Reading Help—Simple Strategies for Creating Strong Readers

Does your child need reading help? The U.S. Department of Education has developed some fine materials for reading help. They state, "Without doubt, reading with children spells success for early literacy. Putting a few simple strategies into action will make a significant difference in helping children develop into good readers and writers."

Here is an adapted list of some simple reading help ideas that the U.S. Department of Education suggests can have a major impact on young readers.

Seven Reading Tips That Can Really Help

Reading well is at the heart of all learning.

Children who can't read well, can't learn.

  1. Invite your child to read with you every day. This is one of the best reading helps.

  2. When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read. This will help your child learn that reading goes from left to right and understand that the word said is the word seen.

  3. Read your child's favorite book over and over. Few reading-help strategies works as well as repetition.

  4. Read many stories with rhyming words and repeated lines. Invite your child to join in on these parts. Point, word by word, as your child reads along with you.

  5. Discuss new words. For example, "This big house is called a palace. Who do you think lives in a palace?"

  6. Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story.

  7. Read from a variety of children's books, including fairy tales, song books, poems, and information books.


Give reading help to your child. You can make a difference.