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How old do kids learn to read


Reading Milestones (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

Reviewed by: Cynthia M. Zettler-Greeley, PhD

Nemours BrightStart!

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This is a general outline of the milestones on the road to reading success. Keep in mind that kids develop at different paces and spend varying amounts of time at each stage. If you have concerns, talk to your child's doctor, teacher, or the reading specialist at school. Getting help early is key for helping kids who struggle to read.

Parents and teachers can find resources for children as early as pre-kindergarten. Quality childcare centers, pre-kindergarten programs, and homes full of language and book reading can build an environment for reading milestones to happen.

Infancy (Up to Age 1)

Kids usually begin to:

  • learn that gestures and sounds communicate meaning
  • respond when spoken to
  • direct their attention to a person or object
  • understand 50 words or more
  • reach for books and turn the pages with help
  • respond to stories and pictures by vocalizing and patting the pictures

Toddlers (Ages 1–3)

Kids usually begin to:

  • answer questions about and identify objects in books — such as "Where's the cow?" or "What does the cow say?"
  • name familiar pictures
  • use pointing to identify named objects
  • pretend to read books
  • finish sentences in books they know well
  • scribble on paper
  • know names of books and identify them by the picture on the cover
  • turn pages of board books
  • have a favorite book and request it to be read often

Early Preschool (Age 3)

Kids usually begin to:

  • explore books independently
  • listen to longer books that are read aloud
  • retell a familiar story
  • sing the alphabet song with prompting and cues
  • make symbols that resemble writing
  • recognize the first letter in their name
  • learn that writing is different from drawing a picture
  • imitate the action of reading a book aloud

Late Preschool (Age 4)

Kids usually begin to:

  • recognize familiar signs and labels, especially on signs and containers
  • recognize words that rhyme
  • name some of the letters of the alphabet (a good goal to strive for is 15–18 uppercase letters)
  • recognize the letters in their names
  • write their names
  • name beginning letters or sounds of words
  • match some letters to their sounds
  • develop awareness of syllables
  • use familiar letters to try writing words
  • understand that print is read from left to right, top to bottom
  • retell stories that have been read to them

Kindergarten (Age 5)

Kids usually begin to:

  • produce words that rhyme
  • match some spoken and written words
  • write some letters, numbers, and words
  • recognize some familiar words in print
  • predict what will happen next in a story
  • identify initial, final, and medial (middle) sounds in short words
  • identify and manipulate increasingly smaller sounds in speech
  • understand concrete definitions of some words
  • read simple words in isolation (the word with definition) and in context (using the word in a sentence)
  • retell the main idea, identify details (who, what, when, where, why, how), and arrange story events in sequence

First and Second Grade (Ages 6–7)

Kids usually begin to:

  • read familiar stories
  • "sound out" or decode unfamiliar words
  • use pictures and context to figure out unfamiliar words
  • use some common punctuation and capitalization in writing
  • self-correct when they make a mistake while reading aloud
  • show comprehension of a story through drawings
  • write by organizing details into a logical sequence with a beginning, middle, and end

Second and Third Grade (Ages 7–8)

Kids usually begin to:

  • read longer books independently
  • read aloud with proper emphasis and expression
  • use context and pictures to help identify unfamiliar words
  • understand the concept of paragraphs and begin to apply it in writing
  • correctly use punctuation
  • correctly spell many words
  • write notes, like phone messages and email
  • understand humor in text
  • use new words, phrases, or figures of speech that they've heard
  • revise their own writing to create and illustrate stories

Fourth Through Eighth Grade (Ages 9–13)

Kids usually begin to:

  • explore and understand different kinds of texts, like biographies, poetry, and fiction
  • understand and explore expository, narrative, and persuasive text
  • read to extract specific information, such as from a science book
  • understand relations between objects
  • identify parts of speech and devices like similes and metaphors
  • correctly identify major elements of stories, like time, place, plot, problem, and resolution
  • read and write on a specific topic for fun, and understand what style is needed
  • analyze texts for meaning

Reviewed by: Cynthia M. Zettler-Greeley, PhD

Date reviewed: May 2022

When Do Kids Learn To Read: A Helpful Guide

Whether you are about to have your first child or you’re in the middle of raising number two or three, you may be wondering: when do kids learn to read?

