Teach 6 year old to read
9 Fun and Easy Tips
With the abundance of information out there, it can seem like there is no clear answer about how to teach a child to read. As a busy parent, you may not have time to wade through all of the conflicting opinions.
That’s why we’re here to help! There are some key elements when it comes to teaching kids to read, so we’ve rounded up nine effective tips to help you boost your child’s reading skills and confidence.
These tips are simple, fit into your lifestyle, and help build foundational reading skills while having fun!
Tips For How To Teach A Child To Read
1) Focus On Letter Sounds Over Letter Names
We used to learn that “b” stands for “ball.” But when you say the word ball, it sounds different than saying the letter B on its own. That can be a strange concept for a young child to wrap their head around!
Instead of focusing on letter names, we recommend teaching them the sounds associated with each letter of the alphabet. For example, you could explain that B makes the /b/ sound (pronounced just like it sounds when you say the word ball aloud).
Once they firmly establish a link between a handful of letters and their sounds, children can begin to sound out short words. Knowing the sounds for B, T, and A allows a child to sound out both bat and tab.
As the number of links between letters and sounds grows, so will the number of words your child can sound out!
Now, does this mean that if your child already began learning by matching formal alphabet letter names with words, they won’t learn to match sounds and letters or learn how to read? Of course not!
We simply recommend this process as a learning method that can help some kids with the jump from letter sounds to words.
2) Begin With Uppercase Letters
Practicing how to make letters is way easier when they all look unique! This is why we teach uppercase letters to children who aren’t in formal schooling yet.
Even though lowercase letters are the most common format for letters (if you open a book at any page, the majority of the letters will be lowercase), uppercase letters are easier to distinguish from one another and, therefore, easier to identify.
Think about it –– “b” and “d” look an awful lot alike! But “B” and “D” are much easier to distinguish. Starting with uppercase letters, then, will help your child to grasp the basics of letter identification and, subsequently, reading.
To help your child learn uppercase letters, we find that engaging their sense of physical touch can be especially useful. If you want to try this, you might consider buying textured paper, like sandpaper, and cutting out the shapes of uppercase letters.
Ask your child to put their hands behind their back, and then place the letter in their hands. They can use their sense of touch to guess what letter they’re holding! You can play the same game with magnetic letters.
3) Incorporate Phonics
Research has demonstrated that kids with a strong background in phonics (the relationship between sounds and symbols) tend to become stronger readers in the long-run.
A phonetic approach to reading shows a child how to go letter by letter — sound by sound — blending the sounds as you go in order to read words that the child (or adult) has not yet memorized.
Once kids develop a level of automatization, they can sound out words almost instantly and only need to employ decoding with longer words. Phonics is best taught explicitly, sequentially, and systematically — which is the method HOMER uses.
If you’re looking for support helping your child learn phonics, our HOMER Learn & Grow app might be exactly what you need! With a proven reading pathway for your child, HOMER makes learning fun!
4) Balance Phonics And Sight Words
Sight words are also an important part of teaching your child how to read. These are common words that are usually not spelled the way they sound and can’t be decoded (sounded out).
Because we don’t want to undo the work your child has done to learn phonics, sight words should be memorized. But keep in mind that learning sight words can be challenging for many young children.
So, if you want to give your child a good start on their reading journey, it’s best to spend the majority of your time developing and reinforcing the information and skills needed to sound out words.
5) Talk A Lot
Even though talking is usually thought of as a speech-only skill, that’s not true. Your child is like a sponge. They’re absorbing everything, all the time, including the words you say (and the ones you wish they hadn’t heard)!
Talking with your child frequently and engaging their listening and storytelling skills can increase their vocabulary.
It can also help them form sentences, become familiar with new words and how they are used, as well as learn how to use context clues when someone is speaking about something they may not know a lot about.
All of these skills are extremely helpful for your child on their reading journey, and talking gives you both an opportunity to share and create moments you’ll treasure forever!
6) Keep It Light
Reading is about having fun and exploring the world (real and imaginary) through text, pictures, and illustrations. When it comes to reading, it’s better for your child to be relaxed and focused on what they’re learning than squeezing in a stressful session after a long day.
