing skills for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade. ReadWriteThink doesn't use ads on their site, and there is no need to create an account to get started. Videos introduce various age-appropriate concepts to help kids and allow them to play a game to enhance each skill set.

2

ABCya!

For students in preschool through 6th grade, ABCya! offers an array of games focused on reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and early literacy. Lessons are linked to Common Core standards so it's easy for parents to see where their child is at and what they need to focus on to get where they need to be. All games are free to play, but the site does feature ads.

3

Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy Kids is a free educational resource best known for their math initiatives, but has a comprehensive reading program to help kids enhance their reading skills. Their lessons are aligned with the Head Start and Common Core curriculums, so it's set up how your child is likely used to learning in school.

4

Starfall

A read-along library, games, and interactive lessons help create the perfect online learning environment for kids from preschool through 3rd grade on Starfall. Kids will focus on common sight words, phonetic awareness, word recognition, and fluency throughout the available videos and lessons. Although the entirety of the website is not free, many resources are free to access and those that are only available through a $35 per year subscription will be grayed out.

5

Story Place

With 15 different story themes that focus on fun topics like pets, firefighters, and music, kids from preschool through kindergarten can enjoy all that Story Place has to offer. They'll learn about literacy through stories read aloud, as well as interactive lessons that can be done either online or offline with parents. The entire site is available courtesy of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system in North Carolina, and is available in both English and Spanish.

6

Storyline Online

If your kids love hearing celebs read books to them during Operation Storytime, then they'll be absolutely enthralled with Storyline Online. On this site, famous actors like Kristen Bell and Chris Pine read books aloud for kids and then at the conclusion of the book, parents are provided with a supplemental curriculum created by an educator to follow up the story with.

7

PBS Reading Games

PBS has several incredible online reading resources available for kids. PBS Reading Games features more than 70 reading-themed games with characters from PBS shows that help kids through 3rd grade develop strong reading habits. Between The Lions boasts short videos (less than 6 minutes long) that help encourage literacy and provide phonics and comprehension lessons for kids from preschool to 1st grade. Although WordWorld is a PBS television show aimed at preschoolers, their website also offers printable activities and interactive books to support early reading skills.

8

Storynory

Storynory, a reading website from the United Kingdom, boasts mostly stories read aloud, but can help support emerging readers and readers developing their skills through the sixth grade. With more than 600 stories to choose from, kids will be sure to find something interesting and entertaining to engage with on this site.

9

Oxford Owl

The Oxford University Press's Oxford Owl online reading program features more than 100 e-books that have guidance for parents and educators at both the beginning and the conclusion of each story. With these guided lessons, parents can help their kids get the most out of every reading session to increase comprehension skills, develop phonetic awareness, and build their vocabulary.

10

Fact Monster

Fact Monster uses interactive activities and games with facts about books to help promote literacy for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade. Additionally, the site features plenty of resources to help kids with spelling and grammar to develop fundamental skills that support their ability to read and comprehend text.

11

Free Reading Program

The online reading course at Free Reading Program is exactly what it sounds like — a free reading program. The site features literacy activities for students in the United States and Canada, including a curriculum with sight word lists, vocabulary support, grammar and sentence structure lessons, and more for kids through 6th grade.

12

Into The Book

Into The Book is the type of online reading course that you can sit your kids in front of and just let them self-guide their way through lesson after lesson. With comprehensive coverage of reading strategies, as well as resources for parents and educators, the tools to help kids learn to love reading are just a few clicks away.

13

Reading Bear

With Reading Bear, beginning readers from preschool through 1st grade can develop phonetic awareness in a simple and fun online format that is completely free to use. With more than 50 presentations on their site that demonstrate more than 1,200 vocabulary items, there is more than enough content to keep your child actively learning for as long as they wish to.

14

Read Theory

The Read Theory website features activities that adjust based on your child's individual skill level to help improve their reading comprehension regardless of their prior knowledge. It's suited for kids of all ages from kindergarten through high school, as well as students who speak English as a second language. Although you must create and log in with an account to use the site, access to their lessons once you do so is completely free.