This is a legitimate question, but there is no one-size-fits-all answer. That’s why we’re here to show you how to encourage your child and help them learn to read in fun, uplifting ways!

Cracking The Reading Code

Most children learn to speak — either verbally or in sign — through exposure. This happens naturally and without direct instruction. But the more you speak with your child the more you impact their receptive and expressive language which, in turn, can impact their reading.

Unlike speaking, children can’t pick up reading through natural language processes. Instead, we have to teach them how to “crack the code” of written language.

First, children must understand that words are made up of individual sounds (or phonemes) and that each sound is matched to a letter. To crack the reading code, a child must learn to hear sounds in words and to pair them with letters, eventually blending the sounds together to read.

As you might have guessed, learning to read can take time. So, to give you a clearer picture of the overall learning process, here’s a brief look at the pre-reading skills your child will develop (in no particular order) throughout their literacy journey.

Pre-Reading Skills

Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is an understanding of sounds in our language and how they relate to each other. This includes segmenting sounds and syllables in words, rhyming, and blending syllables and sounds together to form words.

Alphabet Knowledge

As the name suggests, alphabet knowledge is the ability to both recognize and name the letters of the alphabet.

Print Awareness

Print awareness is a broad term that includes familiarity with different forms of text (books, menus, newspapers, magazines, etc. ), understanding print structure, and knowing how to hold these sources of information correctly.

Without print awareness, it’s hard to connect text in a meaningful way and understand the words and phrases on a page.

Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in a written word.

This skill is often mistaken for phonological awareness, but it is actually a subset of phonological awareness. Phonemic awareness focuses on identifying and manipulating individual sounds, known as phonemes.

While it might take your child a while to master each of the skills above, they are the building blocks of the reading (and writing) journey. With practice and patience, your young learner will be grabbing their favorite book and reading it all by themselves before you know it.

When that will happen depends on several factors and varies from child to child. Let’s take a closer look!

When Do Kids Learn To Read?

When it comes to reading, all kids are different. When your child learns to read and when another child their age learns to read may be a year (or more) apart. That’s OK! It’s all part of kids’ uniqueness.

When your child learns to read may also depend on their pre-reading engagement — in other words, how often they’re exposed to reading.

For example, kids who are read to, who have parents modeling a love of reading, and who have books as part of their everyday life tend to be more excited to learn to read. These children also develop essential pre-literacy skills, such as print awareness.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your child’s reading development is directly impacted by how much they read, especially independently.

Rather than worrying about a precise timeline, it’s better to keep in mind a generalized idea of what milestones your child can reach at different ages.

Let’s take a look at those milestones (or benchmarks) below.

Reading Benchmarks By Age

Babies (Under 1 Year Old)

Babies may begin using board books or soft books to play with.

Books with lots of colorful illustrations and dynamic storytelling will help engage your baby and foster a love of reading right from the start.

Although your baby can’t talk yet, keep an ear out for any noises they make in response to your reading. Cooing and other noises can help signify that your baby is paying attention, having fun, and bonding with you while learning.

Toddlers (1 To 2 Years Old)

As they grow older, your baby’s cooing might evolve into some very enthusiastic baby babble. They may giggle and chatter in their own unique baby language in response to your story narrations.

By 18 months, most children move on from babbling to using words. Their vocabulary increases every day! You can take advantage of this vocabulary explosion when you share books that have pictures of things they love.

To encourage them, you can point to illustrations or pictures and ask, “What’s that?”

Getting them physically involved helps, too. If you would like to try this, start by holding their hand in yours as they turn the page. This will develop their motor skills and mimic what real reading feels like.

You can also run your finger along the print, showing that the words are important and that you follow them from left to right. This helps develop print awareness.

Preschool-Aged (3 To 4 Years Old)

Now is when the initial groundwork you laid when your child was a baby begins to pay off! Keep in mind, though, that there is a large difference in what a beginning three-year-old and a late four-year-old can do.

As your child moves through preschool education, they’re introduced to more fundamentals about books and reading. A three-year-old may start to understand how to identify different parts of a book — the spine, title, cover, and author.

They may also be able to tell you what the story was about in basic terms (a shark who loves cupcakes, a puppy who can ride a bike, and so on).

Three- and four-year-olds are beginning to develop ideas about the alphabet and to attribute sounds to letters. They are also ready to engage in listening games that will promote their ability to use phonics as beginning readers.