We’re about halfway through the list and want to give a gentle reminder that your child shouldn’t feel any pressure when it comes to reading — and neither should you!
Although consistency is always helpful, we recommend focusing on quality over quantity. Fifteen minutes might sound like a short amount of time, but studies have shown that 15 minutes a day of HOMER’s reading pathway can increase early reading scores by 74%!
It may also take some time to find out exactly what will keep your child interested and engaged in learning. That’s OK! If it’s not fun, lighthearted, and enjoyable for you and your child, then shake it off and try something new.
7) Practice Shared Reading
While you read with your child, consider asking them to repeat words or sentences back to you every now and then while you follow along with your finger.
There’s no need to stop your reading time completely if your child struggles with a particular word. An encouraging reminder of what the word means or how it’s pronounced is plenty!
Another option is to split reading aloud time with your child.
For emerging readers, you can read one line and then ask them to read the next. For older children, reading one page and letting them read the next page is beneficial.
Doing this helps your child feel capable and confident, which is important for encouraging them to read well and consistently!
This technique also gets your child more acquainted with the natural flow of reading. While they look at the pictures and listen happily to the story, they’ll begin to focus on the words they are reading and engage more with the book in front of them.
Rereading books can also be helpful. It allows children to develop a deeper understanding of the words in a text, make familiar words into “known” words that are then incorporated into their vocabulary, and form a connection with the story.
We wholeheartedly recommend rereading!
8) Play Word Games
Getting your child involved in reading doesn’t have to be about just books. Word games can be a great way to engage your child’s skills without reading a whole story at once.
One of our favorite reading games only requires a stack of Post-It notes and a bunched-up sock. For this activity, write sight words or words your child can sound out onto separate Post-It notes. Then stick the notes to the wall.
Your child can then stand in front of the Post-Its with the bunched-up sock in their hands. You say one of the words and your child throws the sock-ball at the Post-It note that matches!
9) Read With Unconventional Materials
In the same way that word games can help your child learn how to read, so can encouraging your child to read without actually using books!
If you’re interested in doing this, consider using PlayDoh, clay, paint, or indoor-safe sand to form and shape letters or words.
Another option is to fill a large pot with magnetic letters. For emerging learners, suggest that they pull a letter from the pot and try to name the sound it makes. For slightly older learners, see if they can name a word that begins with the same sound, or grab a collection of letters that come together to form a word.
As your child becomes more proficient, you can scale these activities to make them a little more advanced. And remember to have fun with it!
Reading Comes With Time And Practice
Overall, we want to leave you with this: there is no single answer to how to teach a child to read. What works for your neighbor’s child may not work for yours –– and that’s perfectly OK!
Patience, practicing a little every day, and emphasizing activities that let your child enjoy reading are the things we encourage most. Reading is about fun, exploration, and learning!
And if you ever need a bit of support, we’re here for you! At HOMER, we’re your learning partner. Start your child’s reading journey with confidence with our personalized program plus expert tips and learning resources.
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Resources for Struggling Learners Ages 6-7
The time between ages 6 and 8 is a crucial one in the development of literacy skills, including decoding.
If your child is struggling with learning to read, now is the time to find the tools and strategies to bridge that transition. If you continue to have questions and concerns, set up time with your child’s teacher to ask questions and find out more. The newest research on literacy development in children emphasizes the importance of providing reading interventions as soon as possible.
For more information, find out early signs of a reading difficulty, 8 ways parents can seeking help if their reader is struggling, and why it's important not to wait. It is much easier to support children at this age than to have to play catch-up later!
Try these strategies to help build your child's literacy:
- Keep Reading Aloud!: Although a main goal of this age group is to learn to be independent readers, the books they can read on their own are often stilted with controlled text. Keep reading interesting picture books and chapter books to expand your child’s comprehension abilities, vocabulary, and sense of wonder about stories! Ask questions along the way to allow your child to continue to develop comprehension skills while her decoding abilities are coming online.
- Character Magnets: Find a character or series they like: Clifford, Henry and Mudge, Fancy Nancy, etc. Color copy onto card stock some of the main characters (or have your child draw them!), cut them out, and put magnets on the back. Get magnetic poetry types of words for the fridge or washer (or cookie sheet). Let your child “write” and act out stories! You can also cut out words from magazines or the computer and put magnets on the back.
