If you know a child with a reading difficulty, you want to help them as much as possible.If you can, try to have the child tested before you work with them to improve their reading or ask someone who knows about where they struggle.You can target your approach to what the child struggles with.Children with disabilities often struggle in three areas, but you can help them grow and learn by engaging them in fun and interesting activities.
Step 1: Listen to sound recognition games.
It's more difficult to spell and pronounce words if you don't know how to distinguish sounds properly.Basic listening skills can help a child with a learning disability, such as dyslexia, develop a better understanding of how sounds affect words.The process helps kids sound out and recognize words they've heard before when they see them for the first time in writing.Put items, such as coins, sand, leaves, and buttons, in boxes and ask the child to identify what's in them.Do you think it sounds soft or hard?Do you think it's metal or plastic?How many buttons do you think are inside?It is possible to have them close their eyes and identify sounds.You can either record the sounds or play them for the child.
Step 2: There are 44 sounds in English.
You can put the basic letters on one side and the sounds on the other side of the English language.Your child will be able to sound out bigger words with this technique.You can find a list of these sounds at www.dyslexia-reading-well.com.A "Z" sound is made with these letters or letter combinations.You can hear the sound of his, fuzz, buzzard, scissors, and craze.Don't be afraid to give the flash cards to the older kids if they struggle with this issue.
Step 3: Work on rhyming words together.
The child can identify rhyming words even when they are spelled differently.The child can take the pressure off by making it into a game.You could ask the child if they rhyme or not, and give them 3 words.Do you chat, fate, and rhyme?Do people rhyme?You can ask the child to come up with a rhyme that rhymes with the cat.Is it possible to come up with 2 words that rhyme with feat?
Step 4: Alliterative sentences are made together.
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the beginning of a word.Making up silly sentences together makes the challenge fun and helps the child work on word sound patterns.You could say, "I'm going to make a sentence that repeats 'M' at the beginning of words: Molly made magnificent mango marshmallows."Encourage the child to try one.
Step 5: Rhyming books and poems are read together.
Rhyming books can be used to teach kids about words.The child's reading skills are increased by that.If you can't read it to the child, have them say it back to you.You can rhyme with the child.
Step 6: When the child does well, celebrate.
Children can become frustrated if they feel like they are being corrected all the time.When the child makes progress, take time to celebrate.They know that you value their hard work.Say "great job!"When they make a mistake or sound out a word on their own.
Step 7: The child should put the alphabet in order as soon as possible.
Learning how the alphabet works can help later on.The child should be encouraged to sing the alphabet song and put it in order.You could use magnetic letters or cards with the letters on them.The child should put them in order as soon as possible.Singing the alphabet song with the child will help them figure out where the letters aren't quite right.As you sing, you can point to letters.
Step 8: Shapes can be used to work on the sequence.
When it comes to letters and words, sequence is very important.The pressure can be taken off with the help of shapes and other things.The child will think they are having fun and not learning to read.Draw 3 simple shapes on a piece of paper.To hide the card, show the shapes to the child.The child should draw the shapes in order.The child can use the single shapes on the cards to show you the order.You could use construction paper to cut shapes.Adding color to the shapes increases the difficulty.
Step 9: The child can tell stories from the pictures.
The child will be asked to put the pictures in order.It's a way of helping the child see a logical order.Ask the child to take 3 pictures and make a story out of it.They can tell you the story.The child should be encouraged to use transition words.They should say, "First," "Next," and "Then."
Step 10: Say words around you as much as you can.
Say the words out loud or ask the child to say them.The child should read the menus.Wherever you go, make reading a primary part of your life.It is possible to focus on the sounds the child is learning.If the child is working on words that begin with "T", it is a good idea to point out the signs that say "Tree Parkway" and "Tomato Lane".Older kids who are struggling to break words into syllables can benefit from this technique.The child can hear and see where the breaks are if you sound out big words slowly.
Step 11: The child should write letters to friends and family.
Encouraging the child to write letters or emails can encourage them to practice.Kids love getting letters in the mail, and writing a letter to someone usually means they will get one back, which is a great incentive.The child should work on the letters on their own.They should be encouraged to sound out words on their own.Write out thank you cards, notes, or a family newsletter to model this behavior.You can write with your child.
Step 12: As the child grows, encourage them to use dictionaries.
Some kids will struggle with spelling.They should still be able to express themselves in writing, even if they don't know how to spell.Even though some kids may hesitate to write if they think they can't spell properly, there are ways to help them get their ideas across and work on spelling at the same time.
Step 13: Speak loudly to the child.
One of the best ways to help the child is to read with them.They will hear you say words while they follow along with their eyes, and they will pick up sight words without even realizing it.The child doesn't have to struggle so much if they read aloud.They become more interested in reading on their own.You are right there to answer questions.As the child gets older, encourage your kids to read on their own.The more they read, the better they are.
Step 14: Pictures are made out of sight words.
Sight words don't follow normal patterns.Kids need to memorize them, but the child may have difficulty with that.A picture of a word can help solidify it.Draw eyes on one side of a card while writing the word "look" on both sides.Use the picture side of the card to practice.If the child gets the idea, move to the other side of the card.
Step 15: Make vocabulary practice fun by playing word games.
The child can pick up on proper spellings from any game that uses words.Concentration, hangman, and bingo are some games you can try.The child is learning new words.Scrabble or Bananagrams are good games for older kids.The child can play word games online or on a phone.
Step 16: Talk to the child everyday.
Children absorb knowledge from you like sponges, and when you include new words in what you say, the child will pick them up.They will connect the words you're saying to what's written on the page.Silly stories can be fun to tell with new words.You will have the child's attention and they will be learning.
Step 17: Older kids should be taught roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Start by looking at the way a single word changes."connect" is a word that can be taken like that.Ask the child questions such as, "I connect with you today."If it happened yesterday, what would the word be?It's connected.You can ask a question about each prefix or suffix that changes the word.The child can see where the root of the word is if they build a list this way.To help solidify the concept, work on different words.Younger kids can be a bit overwhelmed by learning the units of words.Older kids who are struggling can use the units to figure out the sounds and meanings of words.If you want to make a memory game out of flash cards, your child has to match the prefix or suffix with its basic meaning.