You can boost their phonics confidence by singing lullabies or nursery rhymes with them. Enrich the experience by clapping!

Learning to sing the alphabet also usually comes by the end of the preschool years. This is a great time to encourage your child to explore recognizing at least half of the alphabetic letters and having a go at writing their own name.

Kindergarteners (5 To 6 Years Old)

Formal introduction to “sounding out” or decoding words begins at this age. As part of this work, your child will benefit from learning to hear individual phonemes (single letter sounds) in words — a foundational skill for sounding out words.

Beginning to learn sight words is also important at this age, as sight words don’t always follow regular phonemic patterns (they don’t sound the way they’re spelled).

For ideas on how to incorporate sight word learning into your routine, check out our article 4 Highly Effective and Fun Sight Word Games To Help Your Kids Learn.

To help build your Kindergartener’s reading confidence, prompt them to summarize what happened in the story while you read with them. To make it fun, you can play the silly, forgetful parent!

Asking simple questions about the story helps your child get their brain working and helps you know if they understood the book.

Young Elementary (6 To 7 Years Old)

At this age, children learn more advanced phonics, such as:

  • Silent e
  • Vowel teams like ai and oa
  • Vowels controlled by R to make er, ir, ur, ar, or
  • And more.

Your child may begin receiving weekly vocabulary word banks to learn. They will also be exposed to common spelling rules and patterns.

Additionally, when you see your child re-reading their favorite books, know that they’re building strong fluency. This helps them engage more deeply with the texts and investigate words that might be unfamiliar.

To foster a love of reading in your child at this age, you can help them draw conclusions and parallels between things in their life and the things they read.

After all, reading is about making new connections to familiar facts that your child knows and loves, as well as exploring unfamiliar ideas!

Older Elementary (8 To 10 Years Old )

During these years, your child is likely moving away from learning to read — instead, they’re reading to learn.

They may choose to read independently more often. They may read for pleasure or to explore their own interests, as well as answering questions about the text and looking for real-world examples.

That being said, even after children are independent readers, it’s a good idea to continue to read aloud. This is an opportunity to share books that are more difficult for them to read on their own.

It can also be good for you to read books that your child reads either on their own or for school and talk about them together, like a book club! This can be a fun way to connect with your child and spend more time together.

Tips For Boosting Your Child’s Reading Confidence

There are plenty of simple things you can do to help your child learn to read — but first and foremost, we want to help your child think of reading as fun, relaxing, and rewarding.

While you’re reading with your little one, consider treating reading aloud as a bonding time or a special activity, rather than a school lesson. We don’t want you or your child stressed out!

Remember: reading confidence comes with time and practice. It’s OK if your child learns differently than their friends –– that’s completely normal!

With that said, here are some bonus tips to help boost your child’s confidence and encourage them to read.



Read, Talk, And Sing To Your Baby

If you want to get a head start on encouraging a love of reading in your child, talk and read to them as much as possible when they’re a baby, and don’t stop — even after your child is an independent reader!

While you’re reading, you can react to illustrations and repeat words for an even bigger impact. Although your baby can’t speak yet (so you’re not sure if it’s paying off), we promise it’s worth it!

Finally, as we mentioned earlier, singing lullabies and nursery rhymes is also a great way to expose babies, toddlers, and preschool children to words.

Show Your Child That Words Are Everywhere

Once your child has moved into the toddler stage — and as they continue to grow — point out letters and numbers to them as you walk along in everyday life. They will begin to take notice (and probably want to read themselves!).

You can even make it fun by turning it into a game once your little one starts learning sight words (“I spy with my little eye the word red”).

Talk In Order To Read

This one sounds simple, but talking to your child helps to improve their vocabulary and knowledge base. If you’re looking for ways to talk to your child more, here are some ideas:

  • Ask specific questions (such as “What did you do at school today?”)
  • Explain what you’re doing while cooking
  • Tell them about a favorite memory from your own childhood

Conversations help children with speaking and listening skills, and familiarity with new words and subjects will help when they read books. As a bonus, having conversations with your child helps you connect as a family!

Take Turns Reading

It’s important for kids to know what fluent reading sounds like. Listening to you can be a huge help!

If you’d like to try this during storytime, take turns reading pages. (You read a page, then your child reads a page.) You can customize the split depending on your child’s energy, reading level, or how much time you have.