- Magnetic Words: Add magnets to Scrabble letters and help your child sound out and create 3- and 4-letter phonetic words or sight words.
- Word Wizard App is a terrific app that allows your child to build and sound out words independently. You can use the app’s word lists or add your own. Its advanced text-to-speech capabilities and fun visual rewards will have your child asking for “more spelling practice please!” Choose the phonetic sounds of letters in the settings menu. The app is $2.99 but worth it.
- BOB Books Reading Magic Lite app has simple text, fun activities, and is all phonics based. This is a great starting place for struggling readers.
- Write a letter: What better way to encourage reluctant writers than to motivate them! Invite your child to write to their favorite Disney character. In about 6 weeks, they will get a signed postcard! Save this address:
Walt Disney Company
Attn: Fan Mail Department
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
- Play board games: There are many skills children use when playing board games -- from reading the directions to building vocabulary through games like Boggle or even Hangman. Developing literacy skills can be loads of fun!
- Choose-your-own-adventure (CYOA) stories: Helping kids discover the joy in reading can be a challenge, especially when they find decoding the words or understanding the text difficult. One fun way to excite reading is through CYOA books.
There are books with many levels (e.g., The Haunted House vs The Abominable Snowman, both by RA Montgomery). Or try out a graphic novel CYOA like Meanwhile by Jason Shina for more visual learners (and those wanting less text). Some fun online variations: - Seussville Storymaker is a different kind of CYOA where your child selects scenes, music, dialog, etc. For a 3-scene Horton the Elephant story; the computer will “sew” together the animation for you.
- Choice of the Dragon, again, has no audio, but it does have an exciting topic.
- Addy’s Escape to Freedom: Read American Girl Addy’s CYOA story.
- Niki’s Adventures is about the adventures of a hummingbird in Canada. It has no audio, but text is relatively simple.
- Spin the Wheel: There is nothing better for struggling learners than a sense of choice about their work. Let your child spin the Scholastic Computer lab wheel and have fun clicking around and learning.
- Storybuddy Lite app: Your child can draw directly on the screen, type text, and make fun storybooks that you can share.
- ABC Spelling Magic 1, 2 & 3 apps help your child build short, phonetic words, consonant blends, and then 5-7 letter words with consonant blends and syllables.
- Aesop’s Quest app is a wonderful app that emphasizes comprehension in a fun way. Children use what they remember of the story to advance levels. For grades 2-6.
- Pic Lits is a fun and simple site for kids who dislike writing. They choose an image and drag “magnets” to create a simple saying or story. While doing so, they will unknowingly be learning how to search alphabetically, and be exploring how to use parts of speech.
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Early Reading
How to teach a child to read well at 5-6 years old
Every loving parent wishes a better future for his son or daughter.
This applies not only to adulthood, but also to school age, so parents often think about how to teach a child to read quickly at the age of 5-6. Literacy is the basis for starting school, and despite the fact that officially a first grader should not be able to read, many adults think about preparation. But where and how can a child be taught to read before entering first grade?
How to start learning to read
School years are a wonderful time when a child gains knowledge in various subjects and spends a lot of time with peers. But in order for him to study easily, he needs to devote a lot of time to training his skills, the main of which can rightly be called the ability to read.
Every person learns to read and write from an early age. Some children learn letters before school, others learn to read in the first grade. The opinion of parents on whether it is worth preparing for studies in advance varies: some insist that the child needs to be prepared as early as possible for admission to the first grade, while others believe that this is a waste of time, because everything is taught at school anyway .
Which of these approaches to education is the only correct one?
To answer this question, it is necessary to study in detail the characteristics of the intelligence of children at different ages. Until the age of five, the baby has a more developed right hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for creativity, fantasy, and emotions. It is difficult for him to memorize and recognize letters, numbers and other symbols. Therefore, it is not recommended to force a child to learn the alphabet during these years, but this does not mean that acquaintance with books will have to be postponed for a long time.
Parents should read fairy tales and stories aloud to their children as often as possible, because this contributes to the development of a love of literature. If from the earliest years to show the child that reading is a very interesting and entertaining process, then the study of letters in the future will occur with great enthusiasm.
After five years, the child's intellect is rebuilt.
