What if your child is working to learn a list of sight words, and there are certain ones that they are struggling to master?
What do you do?
The best thing to have your child do is to analyze the word. Look at the word. Talk about the letters. What is the vowel? What phonics rules might apply in the word? Is it a single or multi-syllable word? Really pick the word apart and talk through what may be challenging for your child.
For example, take the word “would.” It sounds like it says “wood.” If they see that connection of what the word looks like and what the word actually sounds like, then it will give them a trick to remember that word. For example, you say “ou” says “oo” and the “l” is silent in this word.
You can also have your child visualize the word. Have them write in the air with their fingers and say the letters as they write. w-o-u-l-d. This way they are imprinting that word, what it says, and what the vowel letters are.
One last strategy would be to have your child say the letters as they write the word on a piece of paper. Back in the day, you may have experienced having to sit and write words 4 or 5 times. It seemed like an arduous task. You may have wondered how it was helping. But it really helps the brain recognize the words if you say the word as you’re writing it.
We hope this helps you guide your child in their reading journey!
Looking for more tips on helping your child become a confident reader? When children lack confidence in their reading ability, they often avoid reading and homework time becomes a battle. If this sounds like your child, keep scrolling and grab our free guide, 9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Child’s Reading Confidence.