Switching on and off will give them a mental break in-between pages and keep them excited about reading with you!

4 Fun Activities To Develop Reading Skills

In addition to the tips above, here are some fun activities to try at home with your young learner as they develop their reading skills.

1) Sight Word Scavenger Hunt

Sight words are words that appear often in text. These are words such as the, on, have, was, what, etc. These words can be tricky because they aren’t easy to sound out or decode, so we need to memorize them or recognize them by sight.

Since they are seen so frequently, helping children get comfortable with sight words allows them to read more confidently and fluently.

To practice this skill, one of our favorite sight word games is Sight Word Scavenger Hunt. All you need for this game is a marker, index cards, and a sheet of paper.

Start by writing down 10 sight words (one on each card), and then hide these cards in places around the house. (Be sure to choose spots familiar to your child.)

The goal of this game is simple: Have your child find all the cards by listening to clues you’ve written down on your sheet of paper.

For example:

  • I climbed ____ the chair — On!
  • What word rhymes with buzz? — Was!

As you call out each clue, your child will search for the sight word that matches. You can also write the sight words on a separate piece of paper as a reference for them if needed.

And to make things even more interesting, feel free to add a timer into the game and see how fast they can find the cards!

2) Become An Author

Children are natural storytellers. They want to share their adventures, ideas, and thoughts. In fact, it is sometimes hard to get them to stop talking!

You can take advantage of this love of oral language to make a bridge toward written language. How? Write a book together.

All you’ll need is an empty booklet (this can be blank pieces of paper stapled together), a pencil, and some crayons. Start writing the story by asking your child to describe something meaningful to them, such as what they did at school or while visiting their grandparents.

As your child narrates their story, write down about one to two sentences on each page. Keep in mind that you don’t actually need to write the exact words. It is fine to write a sentence that expresses the main parts of your child’s dictation.

You might need to ask prompting questions to give the story more details, such as:

  • Was it a hot or cold day?
  • Was your grandma wearing a sweater? What color was it?
  • What did you have for lunch on that day?

Once the story is complete, your child can add some illustrations to help bring it to life. And just like that, you have a homemade storybook that you can enjoy reading together!

3) What Starts With…

Learning the alphabet and letter-sound connections is an essential step to reading fluently. You can help your child work on these skills by playing a guessing game that focuses on all their favorite words.

What letter does balloon start with? How about pizza?

When your child guesses correctly, encourage them to come up with more words that start with the same letter. For example, “Balloon starts with a b! So does basket, butterfly, baby, bubbles, buttons, and ball!”

This repetition will help reinforce the letter-sound connections that play an important role in reading (and writing).

4) Pick The Word

This game also focuses on sight words. To get started, write six sight words down on index cards, one word per card. On a separate sheet of paper, list the same words twice. One list will be for you and the other for your child.

Next, place the index cards with the words facing down on a flat surface (i.e., table). Begin playing by picking a word from your list. Then, flip four cards over so the words are facing up. If you flip over the word you selected, cross it off your list and flip the other cards back over.

If you don’t find the word you were looking for, you’ll need to wait for your next turn to try to find another one. Remember to mix the cards up before the next player starts.

The first player to cross off four words from their list wins!

This is a great game for continued sight word exposure. The more familiar your child gets with them, the more confident they’ll be while reading.

When Do Kids Learn To Read: FAQs

Why Does My Child Have Trouble Reading?

If your child isn’t the first to read in their class, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them. They may just need some more time and support to develop their abilities. That’s OK! Every child learns at their own pace.

Learning to read is quite a lengthy process and involves a multitude of skills, and some kids may find it more challenging than others. There are various reasons for this.

Some children might struggle with the type of reading instruction used in class. Others may find it difficult to understand how language works (e.g., matching sounds to letters or recognizing the sounds in words).

No matter what the reason is, there are things you can do to help.

Supporting children in their early years is essential to the HOMER team. That’s why our Learn & Grow app focuses on multiple key developmental areas, including early childhood reading.

Our experts developed it to provide a personalized pathway that builds essential skills — from letters and sounds to sight words and, eventually, reading and spelling.

Why Is My Youngest Child Not Reading When My Oldest Did?

When it comes to children’s literacy journeys, the last thing you want to do is compare your own children to each other, their friends, cousins, or peers in school. As you already know, kids are very different, so they will hit milestones at different times.

