5 Simple Activities That Will Improve Your Child’s Reading Skills
Guaranteed
Reading is an essential skill that lays the foundation for lifelong learning, but many children struggle to become confident readers. A key component to reading success is phonemic awareness—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sounds in spoken words. Here are 5 simple phonics activities that can help your child develop strong reading skills:
1. Heart Words
Goal: Teach high-frequency words that don’t follow regular phonics rules
Activity: Use Heart Words to help your child learn tricky words like “said” and “does.” Teach them to memorize these words by heart while also introducing simple key concepts about where the word breaks the usual sound rules. For instance, in “said,” the “ai” makes a short “e” sound.
2. Zooming In on Details
Goal: Improve letter recognition and correct common letter mix-ups.
Activity: Focus on specific letters your child struggles with. If they mix up letters like “b” and “d,” use finger tracing and hand gestures. For example, have them hold their hands up to form the shapes of the letters, with one hand representing “b” and the other “d.” This visual representation helps them remember the differences.
3. Using Decodable Books
Goal: Build systematic phonics and fluency.
Activity: Introduce your child to decodable books that reinforce phonics skills. These books typically feature a high percentage of words with predictable letter-sound relationships. Start with simple CVC words and gradually introduce more complex vocabulary as their skills develop.
4. Auditory Exercises (Sound Swapping)
Goal: Strengthen listening and mental flexibility.
Activity: Say a simple word like “cat.” Ask your child to switch the initial sound, e.g., change “cat” to “bat” or “mat.” Continue by changing middle or final sounds, e.g., switch “cat” to “cot.” This exercise builds their ability to mentally manipulate sounds, which is key to both reading and spelling.
5. Combine Reading and Spelling Exercises
Goal: Reinforce reading through writing.
Activity: After reading a story together, have your child do a dictation exercise where they spell out words from the text. This dual reinforcement of reading and writing helps solidify their memory of letter patterns and phonemes, making both skills stronger.
Make Learning Fun!
Engaging in phonics activities can be enjoyable for both you and your child. By incorporating these activities into your daily routine, you can help them develop the skills they need to become confident readers.
Ready to empower your Child?
If you’re looking for more personalized support in helping your child succeed in reading, we invite you to explore our FREE Reading Starter Kit, which includes additional activities and resources designed to boost phonemic awareness and reading skills.