How do you teach a child to read?

Beginning readers need to have strong letter and sound fluency skills.  Working with your child on alphabet, letter sounds, and words that rhyme will give them the building blocks they need to become strong readers. When teaching your child to read, show them how to separate the beginning and ending sounds of simple words. For example, the word cat. Emphasize the -c sound followed by the -at sound. Help your child to identify other words that rhyme with cat such as hat or pat. They can practice saying the first sound and adding the -at sound. When showing your child word flash cards, point to each letter as you sound it out and help them to practice sounding out the word on their own.  Early and frequent exposure to these concepts will ensure a strong foundation for literacy.