If your oldest started reading at four or five years old, that’s great, but don’t expect your youngest to do the same.

Also, keep in mind that while some kids might start earlier, according to the U.S Department of Education, children generally begin reading at around six or seven years of age (first or second grade).

Who Can I Reach Out To If I Think Something’s Wrong?

Even though it’s normal for children to learn to read at different ages, sometimes medical concerns may get in the way. Or, in some cases, children have trouble reading because they have a learning difference and might need special instruction before they can learn to read fluently.

If you suspect this is the case with your child, talk to the teacher or ask to meet with the school learning specialist. They will know if the issue is developmental or if there are underlying problems you’ll want to address.

You can also reach out to a local reading specialist (outside of your child’s school) who may be able to assess your child first and help you determine if there are additional things to address. They’ll be able to guide you in the right direction.

There Is No “Right” Time

No matter when your child learns to read, don’t worry! With a little love and support from you, they will get there in their own time. If you’re ever concerned, feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher or another professional.

As you continue to help your child learn to read, keep the benchmarks and tips we mentioned above in mind. But remember that what’s most important is engaging your child in ways that are fun, stimulating, and don’t add stress to your family’s already busy schedule.

Making reading time fun and light helps build your child’s confidence and love for learning!

Finally, if you find yourself needing a little support along the way, try our HOMER Learn & Grow app to help your child thrive on their reading journey!

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How to teach a child to read.

5 ways to teach your child quickly and correctly.

The whole truth about how to choose a backpack for a first grader.

  1. Articles
  2. How to teach a child to read. 5 ways to teach your child quickly and correctly.

Reading is one of the very first skills that a child will master in his life. In our society, literacy is the key to success, and when reading ability does not develop within one or two classes, parents begin to feel that they have failed. However, most likely, the matter is in the choice of the method of education - there are no right and wrong books, methods, games, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the baby. There are no two children who simultaneously learned to read at the same pace, but for each case, the main thing is patience, diligence, perseverance.

In our article “What a future first grader should know when going to school”, we talked about the fact that reading by syllable is one of the skills that helps a child better adapt to the first grade. Therefore, it is worth starting training in advance, but taking into account the readiness of the child to learn.

How to get a child interested in reading?

Most children learn to read at the age of 5-7 years. Parents are encouraged to read aloud to their children, as the best way to instill a love of books is by example. Babies may not understand what you are reading, but they will become familiar with what a book is, learn to distinguish drawing from print. Toddlers love to imitate adults, play with printed materials, start flipping pages - this is another option for training fine motor skills. The main thing for parents at first is to form positive associations in the baby associated with the books they read. Read - and they will want to read, smile, opening a fresh volume, - children will also smile, flipping through the pages!

Is the child ready to learn to read: how to determine?

  • Desire to learn. Motivation is an essential component of learning - children need to get excited, really interested to start reading, then they will do their best to learn.

  • Games “I write” and “I read”. If you saw that the baby took the book and examines the pages, imitates reading, or tries to draw with a pencil not just drawings, but zigzags resembling letters, these are signs that you should pay attention to.

  • Involvement in history and attentiveness. How attentively does the child listen to the story being read? How involved is he in the story you are reading? Can he retell it? If the baby not only hears, but listens with interest and remembers what you read to him, you can certainly take the first steps towards his education.

  • Understanding how to open a book, flipping through, realizing that sentences are read from left to right is another bell that indicates a child's interest.

  • Interest. Can your toddler point to large letters and identify them with something familiar, recognize multiple lowercase letters? When the text you read ceases to be just a set of characters for him, take a closer look.

  • The ability to distinguish readable sounds. A good way to determine if the baby knows about the sound structure of words is to check if he can rhyme simple words, determine the first and last sound.

  • Developed oral language. If your son or daughter does not have problems with pronunciation and errors in syllable coordination, he or she can start learning.

You can teach to read in several stages, depending on the age of a small student:

  • 2-3 years - work is underway on figurative thinking, parents arouse interest in reading fairy tales, look at pictures together.

  • 4-5 years - the first acquaintance with the alphabet takes place, simple sound-letter learning.

  • 5-6 years - you can teach to read words, sentences, retell a readable text.

