Select a book that is interesting to the child. It can be fiction or non-fiction. Hold an index card under the words and follow them as you read. Be sure the child is following along with her eyes. Take turns reading sentences or paragraphs. Gently help with words that are difficult, but let her try on her own first. After reading for 30 minutes, ask her to tell the story back to you in her own words. This helps develop comprehension.
Let the child choose a colorful picture from a magazine. Cut it out, glue it on the top half of a blank piece of paper. Have him write a descriptive paragraph about the picture on lined notebook paper. Cut this to fit under the picture and glue it in place. Using descriptive words helps expand his vocabulary.
Select a passage from a book at or slightly above the child's reading level. Set a timer for one minute and record how many words she could read in that time span. Help her practice reading this passage every day without timing it. On the fifth day, time her again and record the number of words she could read. If she has been practicing every day, she should see progress.
Create a word bank with index cards and a small file. Put alphabetic dividers in the file, one for every letter. On index cards write words the student is learning to read. Select words from his spelling list or a book he is reading. Tape them in a prominent place in the house, such as the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. After he has mastered the words, let him put it in his file in the correct order. This reinforces his ability to learn difficult words, and builds confidence as he builds reading fluency.