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Reading strategy 1: Try reading together
Read out loud with your child. Take turns, so that you read aloud to your child and your child reads aloud to you.
Why? In one study, a group of boys three years behind grade level gained an average of 1.9 years after just 7 hours and 30 minutes of reading aloud one-on-one with their teacher.
Read more: “What Are the Benefits of Reading Aloud?” from the Center for Teaching
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Reading strategy 2: Try reading the same books again and again
Have your child read the same sections from a book a few times in a row. Have her read the same sections again the next day.
Why? Three reasons: Repeating what they read improves children’s understanding of those sections. It also helps them better understand whatever they read next. Finally, once a child perfects one section of reading, she has more confidence as a reader. A child who is a confident reader will want to read more!
Read more: Make bedtime reading more effective
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Reading strategy 3: Try making it a game to improve reading skills
Use a timer to track how quickly your child reads out loud. (But only if your child wants to! Timing a child’s reading should feel like a game, not like extra pressure.)
Why? Children who can measure how their reading is improving become excited to read more and try even harder passages.
Read more: The power of “yet”
3 strategies to improve your child’s reading
Try these strategies at home to help your child become a better reader.