Basic training rules

What is the most successful approach to early learning to read? Let your child set their own pace and enjoy what they are doing. Do not force him to memorize numbers, shapes, names of objects, sentences you read. On the contrary, encourage curiosity, let the little one learn to explore on his own, discover new things, without fear of mistakes. The main condition is the desire of the smallest student. Read books to your baby that he really likes and entertains, the readable text should not be boring! Do not force reading when the child does not want it - this can permanently turn him away from books.

Use games - it is in a playful way that preschoolers most easily learn the information they read, so combine the useful with the pleasant. Keep the child interested, but do not make the classes too long - it is better to spend less time studying, but do it more often. Classes should be diversified with light warm-ups or outdoor games, which help relieve stress, distract and gain strength to continue studying.

Good parents must remain patient and not compare their child's progress to other children's - remember that everyone's learning process is at their own pace. Listen to the baby, if right now he does not want to read, pick another time. For each preschooler, you can choose the best home teaching method - look at the different methods, choosing the one that suits your baby.

Teaching methods

Montessori method

The Italian teacher and doctor Maria Montessori proposed a method of teaching reading, according to which you must first learn to write, and only then read. Small children perceive lettering as drawings, so it's easier to start by teaching a preschooler how to write the alphabet correctly. Use cursive, not block characters - rounded characters are easier to read for preschoolers. The methodology provides for training without manuals, books, primers. You will need paper, a pencil, toy three-dimensional letters. The process takes place in several stages:

  • Hand training. Before you learn to write, teach your child to circle a variety of objects, to hatch drawings. Such exercises train the hand and fingers, develop fine motor skills. If the baby gets used to holding a pencil in his hand, the first letters will come out easily, without much effort.

  • "Feeling" letters. Tactile contact is one of the first ways a child explores the world. Let him "touch" to get acquainted with the alphabet. You can buy tables with a convex alphabet or cut out letters yourself from fabric, soft paper. It is better that the preschooler is pleased to touch them, then he will learn the alphabet very quickly, he will be able to compose syllables on his own.

  • Compilation of words. Having learned the alphabet, children are ready to connect letters into syllables, and syllables into words.

  • First writing lessons. At this stage, some children immediately write in full sentences, some prefer drawing individual letters. Do not rush the preschooler, give him enough time to learn the art of writing. After numerous trainings, your son or daughter will learn how to correctly write the words and sentences they know.

  • Reading. Composing familiar concepts from cut out letters or trying to write them with a finger in the sand, the child will repeat them, gradually moving from writing to being able to read. With each practice, the words will become easier to read for him.

Zaitsev Cubes

Zaitsev's technique is based on a game form of learning, for this they use cubes developed by a famous teacher. According to this method, in order to teach a child to read, you do not need to use the alphabet, which is more likely to confuse than help. Zaitsev believed: the alphabet is harmful due to the use of pictures. For example, if a baby remembers the letter “A” associated with a picture of a stork, and “M” with a picture of a mouse, he may decide: to write “mother” you need two storks and two mice. The readable text will be clearer if you first learn to write, make warehouses, and only then start reading. There are several rules for this technique:

  • The basic unit of the language according to this method is not a syllable, the basic unit is a warehouse, that is, a combination of consonant and vowel sounds. For example: PA-PA, MA-MA, SA-MO-LE-T.

  • Warehouses are presented to the child not in a book or cards, but on cubes that are designed to develop analytical thinking. They differ in colors, sizes, have different content, due to which they produce a different sound. A preschooler will learn to distinguish and memorize them by sound, touch, appearance, using all the senses. Warehouses are written on the edges, not syllables.

  • Learning takes place in a playful way - let the child build towers from cubes, gradually moving on to compiling readable words. You can sing warehouses, speak out loud, start writing (not necessarily with a pencil, just move your finger along the table).

  • There are 52 large and small cubes in the set, 7 are repeated so that you can make words with the same warehouses. The letters are written in different colors, there is a cube with punctuation marks. Products are made of different materials, there are wooden, iron, golden and combined.

Phonetic method

The phonetic or sound technique is used in schools, so if you start teaching a child using it, it will be easier for him to adapt to learning already sitting at a desk. This method is easy to use at home, useful for practicing correct pronunciation, suitable for 5-6 year old preschoolers, but may not be practical for earlier reading. The technique consists of several stages: first, the baby must be taught to distinguish sounds in readable words, then they must be taught to correctly write sounds in letters, put what is written into syllables, and then into words and sentences.

