Ten Ways to Support Your Learner's Reading at Home

One of the questions I hear most often from parents is: “What can I do at home to help my child with reading?”

The truth is, learning to read is a wonderfully complex process. There are children who seem to learn without much support, and many others who will not become skilled readers without explicit, structured literacy instruction. However, there’s a LOT you can do to support your child’s literacy journey in simple, everyday ways. Below are ten parent-tested, teacher-approved tips you can start using today. (And if you ever want more detail or resources, just ask—I love talking about reading!)

1. Read, Read, Read!

• Reading aloud is the single most powerful thing you can do at home. When you read to your child, you:

• Expose them to words and ideas they couldn’t tackle alone.

• Grow their vocabulary naturally.

• Keep reading fun and joyful.

Add silly voices, ask what they think might happen next, and talk about the story afterward. Let them see you reading too—whether it’s a novel, the news, or even a recipe.

For new readers, label everyday items around the house (table, fridge, door, lamp). These “environmental print” connections help kids start recognizing words in context.

• Let them see you read.  Whether you enjoy a good novel, the newspaper or the side of a cereal box, point out to your child what an important skill reading is as an adult and how much enjoyment it can bring to our lives.

• Read alongside your child, modelling smooth tracking of the text with your finger underneath (with them eventually taking over this job) and assisting/encouraging them as they begin to decode or automatically recognize words and use their skills to try to sound out new words.
  

2. Say Sounds the Right Way

When practicing letter sounds, keep them short and crisp. For example:

• Say /b/, not “buh.”

• Say /t/, not “tuh.”

  
  Adding an extra “uh” makes blending tricky. Imagine trying to read “cat” as /cuh/ /a/ /tuh/—it just doesn’t work!

3. There are words that we can "sound out"  and words that we cannot easily sound out at certain stages in our reading development.  Some words are predictable. These are called regular words, and include words like cat, van, picnic, stamp, etc. Other words are irregular, and they may be temporarily or permanently regular. Temporarily irregular words are only irregular because a reader has not yet learned the sound spellings in it. These include 

4. Break Words Into Sounds (Segmenting)

Help your child stretch words apart into individual sounds:

• “dog” → /d/ /o/ /g/
  This strengthens spelling and writing.
  

5. Put Sounds Back Together (Blending)

Give your child the sounds, then let them blend:

• /s/ /u/ /n/ → “sun”
  This builds decoding and reading confidence.

6. Track the Text

Model how to read left to right, top to bottom, smoothly. Encourage your child to point under the words as they read, and glide their finger smoothly along. Tracking helps kids focus and transition into fluent reading. 

7. Build Comprehension Early

Reading is more than saying words—it’s about understanding. Ask your child:

• What happened in the story?

• What do you think will happen next?

• Does this remind you of anything you’ve experienced?
   

  Even pre-readers can practice by “reading” pictures and making up stories.

8. Let Them Struggle (a Little)

Don’t rush in with the answer. Instead, teach strategies:

• Sound it out.

• Blend to the vowel, then add the ending.

• Cover part of the word and reveal slowly.
  The goal is for kids to feel successful and independent. (Tip: avoid guessing from pictures—real reading comes from letters!)

9. Stop and Check Meaning

Model curiosity when you hit an unfamiliar word: “Hmm, what does that mean? Let’s look at the picture or reread the sentence.” This shows kids that good readers pause and clarify instead of skipping ahead.

10. Create a Culture of Literacy

Talk about why reading matters in everyday life. Share your own memories:

• Reading road signs on family trips

• Following a recipe

• A favorite childhood book

These connections help kids see reading as both useful and magical.

📖 Remember: Supporting literacy at home doesn’t mean teaching your child everything on your own. If your child is struggling, it is not your fault. Reading to kids does not teach them to read. You can create a joyful, word-rich environment where they can grow.

“The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I haven’t read.” — Abraham Lincoln