15

Read Works

For kids from kindergarten through 12th grade, Read Works offers a selection of digital classes, printable lessons, and projectable images that parents and teachers can use to supplement your child's learning. A free account is required to access lessons, but each reading activity can be tailored to suit your child's specific needs and align with other subjects they might be covering in school.

16

Roy The Zebra

Roy The Zebra offers interactive videos and reading games for emerging readers. Their content is best suited for students in preschool through 1st grade to support the foundations and building blocks of reading comprehension, phonics, and word recognition.

7 Best English Classes for Kids (That Will Get Results) in 2023

The English language is one of the most valuable gifts you can give your child. English speakers often earn more, have access to excellent universities, and can find it easier to travel. In short, learning English as a child sets you up for success later in life. 

Online classes are a brilliant way to help your child learn English as a second language (ESL), without unnecessary expense or stress over logistical issues. Here are our recommendations for online English classes and apps for kids. 

Preply is an online platform where your child can have 1-on-1 language lessons with a qualified, native English tutor. Preply offers all the live conversation practice, personalized feedback, and human interaction of traditional language classes at an affordable price. Preply tutors can also prepare lessons and provide teaching materials based on your child’s level or needs. For example, they could focus on vocabulary or phonics.

Most online courses and apps require focus and self-motivation, so they’re not always the best option for kids with short attention spans. A friendly tutor can keep your child focused for an hour in a way that a language app, course, or game just can’t. 

You can build Preply lessons around your weekly routine, but if something comes up and you need to make a change, they are flexible too. You can schedule lessons for any time of the day because Preply tutors are based across the world. It is the best of both worlds if you want your child to start ESL learning! Try searching our database for tutors who specialize in teaching children to find someone your kid will love. 

Prices can start from as low as $5 per hour for an English tutor but on average they are between $10 and $20.

Fully flexible, 1-on-1 tutoring with an experienced tutor

Some tutors can be expensive

NovaKid is a structured online language program for children aged 4-12. You can buy a batch of lessons, and your child works through learning material every week with the help of a personal tutor. Parents can choose the teachers they’d prefer. There is a choice of native and near-native English speaking teachers and they can change teachers at any time

Interactive classes for kids

Learning with a tutor is more fun. Give your kids English lessons they’ll love!

Meet Preply tutors

8 lessons: From $71.20 |  24 lessons: From $177.60 | 48 lessons: From $336.00

Affordable classes

Fixed pricing packages 

Apps and websites without tutors

If you constantly hear, “Mom, can I play on your phone?” then it’s probably time to download Duolingo! Duolingo is the world’s most downloaded educational app because it makes language learning into a game.  

Its cool design and easy-to-use interface are a fun way for young learners to improve their English vocabulary. While the app is limited to mostly vocabulary, Duolingo is a good way to keep children entertained and begin language learning on the go. 

Free or $7.33 per month for Duolingo Plus

Game-style app will keep kids entertained

Limited to mainly just vocabulary

If you learned English online yourself, then you are probably familiar with the British Council website and its database of free learning resources. Their experts have also developed a bank of word games and exercises for children to improve their English skills. The website is a little old-fashioned, but there are many useful materials to help you deliver an excellent English class if you want to teach your child yourself. 

They also have a fantastic YouTube channel, with videos teaching English nursery rhymes, stories, and fun songs. If your child loves being read to at bedtime, this can be a way to integrate learning English into your daily routine! For 2 to 6-year-olds, the Learning Time with Timmy series is fabulous.  

Free

Lots of resources that children will enjoy

Resources only, no tutor

Fredisalearns is an online course with exercises for kids who have never studied the English language before. There’s also a course for those who can speak at an intermediate level. Sample lessons are free, but long-term users must buy a membership.

The courses are suitable for different ages and levels of English, but there is no option to work with a tutor. Like the British Council website, Fredisalearns is essentially a collection of resources and exercises for learning. If your child enjoys it, it is relatively cheap, so could be a good option if you are on a budget.   

$40 for 6 months

Structured resources that a child can work through

Resources only, no tutor

Lingokids

For kids aged 2-8, Lingokids is a great educational app with many awards to its name. It’s colorful and up-to-date, featuring recurring characters who children will look forward to seeing each new session. 