You can see how the son or daughter has become more diligent, focused, attentive to details. The left hemisphere of the child's brain, responsible for logic, memorization and analysis, is making a big leap in development. That is why it is better to teach a child to read not earlier than 5-6 years old, because at a younger age, study is much more difficult and tires the fragile child's psyche too much.
But not only age-related features affect the optimal time to start learning to read. It must be remembered that each child is individual and develops at his own pace. That is why it is important to rely not only on age, but also on signs of readiness to get acquainted with letters:
- ability to concentrate. The parent should pay attention to how the child manages to cope with painstaking and demanding tasks, such as modeling and drawing. In order to learn to read, the baby must be diligent enough.
- fluency in oral speech. Before you start learning letters, you need to develop the ability to clearly and logically express yourself.
The kid should be able to conduct a conversation, make up a short oral story of several sentences. - degree of memory development. Reading involves not only the reproduction of the text, but also its memorization. It is important to ensure that the baby can briefly retell a previously heard fairy tale or events that happened to him on a walk or in kindergarten. It is possible and necessary to train memory, in contrast to the study of letters, even before the age of five.
It is important to consider both the age of the baby and the above recommendations. Only then can we talk about complete readiness for classes. But what is the best way to teach a child to read at 5, 6 or 7 years old?
Learning letters
How does learning to read and write begin? Someone will say that with a letter, but this is not entirely true. Long before the baby learns to read the simplest words and syllables, it is important to work out and consolidate the sound stage of learning well.
To do this, you need to show the child with examples how any word can be divided into sounds. If this is not done, then later, when the baby begins to study in elementary school, it will be more difficult for him to give a phonetic analysis of the word, and the transition to fluent reading will take more time than for trained classmates.
You should start with simple words: m-a-m-a, p-a-p-a, k-o-sh-k-a, s-o-b-a-k-a. At this stage, it is important to clearly pronounce consonants, highlighting them with your voice, and vowels need to be pulled. So the child, while not yet realizing the difference between a vowel and a consonant, will learn to distinguish them intuitively. Gradually moving on to longer words, wait for the moment when the analysis into sounds will be given without difficulty. Then you can move on to the study of letters.
Most parents use for this purpose familiar to everyone since childhood, the manual - the alphabet. Leafing through it, the baby, with the help of adults, gradually remembers the letters and the sounds corresponding to them.
The advantage of this method is that the child develops his associative thinking, compares the first sound and letter of the word with the picture from the book.
Blocks with letters perform a similar function. The kid examines them, shifts them from place to place, plays and, at the same time, learns. Over time, he will remember all the letters, but for this, parents will have to make a lot of effort.
The problem of independent study of the alphabet is that adults must control the regularity of such studies. If you do not repeat and reinforce the material already covered in a timely manner, training can stretch for an indefinite period. But getting to know the letters is only the beginning. Only when the baby has mastered this stage perfectly, you can proceed to reading by syllables.
Learning to read by syllables
The syllable period of learning is the most important stage in the formation of skills. The literacy of the student will largely depend on how successfully it passes and consolidates, namely the ability to transfer the word to the next line and the absence of the most common mistake of schoolchildren - skipping a letter due to inattention.
That is why it is necessary to approach syllabic reading in detail.
Today, parents have a lot of helpers, but the most useful are the primer and blocks, in which the letters are already combined into syllables. First, it is better to study open syllables: ma-ma, ru-ka, no-ha, do-ma. Later, you can move on to closed syllables, but you should start with simple words: house, dream, bow, cat. There is no need to force the baby to read words with a large number of letters in a rhinestone, let him first master and consolidate his skills on the simplest examples.
When syllabic reading is mastered, you can begin to reproduce the whole words. This stage is most often difficult for parents. Children who are accustomed to breaking a word into syllables are required to read it in its entirety, without hesitation or pauses. Only practice helps to learn this. Offer to get acquainted with a small text several times in a row, and then the children will begin to more fluently read the words they already know, and gradually their skills will improve.
It is necessary to pay attention to how well a son or daughter manages to remember and understand what they read. Explain to them that the purpose of getting acquainted with any textual material is the assimilation of new knowledge, and not just a thoughtless reproduction of what they have read. Only when the child reads quickly and understands the text well, we can talk about a sufficient level of development of his skills. It is important to follow this if parents prefer to work with their child at home.
