Learning to read is hard work. Trying to help support your readers during this time is even harder. Most of you were not trained to help the young child learn to read, but now, here you are trying to support and encourage them. It’s also challenging because you’re their caregivers, and we all know that they keep their best behaviors for you. So, during this unusual time, I’ve thought of a few key ideas or thoughts on how to best serve you and your child when helping support them as they begin to read. Keep it light-hearted and as fun as you can. A big part of your support during this time is keeping your child motivated, and, keeping the momentum going. Motivation is a huge factor when young children are learning to read, your work is to keep that going will help your child.

First, ask yourself if you or your partner (if that’s an option) is the best fit for supporting your child. I know that I could not support my daughter when she was an emerging reader, but my husband was able to do so without any push back. Then, keep some of the following ideas in mind:

• Find a cozy, relaxed space and smile. Welcome your child to this time and find a time when you will not be interrupted.
• Find a book that is a little bit hard for your child (we call that within their Zone of Proximal Development). This means there should only be a couple of new words on the page that your child does not know to limit the frustration.
• Know that some of the biggest ways that you can help your child continue this reading movement, is to keep them motivated and excited about what they are doing.
• Be kind and gentle with your corrections, non-emotional. Remember: many of you were not trained for this and your child is not used to you teaching them! English is a hard language to learn to read, there are so many rules.
• If your child is sounding out a word, for example ‘cat’, help them break it down: /c/ /a/ /t/. Then say the sounds closer together: /c//a//t/. Then all together: /cat/. /cat/ “The cat lays on her back waiting for her belly to be scratched.”
• If they read the word ‘scrape’ as ‘scrap’, you can say: “I see there’s an ‘e’ at the end of the word here that makes the word say ‘scrape’.” Put the rule they need to work on in the back of your mind for later. Touch on it before reading the next time: “Ooh, look, here is another word with an ‘e’ at the end. It’s going to make the word say ‘flake’. Can you find another word with an ‘e’ at the end?”
• If there is constant push back, let it go. Try something completely different to break the struggle, no one is going to read if the focus changes to winning a power struggle. Maybe go and find a recipe to cook or bake something. Go outside for a walk. Go in the bathroom and give yourself a break to regroup. Make a cup of tea.
• Change it up, you don’t always need to read only books. Try “I spy”, but you write the clue. Try an outdoor scavenger hunt. Try to find words in the newspaper or magazines. Make up a word BINGO with words they know. Introduce them to comic strips.
• Encourage your child to set up an audience with people, dolls, or stuffed animals and let them be the teacher to read to them.
• Let them read more challenging books to a younger child, the younger child doesn’t know if what they’re hearing is wrong.

I think the biggest thing to remember right now is that this is not a normal time. We need to try and have a little more patience and release ourselves and our children from normal expectations. If they are finding comfort in reading a book that’s way too easy for them, think about why they may be doing that. Are they finding comfort and support in something they can rely on? Are they finding it reassuring to read something that’s easy in a time that is not? Maybe they just want to connect to a familiar character. Release yourself of the expectation that this time has to be used to produce a fluent reader. Enjoy the cuddles and snuggles that are a product of your child wanting to practice reading. And as always, take deep breaths and stay healthy.