Determine the best time of day for reading work. According to the Manila Bulletin, most elementary-aged children work best between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but it can differ from child to child. Try different times of the day to investigate when the child is best able to focus and not become easily frustrated. West Virginia University research suggests eliminating distractions such as bothersome lights or noise.
Work on phonetics. Every letter of the alphabet makes a sound, and some children learn best by memorizing the sounds and putting the puzzle of sounds together to form words. Start with a few letters at a time, and focus on them until the child learns the sounds they make. When the child is successful, add in a few more letters and sounds until he knows them all. The Learning Disabilities Association states that as children learn to "crack the code" of phonetics they will be able to advance from simple words to more complex reading skills.
Start a collection of sight words. While some children embrace phonics, others are more successful with simple memorization. Start a child with 10 simple sight words, like the, at, go or dog. Write them on cards and put them on a binder ring or in a small photo album. Review the words often and add more as needed. Sometimes learning some sight words builds a child's confidence and propels her onward in her reading education.
Immerse a child in literature. Make reading books an activity that is done several times each day. While phonics and sight words help with small parts of reading, children need to know that these small pieces can be put together to create wonderful books of information and imagination. Reading books in their entirety will also help children with reading comprehension skills.
Make reading relevant to the child's life. Choose books that relate to what the child is learning. If learning about farming and agriculture, find some books about animals the child would be interested in. When reading books about the life cycle of a butterfly, place some caterpillars in the classroom to observe. Many students with disabilities have strong interests in specific areas, and teachers can motivate students to read by focusing on teaching reading in those content areas, such as trucks, kittens, tractors or music.