If you are a parent or a guardian, knowing how to build a child’s confidence in reading is important.
Reading does not come naturally to kids, and some struggle more than others. It might lead to a fear of making mistakes, pushing a child to shy away from learning. To put them at ease, you need to be more creative and mindful about your methods.
Below are some tips on how you can encourage a child to read with confidence. We also looked into the Children Learning Reading program, an online resource that claims to help your child learn how to read quickly and easily.
How To Build a Child’s Confidence in Reading
By following these steps, you can relieve your child’s struggles and help them develop a lifelong love for reading.
Make It Fun
To reduce the pressure on a child when it comes to reading, try to make it a fun activity. There are many ways for you to do this, and the only limit is your imagination.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Turn It Into a Game
Kids love games, and incorporating them into reading can help kids relax while they are learning. It can be as simple as looking for short words in longer ones (like the cat in “caterpillar”).
You can also try playing a modified version of the game “Go Fish.” Instead of using regular cards, you write words from the book into index cards.
- Read To Their Pets
Another way to make it fun is to let them read aloud to their pets or their favorite stuffed toys. Cats, dogs, and inanimate objects like toys make no judgment and are the perfect audience for kids still learning to read.
- Use Online Reading Programs
There are online reading programs that can let kids progress at their own pace. They also use animations, game rewards, and other ways to motivate children.
Use It as a Chance To Bond
Teaching your child to read offers an excellent opportunity for the two of you to bond. You can show your fun side by doing voices, acting out scenes, or showing equal interest in the story.
Over time, your child will associate reading with positive emotions and make them more successful in learning. With more success, they will gain more confidence, which will help them later in school and other situations.
Don’t Push the Child Too Hard
When it comes to reading, kids learn at different paces. What is more, if they find something they like, they tend to focus on it and read it repeatedly.
It is important for you as a parent or a guardian to be patient throughout the process.
Your child will be looking to you for support and understanding more than anyone else. Your approval will mean a lot to your child and boost their confidence moving forward.
Do Not Be a Perfectionist
When reading with a child, do not be a perfectionist. Allow a child to make some mistakes without correcting them every single time.
Remember that you are not only working on the child’s accuracy or proficiency but also confidence.
If they ask for help with a difficult word or phrase, then you should do it. Otherwise, give them some room for error.
Start Small
If your child is just starting to learn how to read, try to make your sessions shorter. Doing so will give them the chance to get used to the activity and not get overwhelmed.
It might help if you have a timer to keep track of your first few sessions. Ten to fifteen minutes should be enough at first, but you need to look at how your child is doing.
As your child progresses, you read together for progressively longer stretches.
Do Not Hide Your Struggles
Your child must understand that some words might be tough to read, even for adults. That is especially true for science fiction books or stories with made-up words and intricate character names.
If you are having difficulty with these words, do not hide this from your child. Show them how you sound out each syllable.
It will be a valuable tool for them when they start reading on their own.
Read Together
Since your child is only starting to read, you need to be with them at times. It will give kids confidence when they encounter difficult words or have trouble understanding them.
Just make sure that you are not overcorrecting, as this will have the opposite effect.
Maintain a healthy balance between teaching the right skills and building confidence.
Let Your Child Read Alone
While it is essential to read together, kids must also have time to read by themselves. It will give them the chance to experience reading on their own and figuring things out by themselves.
It will also give them time to read without worrying about being judged if they take too long or make mistakes. Just make sure that you ask your child if they have any questions about the material after reading it.
Give Lots of Praises
When kids are trying to learn something, they need to hear words of encouragement from time to time. The same is true with reading, so do not be stingy with it.
Every time your child makes any form of progress, let them know how proud you are. Doing so will tell them that they are on the right track and encourage them to keep doing well.
Do Not Limit Yourselves on Books
For your child to gain confidence in reading, they must understand that it has practical applications.
Try to read everything that you see together, from cereal boxes to comic books to signs. Doing this will make them feel like they accomplished something beyond reading stories from a book.
The Children Learning Reading Program
Pioneered by an experienced reading teacher, who’s also a father of four children, Children Learning Reading is a program comprising audio clips, video lessons, stories, and more. It ensures your child identifies each letter rather than memorizing a whole word. This way, they can read short and long words they’ve encountered for the first time.
The Importance of Knowing How To Build a Child’s Confidence in Reading
Reading comes naturally to you now that you are an adult, but there was a time when you had to learn to do it too. So be patient and remember that it is not just about teaching the right skills.
Knowing how to build a child’s confidence in reading is equally important, if not more. Using an engaging program that will let them learn at their own pace, like Children Learning Reading, is also worth considering.
