How To Develop Reading Skills In Children

Reading difficulties can be prevented during early childhood. When introduced at an early age, reading skills can be achieved without much difficulty. Early intervention can prevent future reading difficulties in children. It is crucial that parents introduce reading to their children as early as possible – especially when they suspect that their children needs extra help in development.

Here are some tips on how to help children develop good reading skills at an early age:

* Introduce reading as an enjoyable activity. It should be highly motivating and not stressful for the children. Games and surprises should be part of reading activities. Children will be interested with something fun and enjoyable. When you introduce reading as simply a task that they should do because they have to, don’t expect any positive result.

* Parents should choose books and reading materials that are highly interesting, colourful and easy to understand. The choice of books should depend on the ability and age of the child. It should be something which they can relate to. Books should be written in big letters and with images.

* Children should be guided in learning the connection between spoken and written words. Strengthen word recognition to avoid problems with reading comprehension at the later stage of learning and reading.

* Allow the children to read more or you can read for them. A better reader is one who reads more. Fluency in the recognition of words can be achieved through constant reading.

* Introduce alphabetic principles. Let the children understand that words are formed by letters of the alphabet. Mastering the alphabet makes reading an easy task later on. Children should be guided to achieve familiarity of the alphabet and the sounds they represent.

* When children are already able to read independently, let them read on their own. It helps them develop their own reading strategies that will make reading and comprehension a lot easier for them.

When developing reading skills in young children, remember the principle of motivation. To encourage children to read at an early age, you need excellent motivational strategies. They will read when motivated.

It may seem to be a challenging task to teach children to develop reading skills at an early age; however, it will all be worth it. Early intervention in reading prevents future problems with reading. More adolescents today are facing reading difficulties. It could have been avoided if early reading intervention was done during their early grades.


With seventeen children's books currently in print, and with sixteen new books to be published in 2007, Marie Dunleavy is an accomplished children's books author. Her books and associated resources were originally developed for a differently abled child in her own family but are now used for children with special needs in classrooms in U.K. and Ireland. For more information about the resources, please visit http://www.pops-resources.com