The first day of school brings excitement, anticipation, and sometimes a few nerves. As children settle into new classrooms and routines, parents naturally focus on helping them adjust. However, there’s another important part of the back-to-school transition: making sure their reading skills are developing as they should.

For most children, learning to read is one of the biggest milestones of the early school years. Some children enter Grade 1 already reading confidently. If your child is one of them, keep building those skills through reading, writing and other activities that encourage language development.

One simple way to reinforce reading is through spelling. Writing in a journal, for example, gives children an opportunity to put their thoughts on paper while developing their understanding of how sounds and letters work together. While technology makes spelling easier with tools like spell-check, it doesn’t replace the value of learning to spell.

Pay attention to how your child sounds out words

When your child spells a word incorrectly, look beyond whether the final answer is right or wrong. Listen to how they are connecting sounds to the letter or letters that represent those sounds.

For example, if your child spells boat as bot, they have actually identified the sounds correctly. They may simply not yet know that the /ō/ sound in boat is spelled by the letters “oa.”

You can use moments like this for quick, encouraging instruction. Ask your child to listen for each sound in the word, then help them identify which letter or letters spell each sound in that word.

This may seem simple, but understanding the relationship between spoken sounds and written letters is fundamental to learning to read. Children need to develop the ability to hear the sounds within words and connect those sounds to letters and letter combinations.

Know the early warning signs

Children develop at different rates, but some signs deserve attention. If your child is struggling to recognize letters, has difficulty sounding out simple words, or consistently struggles with basic spelling, it’s worth taking a closer look.

A family history of reading difficulties can also be an important consideration. Your child’s teacher can provide valuable observations, but parents should also trust what they see at home. If you feel your child is falling behind despite reassurance that everything is fine, it’s entirely reasonable to ask questions and seek additional support.

At The Reading Foundation, we regularly work with young children who are showing early signs of reading difficulty. The good news is that early intervention can make a huge difference. Research has shown that struggling readers benefit from structured, explicit instruction designed to build the foundational skills they need.

Start the school year with confidence

Supporting your child’s reading doesn’t have to mean turning every evening into a lesson. Read together. Talk about stories. Ask about mental pictures while your child is reading or listening to a story. Encourage writing. Listen when your child sounds out unfamiliar words. Most importantly, make reading a positive part of everyday life.

For more information about The Reading Foundation:

Website: The Reading Foundation

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thereadingfoundation/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/the.reading.foundation/

 

Written by Dr. Steve Truch

This article is sponsored by The Reading Foundation