#Pinspiration: 5 Easy Tips for Teaching your Child to Read

My Benjamin is in 1st grade. He’s been having a tough time grasping reading and it’s been tough on him. He feels like he’s not as smart as his brothers, which KILLS me… but the thing with Benjamin is, I just have to alter my strategies with him while teaching him to read.

Recently I sat down with Benjamin’s teacher and asked her to give me some additional tips for helping Benjamin at home. She recommended making flashcards at home for him. Ben has a sheet of words that he needs to know before the end of 1st grade, so I feel good knowing that we have a plan in place.

I went on Pinterest to find some additional ideas for making flashcards at home and I got a great idea. All I had was index cards, Sharpies and scissors, so I didn’t want to make it too complicated. I then just expanded on it.

Here were my flashcards creations for helping Benjamin:

I got these ideas from this Pin on Pinterest:

These are my 5 Easy Tips for Teaching your Child to Read:

1) Create a “flip” book. This is great for teaching your kids how words can rhyme together – cat, rat, bat, hat, mat, etc. I love this technique because it really does show your child how words can easily be pronounced while seeing that they rhyme. Ben loves this!

2) Making flashcards, but letting Benjamin make them. Benjamin’s teacher gave me this tip and it really made so much sense. Benjamin had to write the word down and understand what he was writing. It’s easier them to learn and when you’re reviewing, it does help to see that they did it themselves.

3) Basic flashcards out of index cards. Easy. Doable. Practical. Love it. You get to pick your own words!

4) (If you have older children) Have your child sit down with his or her younger sibling to help them read. Sometimes it’s easier to have another child help a child.
It really does cut down on the frustration.

5) This one I love, I haven’t done this yet… but my mom used to do this with me when I was a child and learning to read. Create your own book! Sit with your child and create a masterpiece on their own with your help. Allow them to use words that they want!