Learning to read at home
The main task of teaching is not only to master the letters, but also to accustom the child to books. To do this, do not rush the baby, scold him for his mistakes. It is important to remember that preschool is an opportunity to have fun and play, and only then a huge space for developing skills. Try to interest your child in reading books together, tasks in the form of games, and then learning will become much easier for him.
Make sure your child is ready to start learning to read. It happens that at five, six or even seven years old, it is difficult for him to do the exercises and practice. In this case, you need to change the approach, try to find a program that is exactly right for your son or daughter. All children are individuals and develop at their own pace. Forcing them to study through force, the parent only repels them from the educational process.
Knowing all these rules, it may seem that you can teach a child to read even at home and without much difficulty. But this is not entirely true, because a parent may encounter several difficulties that are not obvious at first glance, which will directly affect the child's progress at school: It is important to take into account all the recommendations of teachers and psychologists, and start exercising only when the baby is ready for this.
You can not force a child to study, as this kills any interest in learning in him. It is better to try to interest, encourage for successes and achievements, being patient with mistakes and blunders. Despite the fact that there is a lot of information in open sources on the Internet about how to teach a child to read quickly at home, moms and dads do not always manage to find the right and consistent training program. But I want the kid to know the letters well and go to the first grade prepared. Therefore, many adults prefer to send their child to preparatory courses in school or in centers for additional children's education.
But what activities are best for preschoolers?
Where is the best place to study - choosing a center
Today, most schools hold preparatory classes for first graders. On them, students get acquainted with letters and numbers, learn to follow the rules of behavior in the classroom. But due to the fact that such courses are more of a general educational nature, it cannot be said that the child will make significant progress in mastering reading skills. Therefore, it is better to teach the baby to read in children's centers, where highly specialized classes are held, aimed at the result. But which courses are best for five and six year olds?
First of all, you should pay attention to the teaching methods. It depends on the program how quickly the baby learns letters and sounds, learns to read syllables and whole words. It is important to remember that the purpose of such classes is a gradual transition to fluent reading - the ability to quickly read words and sentences.
Therefore, you need to choose a proven methodology that has proven its effectiveness on the examples of many other students. Carefully study the reviews about certain courses, and only then make a decision to enroll your child in them.
It is important to remember that the main form of interaction between babies and the outside world is play. When classes are held in a playful way, it is possible to explain the material to students faster and better and consolidate it with high quality. In addition, this type of training contributes to better motivation to gain knowledge. The child will be happy to attend those classes in which he is fun and interesting. It is worth considering this factor when choosing an educational institution.
At school, the student will be forced to study more independently. The teacher physically cannot pay attention to each child during the lesson. That is why it is so important to prepare for the first grade in advance so that the baby can easily cope with the academic load from the first days.
Preschool education has different standards, and therefore it is better to choose those courses where classes are held in small groups. It is very important that the coach has time to pay attention to each student in a timely manner. So work on shortcomings and errors will proceed faster and more productively.
Knowing these signs of a good course, you can easily choose useful reading classes for children over 5 years old. Thanks to them, the baby will learn to read letters and syllables well, to put words and whole sentences out of them. Such training will be an excellent basis for studying at school. When the student easily and freely manages to get acquainted with the text, the learning process no longer seems so difficult.
How to teach a child to read: techniques from an experienced teacher
At what age should you start teaching a child to read
Speech therapist Naya Speranskaya believes that the optimal age at which you can gradually start learning to read is 5.
5 years.
“But still, the starting point for the first steps in this matter should not be a specific age, but the child himself. There are children who are ready to master the skill as early as 3-4 years old, and there are those who "mature" closer to grade 1. Once I worked with a boy who could not read at 6.5 years old. He knew letters, individual syllables, but he could not read. As soon as we began to study, it became clear that he was absolutely ready for reading, in two months he began to read perfectly in syllables, ”said Speranskaya.
How to teach a child to read quickly and correctly
The first thing you need to teach your baby is the ability to correlate letters and sounds. “In no case should a child be taught the names of letters, as in the alphabet: “em”, “be”, “ve”. Otherwise, training is doomed to failure. The preschooler will try to apply new knowledge in practice. Instead of reading [mom], he will read [me-a-me-a]. You are tormented by retraining, ”the speech therapist warned.
