Parenting is obviously not a cakewalk. It requires a lot of energy and patience to bring up a child. One of the most significant aspects while raising your child is to prepare them to learn the art of reading. Some children find it difficult to read, while some do not. Because learning to read might take a long time, it's never too early to start preparing your child. While learning to read is a significant achievement, the process must be enjoyable and interesting for the kid. Reading should be something that the kid enjoys and that he or she can utilise to expand their knowledge through books. If you are patient and make the learning process a pleasurable way to spend time with your child, he or she will have the highest chance of learning to read and like reading. The ideal way to teach most children to read is to focus on the major components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension).

The good news is that, while reading is a difficult process in and of itself, the methods required to develop these skills are rather easy and straightforward. Try these simple and time-tested ways to teach kids how to read and make it a happy and gratifying experience.

Read aloud to the kid

Every day, make reading a part of your routine. It's never too soon to begin reading to your child. Reading to infants has also been proved to increase language, literacy, and social skills while also promoting early brain development.

Use a vivacious tone 

The child's attention in the book will be maintained if the storyteller is engaging. Even if the child is too young to comprehend the story, your voice can portray joy, grief, rage, or a variety of other emotions, providing context for the photos.

As you read, point to each word

As you repeat each word, make sure the child can see your finger pointing to it. Even though he or she doesn't appear to understand the words, he or she will eventually notice that the squiggly lines on the paper correspond to the spoken words. You're not obligated to stick to the plot. You can pause and describe the sights or the character with extensive words and voices. This will also help to enhance the imagination of the child.

Inquire about the story with the child

While reading, take a break to engage the kid in the storyline. Keep the questions straightforward. If there is a dog in the tale, for example, you can ask the child what colour it is. This will assist the child in learning to understand the story more effectively, resulting in improved reading comprehension.

Build phonemic awareness through songs and baby rhymes

Nursery rhymes and children's songs aren't simply for entertainment; the rhyme and rhythm help children hear the sounds and syllables in words, which aids in their learning to read. Clapping rhythmically together and reciting songs in unison is a good approach to improve phonemic awareness (one of the most crucial skills in learning to read). This fun and bonding exercise is a great approach for children to acquire implicit literacy abilities that will help them succeed in reading.

Play games to help you memorise high-frequency sight words

Sight words are those that cannot be easily pronounced and must be recognised visually. Sight words with a high frequency of occurrence in reading and writing are known as high-frequency sight words (e.g. you, I, we, am, had, and, to, the, have, they, where, was, does). "See the word, say the word" is a good method for learning sight words. For young children to become fluent readers, they must learn to recognise and read sight words.

Give your kid some books

Having a large number of books to examine will help to start an interest in reading in the child. Board books and cloth books are great for infants and toddlers. These books will last longer than paperback or hardcover versions, and the thicker sheets make turning the pages easier for children. Take the child on regular visits to your local library. Go to the children's section and let the child pick the book he wants to read.

Make sure the reading area is calm, distraction-free, and inviting

Turn off any televisions or technological devices that could distract the child. Toys that can be too enticing to play with should be put away. Make the reading space comfy for your kid.

Be patient; making reading pleasurable is the best method to teach kids to read!

Every child learns at his or her own rate, therefore the most essential thing you can do is make learning fun for them. You can instil an early love of reading and offer your child the best opportunity at reading success in no time by reading consistently, mixing things up with the activities you choose, and letting them pick out their own books on occasion. 

Akshharam is an online Malayalam learning school that conducts online Malayalam classes for children of age groups 5 years onwards. Students in all classes receive individualised lesson plans based on their interests and language levels. Each learner is taught using the most effective manner, which is both interesting and participatory. Your child will benefit from all of the advantages of online learning and will become an expert in the Malayalam language. Incorporate Akshharam into your child's education and make reading a fun and lovely experience. With Akshharam, a Malayalam language reading class online, you can make your child equipped to perfection in reading Malayalam.