Teach children to sound out words

Teach children to sound out words

Teach children to sound out words : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

Familiarity with word sounds forms the foundation of young children’s reading ability. When they know how to sound out words, children will find it easier to read. Sounding out words is taught in school, but it can be beneficial to teach your child how to do it before he even goes to school. Teaching a child to sound out words is a long and difficult process, but here are some tips.

• Start with simple words. Simple words are short, one-syllable words. It is best to choose words that the child often uses, sees, and hears so that he can easily make an association. For instance, you can use milk, eat, drink, dog, cat, and book.
• Introduce the letter sounds. Before you teach the child word sounds, it is important that he knows how each letter sounds. You can teach him the letter sounds in a variety of ways. For example, use alphabet flash cards. As you hold up a flash card, say the name of the letter and its sound. Say “ah” for A, “buh” for B, “kuh” for C, “duh” for D, “i” for E, and so on.
• Sound out the words. Your child will learn by actually hearing the sounds of the words. So pick one word, write it on a piece of paper, and sound it out. It is important to point to the letters of the word as you make each sound. This way, the child can associate the sound with each letter. Remember to enunciate the word clearly so that he can easily pick up the sound. Do not forget to ask the child to repeat the word.
• Teach him long words. When he shows readiness, introduce longer, multi-syllabic words to your child. However, be sure to break the words down. For example, break down the word pineapple into three parts: pine-ap-ple (pahyn-ap-uhl). Sound out one syllable at a time, and when the child is ready, sound out the entire word.
• Make sure the child knows the meaning of the word. Do not assume that because the child can successfully sound out a word, he knows and understands what it means. Most likely, he does not. So remember to define what a word means by using pictures and actions. The ability to associate the word with its definition will make the child a better reader.
• Encourage the child to practice. Every time you encounter a word you studied together, point it out to your child and ask him to sound it out. At first, he may recognize only the first letters of the word, but be sure to help him along and sound out the entire word. As you continue to practice, the child will gradually recognize words and be able to sound them out.

Remember to be patient. There will be times when you will get frustrated, especially if your child seems to learn at a slow pace. That is okay. You have to understand that learning to sound out words is a difficult process for a child. Take it slow and allow your child to learn at his own pace.