Parents are encouraged to help children through lessons, so if you’re looking for a family-oriented experience, this is definitely the best choice for you! If you’re looking for something your child can do independently, another option might be a better fit.

Free for basic or $60 annually for LingoKids premium

A fun experience for kids

Resources only, no tutor

There are two main categories of online learning to choose from: 

• Online tutoring services where an expert teaches your child
• Apps and websites without tutors

Both of these have their pros and cons. Below, we will look at the benefits of online English classes for kids.

More and more parents choose to “send” their kids to online English classes rather than traditional language schools. There are lots of benefits to working with a tutor online, as opposed to an app. Here are five reasons why online classes are a great option:

If you send your child to a language school, it can affect your free time as a family. You’ll need to drive them there and pick them up, wasting precious time. The school day can also be exhausting for children. If you wear them out with an end-of-the-day trip to a language school, they might start to resent learning English. 

The convenience of online classes is great for children and parents alike. If they learn from home, you can leave them on the couch in their pajamas and enjoy some distraction-free time to yourself while they study. Win-win! 

With online English classes, your child can access learning in a unique way. First, your child will get vastly more English speaking practice than they would in a classroom setting, and there will be no pupils to chat with in their native language. Second, any lessons will move at their pace. If they miss something, the tutor will be sure to work on it until they understand. Third, kids (especially young kids) love having an adult’s undivided attention! Many of our little learners look forward to spending time with their online tutors. The feeling of being “seen” and supported makes learning English that much more enjoyable!   

Online English classes tend to be cheaper than in-person lessons. You could arrange weekly classes for $40 per month — the price of just an hour or two at a language school. There are also a great number of free resources available online to supplement classes.  

Some parents fear that this lower price tag equals a lower quality of education. But if you do your research and choose your tools wisely, there’s no need for this to be the case! Preply, for example, provides 1-on-1 English language tutoring on any budget. Enter your ideal price per hour into this search engine, and you’ll find expert tutors who charge what you can pay. 

One of the struggles of 21st-century parenting is pulling your child away from the internet. Many children are inseparable from the family’s tablets, phones, and computers. With online English classes, their love of screen time will be put to great use!  

With an experienced tutor, your child will be engaged and participate in fun activities about topics they enjoy. Many online English tutors even set children vocabulary games for “homework” because they know that learning is more effective when it’s fun! 

If you send your child to traditional language classes, you have to work around someone else’s schedule. Online English classes are far more flexible. If your child is learning with an app, they can take “classes” spontaneously, any time they need some worthwhile entertainment (or you need a break!). 

If you book online tutoring, you can plan lessons for the best time for you and your child, rather than the school or teacher.

Organizing online English classes for your child is a responsible and generous move. Giving your child a headstart in learning English can set them up for the future and help them excel at school and beyond.

Online apps and resources have a lot of benefits, and some children love using them. However, we think the most beneficial way to educate your child is by arranging 1-on-1 tutoring sessions with an experienced professional.

How can I teach my child English at home?

If you’re interested in personally teaching your child English, you’ll first need a series of lesson plans and activities based on your child’s skill level. Next, work out how long your child can concentrate on English lessons then find online activities that fit into this time frame. Use study techniques like flashcards, games, reading and speaking exercises to improve their level and get them familiar with new English words. Printable worksheets are also a great way for a child to practice grammar and vocabulary.

Which is the best English course online?

The Learn English Kids program by the British Council is one of the best options for parents who need learning materials and resources for their children. If you are looking for a class, teacher, or tutor for your child, Preply is a great option that provides flexibility with schedule and location: you can find a tutor to fit your schedule, and the skill level and goals you have for your child.

Is it important for kids to learn English?

If English is not their first language, it can be beneficial for children to learn because speaking English fluently as an adult can have many benefits. Many parents now choose online English courses for their kids as it gives flexibility and is cheaper than traditional language schools.