Therefore, it is important to immediately give the child not the names of the letters, but the sounds they represent. Not [be], but [b], not [em], but [m]. If the consonant is softened by a vowel, then this should be reflected in the pronunciation: [t '], [m'], [v '], etc.
To help your child remember the graphic symbols of letters, make a letter with him from plasticine, lay it out using buttons, draw with your finger on a saucer with flour or semolina. Color the letters with pencils, draw with water markers on the side of the bathroom.
“At first it will seem to the child that all the letters are similar to each other. These actions will help you learn to distinguish between them faster, ”said the speech therapist.
As soon as the baby remembers the letters and sounds, you can move on to memorizing syllables.
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How to teach your child to join letters into syllables
“Connecting letters into syllables is like learning the multiplication table.
You just need to remember these combinations of letters, ”the speech therapist explained.
Naya Speranskaya noted that most of the manuals offer to teach children to read exactly by syllables. When choosing, two nuances should be taken into account:
1. Books should have little text and a lot of pictures.
2. Words in them should not be divided into syllables using large spaces, hyphens, long vertical lines.
“All this creates visual difficulties in reading. It is difficult for a child to perceive such a word as something whole, it is difficult to “collect” it from different pieces. It is best if there are no extra spaces or other separating characters in the word, and syllables are highlighted with arcs directly below the word, ”the speech therapist explained.
According to Speranskaya, cubes with letters are also suitable for studying syllables - playing with them, the child will quickly remember the combinations.
Another way to gently help your child learn letters and syllables is to print them in large print on paper and hang them all over the apartment.
“Hang them on the refrigerator, on the board in the nursery, on the wall in the bathroom. When such leaflets are hung throughout the apartment, you can inadvertently return to them many times a day. Do you wash your hands? Read what is written next to the sink. Is the child waiting for you to give him lunch? Ask him to name which syllables are hanging on the refrigerator. Do a little, but as often as possible. Step by step, the child will learn the syllables, and then slowly begin to read,” the specialist said.
Speranskaya is sure that in this way the child will learn to read much faster than after daily classes, when parents seat the child at the table with the words: "Now we will study reading ..."
“If it is really difficult for you to give up such activities, then pay attention that the nervous system of preschoolers is not yet ripe for long and monotonous lessons. Children spend enormous efforts on the analysis of graphic symbols. Learning to read for them is like learning a very complex cipher.
Therefore, it is necessary to observe clear timing in such classes. At 5.5 years old, children are able to hold attention for no more than 10 minutes, at 6.5 years old - 15 minutes. That's how long one lesson should last. And there should be no more than one such “lessons” a day, unless, of course, you want the child to lose motivation for learning even before school,” the speech therapist explained.
How to properly explain to a child how to divide words into syllables
When teaching a child to divide words into syllables, use a pencil. Mark syllables with a pencil using arcs.
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“Take the word dinosaur. It can be divided into three syllables: "di", "but", "zavr". The child will read the first syllables without difficulty, but it will be difficult for him to master the third. The kid cannot look at three or four letters at once. Therefore, I propose to teach to read not entirely by syllables, but by the so-called syllables. This is when we learn to read combinations of consonants and vowels, and we read the consonants separately.
For example, we will read the word "dinosaur" like this: "di" "but" "for" "in" "p" The last two letters are read separately from "for". If you immediately teach a child to read by syllables, he will quickly master complex words and move on to fluent reading, ”the speech therapist is sure.
In a text, syllables can be denoted in much the same way as syllables. Vowel + consonant with the help of an arc, and a separate consonant with the help of a dot.
Naya Speranskaya gave parents a recommendation to memorize syllables/syllable fusions for as long as possible, and move on to texts only when the child suggests it himself.
“If a preschooler is not eager to read, then there is no need to put pressure on him. Automate syllables. Take your time. Learning should take place gradually, from simple to complex. The reading technique develops over time, ”added Speranskaya.
Another important clarification from the speech therapist: when the child begins to read words and then sentences, parents need to clarify the meaning of what they read.