Glen Doman cards

According to the methodology developed by Glen Doman, you need to start reading with individual words, not syllables. The technique is suitable for the youngest children, even those who are only a couple of months old. The child is shown cards with words in a certain order, correctly and carefully repeating what is written aloud, gradually moving on to phrases, sentences and books. In total - 5 steps:

  • Step number 1: 15 cards with inscriptions are used that may be interesting and familiar to the child (“mom”, “dad”, names of pets, names of favorite dishes). Cards need to be alternated and shown, explaining what is written. Readable cards are held in the hands of a parent, the viewing time of each is 1-2 seconds. After the first 15 words, you should add the following, on average, you should learn 5 new concepts per day.

  • Step number 2: you need to analyze the vocabulary of a preschooler and start compiling phrases. The easiest way to perceive phrases with colors, dimensions, familiar characteristics - “red apple”, “big stool”, “clean hands”.

  • Step #3: You should start with 5 simple sentences, demonstrating them three times a day, and after 3-5 days, start replacing them with new readable cards.

  • Step number 4: it will be correct to teach how to read common sentences, complicating them with new words. For example, “mom is cooking” can be turned into “mom is cooking soup”. Gradually, the child will be ready to move on to the final stage - the book.

  • Step #5: After reading cards with large letters, you can move on to books with smaller fonts. The first book must comply with several rules: vocabulary - 50-100 familiar words, one sentence per page, pictures after the text. It is not necessary to purchase ready-made books, you can make them yourself, the main thing is that the material you read is of interest to your son or daughter.

Olga Soboleva's technique

The methodology of the Russian teacher Olga Soboleva is based on motivation by creating confidence in the child that reading is pleasant. Learning takes place in the form of a game using associations. For example, the letter “M” should be associated with the native word “mother”. At the same time, the method excludes learning by syllables, you need to start with words, after which sentences are mastered immediately. Games gradually move to books, so that the love of reading is instilled in the preschooler.

How to teach reading independently and at home

Almost all teaching methods agree that the easiest way is to teach a preschooler to read in a playful way, without coercion, to use the example of parents and readable material that is understandable to him. Remember the simple rules:

  • Choose one technique and follow it.

  • Letter-by-letter pronunciation is called a mistake, give preference to methods based on the study of syllables, warehouses, sentences.

  • Avoid mandatory lessons at certain hours. Set aside time for classes spontaneously, do not tire your child with long studies, it is enough to take 10-15 minutes for one lesson.

  • Study syllables, words during game exercises, and then make sure that the studied material is always in front of your child and he gets used to reading it. Play "guess the sound" to train your phonetic ear. Call up associations, let the child answer the question of what this or that letter looks like.

  • After studying the first three vowel sounds, the child should be explained how different sounds merge into one syllable. Apply visualization - put blocks or cards next to each other, write letters on the constructor and connect it.

  • Remember motivation. Learn words using an interesting example that can also be a reward - sing him a song about a teddy bear, turn on a cartoon about a duck, treat him to a delicious apple, and then move on to writing and reading.

  • Discuss the material being read - this contributes to a more meaningful perception visually and aurally.

Teaching a child to read fluently is a laborious process. However, it will bring its results, because then it will be easier for a small schoolchild to start learning new things, for the first time sitting at a desk already with a certain amount of knowledge and study skills.

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At what age should a child be able to read

04/01/2021

The ability to read is one of the basic social skills of a person. Without it, it is impossible to receive and transmit information, therefore this skill should be developed in every person. Modern parents strive to teach their child to read as early as possible, so that by the time they start learning, they already have some knowledge base. So when should a child start doing this?

Contents:

  • When we start
  • Too early training - why it is harmful
  • What the experts say
  • Is it possible to instill a love of reading
  • Choosing a teaching method
  • Are there any downsides to learning to read at home
  • Some important details

When we start

Experts don't have a common opinion about teaching children to read early, and neither do parents. Someone thinks that a child should get basic reading skills even before entering school: this will make it easier to adapt to the educational process. Others are sure that a teacher in the 1st grade should teach a child to read, since an unnecessarily early start to school is harmful for children: let them enjoy their childhood for now.