English from scratch. Learning to read

What is the first thing a child is taught when he comes to school? Of course, the alphabet, and then reading and writing. Any teaching of a foreign language begins with the same. Is it possible to speak English without mastering the literacy? Yes, if you completely immerse yourself in the language environment. But even under such ideal conditions as living in an English-speaking country, you will still feel like a child in the company of adults. Without a decent knowledge of English, it is not easy not only to live in an English-speaking country, but also to travel the world. Even the airport is much easier to navigate for those who know how to read English.

So, it is clear that in order to master the language, you will definitely need to learn how to read. Any foreign course is built in such a way that in the first lessons you learn the alphabet and pronunciation. At the initial stages, of course, you will need to make an effort to remember how certain letters and letter combinations are read. But having mastered English literacy in the first lessons, you can easily voice any text, even filled with unfamiliar words.

How to learn to read English correctly. Some Tips

There are many ways to learn to read English. Someone resorts to the help of transcription. Others write down the pronunciation of English words using Russian letters. There are people who like to read aloud a lot. And someone focuses on audio files. In fact, all methods are good in their own way. When learning to read, it is not enough to learn letters, diphthongs and remember all the rules. In this matter, constant practice is important. Here are some tips to help you develop your English reading skills:

• Learn to listen to English. Oddly enough, but the ability to hear what the British and Americans say directly affects our ability to read. At the initial stage, adapted books are very useful, provided with discs with audio recordings of the texts themselves. Having before your eyes the text that the announcer reads, you learn to read correctly on a subconscious level.
• Try to read every day. Make it a rule to read English books for at least 20-30 minutes every day. Choose books according to your level of language proficiency. At the initial stage, you can read fairy tales and short stories. And in order to develop spoken language skills, it is also useful to occasionally look at English-language periodicals and blogs.
• Get used to writing in English. As you know, reading and writing are directly related. One follows from the other. If a person reads English at a decent level, then he will most likely state his thoughts on paper very competently. Getting to know native speakers is one of the most affordable and effective ways to improve your reading and writing skills. Communication in modern society is often based on correspondence in chats and social networks. Therefore, having met a native speaker, you yourself will not notice how correspondence in English will become part of everyday life. Introverts can be advised to keep a diary, which will be filled with entries in English.
• Learn English tongue twisters and poems. For example: Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not. Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot. We'll weather the weather whether we like it or not Tongue twisters help to work out the pronunciation of complex sounds. Poems enrich vocabulary.
• Practice pronunciation. Spend time practicing those sounds that are unusual for Russian speakers. For example, the combination th is not given to every student the first time. And, of course, the easiest way to learn the correct pronunciation is to listen to the dialogues and monologues of native speakers. Modern TV series with English subtitles help to deliver the correct speech.

. Alphabet

Suppose you want to learn to read English from scratch. In this case, you will have to start from the very beginning, that is, from the alphabet, consisting of 26 letters.

English alphabet (alphabet)

English has 20 consonants and 6 vowels. Vowels include letters: A, E, I, O, U, Y.

In order to learn the alphabet faster, you can turn to children's songs. Bright cards with letters also help a lot.

There are a few letters in the English language that "behave" differently from the rest. So, almost all consonants in English make one sound. But X is an exception. This letter conveys two sounds at once [ks]. It is also worth paying attention to the last character in the English alphabet. The pronunciation of Z depends on whether we are dealing with the British or American version of the language. In the first case, the letter is read as [zed], in the second - as [zi:].

The pronunciation of the letter R is also very different between the Americans and the British. In the UK, this is a long sound a [a:]. In the American alphabet - ar [a: r].

Reading English will be much easier if you learn the transcription, which is a system of signs used to record sounds. Since this or that letter may sound differently depending on what signs surround it, it can be difficult for a foreigner to read some words correctly without transcription. However, recently many students refuse to memorize the symbols of English phonetics. Indeed, thanks to the Internet, today you can easily listen to how the right word is read.

It's easy enough to remember how to read consonants in English. The fact is that you can easily find analogues in Russian for many consonant sounds. For example, the English Mm is, in fact, the familiar M [um]. And in the word lemon, the pronunciation of the consonant L is similar to the Russian L. Also, analogues in our language can be found with the consonants N, B, F, Z.

