Perhaps one of the most rewarding parts of being a parent is teaching your child how to read.The teaching process has a set number of rules which parents can follow in order to make the process a success.
Phonics is currently the recognised method of teaching reading in the UK.It is defined as knowing that the letters and the sounds they make have an association with each other.Just like a jigsaw puzzle, as the child becomes confident witsingle letters they then become able to piece the letters together, understanding short words and phrases. The process may be simplistic but it can be quite challenging for many young children.Despite there being 26 letters in the alphabet the sounds they make total 44. For many children this is where the confusion starts.
Learning Phonics
When your child starts learning to read with phonics they will initially learn the sounds made by each single letter. This letter may be presented alone or as part of a word which will always be shown with a picture.In example, the sound that the letter “c” makes in the word “cat” or “p” for “pig”.The child is then taught how the sounds can change depending on the other letters used in the word.So for example, the letter c makes a specific sound when used alone, but when used as “ch” makes a completely different sound.Eventually, when the child is able to use phonics, they will be able to decode new words and see the link between the letters, sounds and the words.
For many children, learning to read with phonics starts at school age You can start the learning process at home if you feel your child is ready so don’t feel that you have to wait.There are plenty of fun phonics books available to buy so you can start teaching your child how to read at home.Look out for brightly coloured books with the letters and sound printed in a bold typeface.As would be the case in school, give your child plenty of time to practice and understand. Don not rush them.