Learning too early - why it is harmful

The development of a child's cognitive abilities follows certain patterns, certain stages, it is undesirable to change or accelerate it, and often it is completely impossible. Until the age of five, children think figuratively - in pictures, and it is difficult for them to perceive information in the form of letters, numbers or other signs. And even having understood the general principle of reading, little students read, but they cannot understand the essence of what is written.

Learning to read early can lead to health problems:

  • excessive brain tension;
  • unusual blood flow to the cerebral hemispheres;
  • visual strain.

Intensive classes can unbalance the development of different types of thinking in a child: the emphasis will be placed on the logical, and the figurative will be “abandoned”. Yes, the child will become better at remembering, speaking, analyzing, thinking logically, but the development of the right hemisphere will be slowed down, and it is responsible for no less important dreams, emotions, understanding of music and color. The emotional development of the baby will be somewhat retarded, and at an older age this may respond with serious problems in the form of:

  • lack of ability to empathize with others;
  • difficulties with the correct understanding of their emotions;
  • inability to identify one's strengths and weaknesses;
  • difficulties with understanding one's own and social values;
  • isolation and uncertainty.

It is known that many geeks are developed from early childhood, but most often, growing up, they do not have happiness and are poorly adapted to the realities of the world around them. Therefore, it is more important to raise a socially adapted person from a child than to teach him to read too early.

What the experts say

Psychologists, psychophysiologists and other experts recommend starting to teach a preschooler to read not earlier than he is 5 years old, but he must be ready to learn. They say about it:

  • intelligible correct speech without speech defects;
  • correct perception of the text by ear;
  • the ability to explain the meaning of a word;
  • the ability to build coherent logical sentences;
  • the ability to briefly retell the plot of a cartoon or fairy tale, describe your day;
  • the ability to concentrate on some activity, such as needlework.

    • A healthy five-year-old child usually has all of these skills. And at this age it is time to get acquainted with letters and sounds, then by the time of admission to grade 1, the child will master reading at a sufficient level.

    Is it possible to instill a love for reading

    It is not enough to teach a child to read - he still needs to instill a love for this occupation. View your favorite books and read them, study the illustrations, get acquainted with the adventures of the characters. It is important that older family members show the child that reading is an amazing learning opportunity, and not a hateful duty. It will be useful if the child saw people with books in his close circle, then, imitating them, he himself will want to plunge into the world of literature.

    The first reading lessons should be conducted in the format of a game: in this way the material will be absorbed by the child easier and better, the child will not have time to lose concentration during the lesson, and avoid stressful experiences.

    Choosing a teaching method

    Today there are many methods to teach a child to read, it is important to choose the one that suits your child.

    Perhaps the most popular method is classes in the classical alphabet (the alphabet itself can be developed by any author). The kid quickly remembers the letter, as it will now be associated with a certain picture. Later, you can move on to another well-known book - the primer and study reading by syllables from it.

    Many techniques are based on the use of cubes or tablets. They are convenient and interesting, but are often criticized by school teachers. It is believed that such training misses a very important component - basic familiarity with the alphabet.

    The most famous of these methods are:

    • Zaitsev's cubes - the emphasis is on making syllables from individual letters and words from syllables, understanding vowels, voiceless and voiced, hard and soft consonants.
    • Chaplygin cubes - training not only allows you to compose syllables and words, but also develops fine motor skills, and this will have a beneficial effect on the overall development of the child;
    • Glen Doman cards - learning is based on the use of visual memory: syllables and words are printed on cards, and the child remembers their spelling;
    • "Skladushki" by Voskobovich - 21 cards with syllables, from which you can build houses with whole words.

    The Montessori method is another well-known teaching option. Toddlers first master the letter, then move on to getting to know the letters, and then learn to read the syllables.

    Are there any disadvantages of teaching reading at home? In addition, at home, parents usually miss such an important part of the lesson as the sound analysis of the word, and the child may also have difficulty breaking down words into syllables. It is not easy to correct this mistake later, therefore it is better to immediately entrust a professional teacher to teach the child to read and write. It can be either a private tutor or a teacher of preparatory courses before the first grade - such classes are held today in literally every school.

    A few important details

    If you decide to teach your child to read at home, it is important to follow a few rules. All studies should be built on the principle “From simple to complex”, that is, you first need to learn letters and sounds, then you can start to compose them into syllables and only then move on to whole words.

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