The pronunciation of the letter C depends on which characters it is adjacent to. If C is followed by the vowels I, E, Y, then it will be read as [s]. For example, in the word cinema (cinema). Before other vowels, C reads like [k]: come (come), camel (camel), cake (cake).

The consonants T and D in English are very similar to Russian T and D, only they are most often pronounced with a breath. But the letter Q will always be accompanied by a vowel U. The letter combination Qu is pronounced as [kw]. For example, in the word queen (queen). The consonant G before the vowels I, E, Y will be read as [j] - [dʒ]. For example, orange (orange), badge (icon). Before all other letters, G is pronounced like [g]: game (game), gale (storm).

Another unusual letter for the Russian language is Jj, which is always pronounced as [dʒ]. This consonant is very common in the names of representatives of English-speaking countries: Jack (Jack), James (James), Jane (Jane).

Below we provide a list of all English consonants with transcription:

Bb - [b]

Cc - [s] or [k]

Dd - [d]

Ff - [f]

Gg - [dʒ] or [g]

Hh - [h]

Jj-[dʒ]

Kk - [k]

Ll - [l]

mm - [m]

Nn-[n]

Pp - [p]

Qq - [kw]

Rr - [r]

Ss - [s] or [z]

Tt - [t]

Vv - [v]

Ww - [w]

Xx - [ks] or [gz]

Zz - [z]

Reading in English for beginners is usually complicated not by consonants, which are often read the same way as they sound in the alphabet, but by vowels. There are only 6 vowels in English, but the problem is that each of them, depending on the position in the word, can have several reading options. Much is determined by whether the letter is in stressed or unstressed position. For stressed vowels, there are 4 types of syllable in English:

1. An open syllable is a syllable ending in a vowel or a consonant (except R) followed by a silent E. A stressed vowel in an open syllable is pronounced as it is pronounced in the alphabet. For example, plane (plane), placement (room), he (he).
2. A closed syllable is a syllable that ends in one consonant (excluding r) or several consonants. The stressed vowel in such a syllable is transmitted in a short and clear sound. The vowel A is pronounced as the middle between e and a [æ]. For example, cat (cat). The letter O in stressed position in a closed syllable sounds like [ɒ] in the word dog (dog), E - like [e] (for example, ten - ten). Vowels Y and I in a closed syllable are pronounced as [i] (little - small, myth - myth). Finally, the stressed letter U will resemble a somewhat slurred short sound and [ʌ] (cut - cut).
3. If a stressed vowel is followed by the consonant R alone or in combination with other consonants, then the vowels will be read as follows:

• a [ɑː] - long Russian sound a - park (park)
• o [ɔː] - lingering long Russian sound o - sport (sport)
• e [ɜː] - resembles the Russian sound ё in the word "honey" - fern (fern)
• y [ɜː] - byrd (bird)
• i [ɜː] - first (first)
• u [ɜː] - burn (burn)

4. If a stressed vowel is followed by a consonant R in combination with any vowel, then the syllables are divided into diphthongs or triphthongs (complex sounds consisting of two or three letters pronounced as one). In this combination, the vowel A sounds like [ɛə]. For example, in the word fare (fare, fare). The vowel O in the fourth type of syllable will be pronounced as a long Russian sound O [ɔː]. An example here is the word more (more). The vowel E under stress is pronounced as something of a fusion between Russian I and A [ɪə], for example mere (only). Y and I with the fourth type of syllable are read as [aɪə]. For example, in the words fire (fire) and tire (tire). The letter U turns into the sound [jʊə] (during - during).

At the initial stages of learning a foreign language, students will also need to find the answer to the question of how to read diphthongs in English. This term refers to combinations of two letters that give one sound.

