How to Use Sight Words to Make Your Child Love Reading

As a parent, you have probably heard of “sight words.” However, you might not have an idea what it means, especially if you don’t use it for your child. Sight words are read every day unknowingly because they are “the,” “he,” and “where.” 

Parents know how important it is for their children to develop a love for reading. However, this isn’t the easiest thing to teach. There are many children who grew up who didn’t foster a love of reading. However, there are many things a child can learn from reading; hence, it’s important. 

An effective way to motivate your child to read is through sight words. When your kid learns sight words, they don’t need to spend time trying to understand high-frequency words. In turn, these words will help improve their fluency in reading and make the process even more fun! 

When to Teach Sight Words

Some children master sight words by the time they’re four years old. And when they get into kindergarten, they learn more, up to 50 sight words. However, don’t be discouraged if your child is four and isn’t ready yet to learn these words. Some children actually become ready to learn by five years old or even older. 

To know when to teach your child sight words, you need to recognize the signs. Children will show an interest in books or start to recognize some or even all the letters. You should also be on the lookout for their eagerness to read as this is the best time to teach them these words. 

On the other hand, if your child isn’t there yet, don’t put too much pressure on them and yourself as well. It’s a process that takes time. Also, it’s crucial that you keep in mind that all kids are unique and learn differently—at their own pace!

If you get started teaching your child sight words, but they don’t seem interested, don’t lose hope. You can try some simple and fun approaches to introduce sight words. Make it fun by playing games and other similar activities to engage your child. It’s also a great way to bond with your young one.

If your child is struggling, remember that there’s available help, which means you can ask teachers and even a tutor to help you in teaching sight words. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child—so, don’t be afraid to seek help. 

Here are some tips for using sight words: 

• Start slow: When introducing sight words, start slow with 3-5 words. Should you sense your child is overwhelmed, match their pace and reduce the number of words. Once your child recognizes the words on sight, that’s when you start to add more.
• Involve the senses: Get as many of their senses involved in the process as much as possible. You can do this by saying the words every day, writing them on a bright notecard, or using whipped cream to involve their sense of touch. 

Conclusion

Sight words are one of the most effective ways to make your child develop a love for reading. Use this information to use these words and make your child read more. 

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