Building Reading Skills At Home - Student Resources

Building Reading Skills At Home

building reading skills at home graphic with mother and daughter excited to learn

Reading is an important activity that everyone can be involved in. Not only does it help to expand knowledge, but it can also be a ton of fun! If your child has no interest in reading, there are a variety of ways to help them start building reading skills at home.

It may be a challenge to encourage reading with reluctant readers or even ones who are frustrated by reading. We put together a list of tactics that can help build reading skills and inspire children to find enjoyment in doing so.

Here are some ways to build reading skills at home:

young girl reading her book

1. Offer Different Reading Options:

Be sure to provide your children with a variety of reading options. They may be more inspired to read books about certain topics or genres, as well as books of varying lengths. Having a few to choose from will give them the opportunity to explore their interests and find something they enjoy.

2. Set Aside Time to Read:

Setting time aside to read is great for anyone, any age! Show your children that it’s important to make time to read for fun by doing so yourself. Seeing you read will help to encourage their own reading and can even become a part of your family routine.

3. Read Aloud:

Reading aloud can be fun for the reader and the listener. Take turns reading aloud by using different voices and reading in an interesting way. While it may seem silly at first, this can help build excitement and curiosity for the story. It can even make the reading experience more fun and inspire them to read more on their own to get better at their story telling!

4. Use flashcards:

If your child is coming across words that are unfamiliar try using flashcards to help them understand the meaning or learn how to pronounce it. Knowing the meaning and pronunciation will help them read more fluently as they build their vocabulary and spelling skills.

5. Define Reading Goals:

Whether it’s learning 5 new words, reading a chapter book, or even reading 10 books over the summer, there are tons of ways you can set your reading goals. Talk with your child about different goals they may have and help them set these. You can even utilize this guide for goal setting.

6. Participate in Reading Challenges or Activities:

There are a variety of reading challenges online and at libraries, especially over the summer months. Many of these challenges can be done at home and even incorporated into reading goals. It’s fun for children to have something to follow along with and be encouraged to read. You can also do different activities such as acting out scenes of the book or having them draw their favorite scene to encourage them to think through the story in a new perspective. 

mother reads to her son next to stuffed animal

7. Ask Questions About the Book:

It’s beneficial to have discussions about the book before, during and after reading the book. This helps them get interested in the story before reading it and then keeps them engaged as they read the story. After the story concludes, it’s interesting for them to see what they learned or what they found most interesting from the book. Asking questions will keep engagement up and also get them thinking more analytically about what they read.

8. Join a Supplemental Reading Program:

Another way to build reading skills is to join a reading program that is individualized for your child. A program that considers your child’s comfortable starting point while continuously building their reading and writing skills. The Kumon Reading Program does just that and can be incorporated into your daily reading routine. There are also tons of Recommended Reading List options to take away the guesswork of books that accommodate your child’s skills best.

The Takeaway – Have Fun!

Most importantly, building reading skills at home can be a lot of fun! As your children begin to explore new books, learn new words, and strengthen their skills, they will develop more confidence and be inspired to read independently. The confidence they build from regular reading practice will help your child develop a lifelong love of reading!