Table of English diphthongs. Consonants

If you are seriously wondering how to learn to read in English, you will also have to learn diphthongs with vowels. Here are some of them:

1. ai, ay, ei, ey - [ei] - aim (goal, task)
2. ai - [eə] - air (air). Before consonant R
3. ae - [ɪ:] - aegis (protection, aegis)
4. au - [o] - autumn (autumn)
5. ea, ee - [ɪ:] - meal (food). Only if the vowel is not followed by the letter R
6. ea, ee - [ɪə] - dear (dear). In position before R
7. ie - [ɪ:] - field (field).
8. oa - [ou] or [o:] - boat (boat)
9. oi, oy - [oi] - enjoy (enjoy)
10. oo [u:] or [u] or [uə] - moon (moon), book (book), poor (poor)
11. ou - [au] - ground (earth). In the middle of a word

Those who have been reading English for quite some time rarely remember all the rules for pronouncing diphthongs. And even more so in the process of reading, not everyone pays attention to the fact that some consonants are dumb. But at the initial stage of learning, it is important to remember that the following letters are not read in English:

• G and K before N at the beginning and end of a word. Foreign (foreign)
• B and N after M. Autumn (autumn)
• W before R. Wrong (incorrect)
• P before N and S. Psychology (psychology)

You can learn to read English from scratch on your own. Do not try to cover everything at once, learn the sounds gradually. After you learn a diphthong or a letter, do not forget to consolidate the result by performing special pronunciation exercises.

In fact, there are a lot of rules for reading in English and exceptions to them, we have considered only the main ones. True, it is not necessary to learn them all. As you memorize new words, memorize their pronunciation and spelling immediately. So you will not have an urgent need to master all the rules of reading.

Teaching a child to read in English: a simple technology or an art?

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Fascinating English

07/21/2021

20 minutes

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Contents

First, let's deal with the answer to the question of why in our world of high digital technologies, the time of the dominance of You-Tube and Tik-Toc - well, the time when all the information of interest can not only be listened to, but also viewed, why waste time and learn such a seemingly completely unpopular activity as reading?

If you ask the children themselves, more than half will even say that reading in their native language is boring and uninteresting! And then they force you to learn to read in English too !!!! Speak - yes!, listen - yes, yes! Watch - yes, yes, yes! But reading is nooo. ..

Nevertheless, it is necessary to explain to the child that reading is not only reading fiction in English. There are so-called "small forms" - reading to obtain the necessary, and sometimes vital information:

• Reading signs, signs.
• Reading a menu in a cafe or restaurant.
• Reading titles.
• Read instructions and recipes.
• Reading composition.
• Read application rules, etc.

All of the above in no way means reading full pages of text that fold into thick books.

How to prepare a child for learning to read in English?

It is not clear when to start teaching children to read in English. The main thing to understand is that the very study of English with children should by no means begin with learning to read. Rather, reading is introduced at the next stage, as a way to consolidate existing knowledge, skills and abilities. It is better that by this time the child already knows how to read in his native language. He possessed purely technical skills - to add syllables from letters, and words from syllables. Then, when teaching to read in English, attention will be focused only on sound-letter and letter-sound relationships, and the child’s fatigue from the process will be minimal.

It is also desirable that by the time reading begins, the child is already familiar with the oral side of the English language, so that at least a minimum supply of sounding samples of speech in English is stored in memory. This will help to correctly analyze the auditory image of the sounding word and correlate it with the visible letter image and vice versa.

How to teach children to read in English?

The process of learning to read can be conditionally divided into 3 stages:

• Stage 1 – memorization of sound-letter and letter-sound relationships.
• Stage 2 - familiarization with the rules of reading and training.
• Stage 3 - fixing the basic rules of reading, the ability to transfer and vary them on the material of mini-texts, the development of a language guess.

The process of learning to read can not be positioned as learning. It is better that the child perceives everything that happens as a game. First, as a game with sounds and letters, and then as a game of words that form sentences.

The first stage

The purpose of the first stage is to memorize the letters of the English alphabet and the sounds that these letters stand for, with special attention to memorizing the consonants. This issue is covered in detail in “English sounds and letters for children. How to make friends with them? and "How to learn the English alphabet with children: instructions for use." For detailed information, we advise you to follow the links and read. Here we summarize the main points.

• Firstly, the memorization of letters should go from an auditory image to a visual one, because oral speech is primary in relation to written.
• Secondly, all sounding material must be supported by visual images. They said “dog” - they showed a picture (or they showed a picture, and the child said “dog”), then we exaggerate and separate the first sound - ddddd - then we show the letter, both capital and lowercase Dd.
• Thirdly, we actively connect the process of activity. Remember that children cannot focus on the same thing for a long time. Therefore, the activity must be alternated: listen-talk-watch-write. Be sure to include a letter! Children love it - to write with a pen like adults. Just do not demand even, clear letters. Let them not fall into the cells, let them be a little crooked and oblique. Let the child write as it turns out. Children will be incredibly happy with what they wrote themselves!

Do not forget to praise! It is important.

We remember that the main activity for children is play, and that all children are great creators. Letters and sounds, since we started studying them, are our friends. And it is customary to play with friends and you can always come up with something interesting. Therefore, try to create a vivid visual image from each letter: decorate it, turn it into an animal or any other association. The task is for the baby to have a strong bridge between sounds and letters in his head, then, firstly, when he sees d-o-g, he will read and see not just a combination of letters, but a dog; secondly, the sound of Ssssnake, sssun, etc. will be strongly associated with the image of the letter “Ss”.

The second stage

The second stage - mastering the most general rules of reading - should be divided into 3 parts:

• Acquaintance with the rules of reading closed syllables.
• Acquaintance with the rules for reading open syllables.
• Acquaintance with the rules of reading diphthongs.

When getting acquainted with the rules of reading closed syllables in the child's memory, firstly, the sound-letter images of consonants are fixed, and secondly, the child begins to read the simplest words. This, in turn, creates a situation of success in the mind and motivates for further learning.

We build the process itself according to the principle of feasibility and accessibility, starting from the simplest vowel - “o”, then “e”, then “i”, then “a”, “u”. You can end with one-syllable words with "y". This will be a bridge to the transition to reading open syllables.

When introducing a rule for reading, we try to choose those words that the child already knows orally. Recognizing them while reading will cause great joy. At the stage of training and consolidation, on the contrary, it is good to select unfamiliar words, but always with pictures-meanings: the vocabulary will expand, consonants will be repeated, the child will definitely read, and not guess.

At the stage of training and consolidation, we introduce gamification techniques. Children love to win and break records. Therefore, if from the very beginning of learning to read, you introduce reading for a while using a stopwatch and record the results in a “success diary”, then the child will see progress and this will stimulate him to learn to read further.

How to enter reading rules and practice?

There are several options. You can make cards. And you can find a cartoon. The materials on the Maple Leaf Learning site of the “Let’s read” series (for example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQkPO3qpUCg&t=2s) are perfect, where the vowel sound is clearly pronounced, to which consonants are gradually selected. The child can repeat. Due to the fact that the words do not appear entirely, but by letter, even the smallest will quickly learn to read.

Reading simulators can be found for consolidation and practice. Trainers are lists of words joined by one or more reading rules. There are a lot of such simulators on the Internet! You can download for free or find options online (for example, here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPVtHmdLrdV-cAi4yTnGWZwf35_BH0uUN ) and read-read read!

When the child has already learned to read several vowels, the exercise "twos" or "triples" - phrases or phrases of words with different consonants - is good. Such exercises are a transitional stage to reading entire appendices. Mindfulness develops, the rules for reading consonants are fixed. You can even pick up words that differ precisely in consonants, for example, big bag. This exercise is also great for practicing open and closed syllables.

It is recommended to alternate pure reading exercises with games. For example, children love to collect words from the letters of the alphabet. It's almost like writing a dictation, only collecting words from letters is much more interesting! When enough words have accumulated in the stock, you can try to play word-making.

The so-called "ladders" are also very suitable for reading practice. Ladders are also columns of words, but they are grouped not one at a time, but according to the principle of steps - in each new line, the number of words increases by exactly one, while the previous words are repeated. So, the ladder starts with one word, and by the fifth line there will already be five of them. The "ladder" technique is a wonderful tool for teaching how to read a whole sentence, where, as you know, there are words that are read differently. Thanks to constant repetition, reading complex combinations is remembered. Ladders can also and should be read for a while.

Stage 3 - learning to read whole texts in English!

You can start entering mini-texts even after getting acquainted with closed syllables. These will be the simplest texts of 3-4 short sentences, something like:

This is a cat.

The cat is black.

It is fat.

It is in the bag.

Be sure to add a picture! Firstly, the picture decorates, and secondly, it creates a visual visual image. The child understands what he is reading about and, if he forgot the word, then looking at the picture, he remembers. If an unfamiliar word slips in the text, the picture helps to develop a linguistic guess.

Descriptive texts alone are not enough. Again, not everyone loves to read. But you have to train somehow, what to do? Do not forget that texts can carry different semantic meanings. The task is to put the child in such conditions in which it is impossible to do without reading. First we combine reading and other activities. For example, coloring. The key to the coloring book is the English text where the answers are hidden. It is necessary to read and color "according to the instructions" in the text.

The second option is “finishing”. When something is missing in the picture or you need to finish the objects. In such tasks, the repetition of colors, thematic vocabulary and grammatical constructions, for example, prepositions, are also combined if we are looking for where and what is located. Such tasks are very exciting and "force" to read even the most non-readers. Have you tried to draw a monster with a child according to the description? What about the unseen miracle beast with three heads and five tails? No?!..

A variation of the second task is, for example, “draw a route” or “read and identify”. The essence of these tasks is to draw attention to detailed reading! If this is a route, then for a complete reproduction, you can not miss a single nuance! The same goes for the second task. Usually a picture is given that shows a lot of similar objects or people and you need to find something specific. Such tasks not only develop reading skills, but also contribute to better memorization of words, and passive mastery of grammar.

You can also include physical activity in reading lessons. How? Very simple! What about crosses? We hide hint notes around the house, where, of course, it is described in detail what needs to be done and where to go. The idea of ​​an adventure quest is so exciting for children that they will have to read and do it willy-nilly! If there is a surprise waiting at the end... The child will be ready to read in English all day, if only the game is repeated again and again!

How to develop children's reading skills in English

In addition to the rules of reading, there are a huge number of exceptions in the English language that can discourage even the most diligent from reading. Over time, when a certain lexical base accumulates in memory, the child develops a mechanism of “action by analogy”. This means that when a new word is encountered, the letter image is analyzed and a sample is retrieved from memory for “comparison”. It sounds paradoxical, but the accumulation of such patterns is impossible without regular reading.

Either listening and reading in parallel, or watching videos with subtitles can help. The main idea is to be able to hear the "role model" - the correct pronunciation. If listening and reading is, after all, a laborious task and attention may not be enough, then watching fairy tales and cartoons with subtitles will bring pleasure to many! You can recommend cartoons based on famous fairy tales from the Pink Fong website (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-X4xVb-jNA). Cartoons have clear voice acting, simple text, large letters in subtitles and a recognizable plot.

How to start real reading in English?

Reading in English should, first of all, bring pleasure not so much from the process itself, but from the awareness of “I read and understand”! If the child understands that this is not scary, but very exciting, he will not be torn off from reading. Therefore, you need to start, firstly, with reading according to interests, and secondly, the number of pictures should prevail over printed text.

Therefore, comics in English are ideal for the first reading! Comics are made according to famous cartoons, if the child is “in the know”, then he will be interested in learning new details about his favorite characters. What is the child interested in? Wheelbarrows? Thomas the Tank Engine, Paw Patrol? Comics can be downloaded on the Internet for free.

What do English children like to read?

True connoisseurs of English will strive to read original books, ie. those read by English children. The favorite work of English-speaking children is the stories about the witch Winnie and the black cat Wilba. What kind of adventures did not happen to them! A short gripping story, funny illustrations, clear language made this book a favorite far beyond the UK. On the Internet, you can download both the stories themselves and audiobooks.

Another favorite character is Peter Rabbit and Paddington Bear. The language level is higher, there are many descriptions. But the stories will not leave anyone indifferent.

And, of course, how would reading in English be possible without Harry Potter! Many people want to learn English just for the sake of reading stories about this hero in the original.
So, the process of learning to read in English can be turned into an exciting activity that will make the child fall in love with both the process itself and the English language. But if supervision by professionals is required, video lessons in the online English school for children Novakid will become an indispensable tool for children and parents in learning the language. Our teachers will be able to teach children not only to read, but also to speak English, because learning is built as communication and only in English! Worth a try, the trial lesson is free.

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