Reading to your child from a young age is one of the most important things you can do to help her master phonics, according to "Child Psychology." Once children learn the alphabet, they begin tracking words with their eyes, which helps them understand sounds and phonics. Try fill-in-the-blank reading. Read a sentence except for the last word, then have your child fill in the last word. Activities that make reading seem fun and adventurous rather than a boring part of learning give children an incentive to master phonics. Try instituting a family bookstore or library day once a week. Have a weekly outing to a park or ice cream parlor during which everyone gets to take her favorite book.
Shortly after children learn the alphabet, usually around age 3 or 4, they begin to understand that letters are associated with sounds in words, according to Weissbourd. When this occurs, they often begin asking their parents to spell words for them. Your child, for example, might write a note to you and ask how to spell mom, dog, cat and other common words. Rather than simply telling her how to spell the word, say the word slowly, emphasizing each sound. Try saying, "Let's sound out mom. Mmmmm, ohhhhhh, mmmmm." This teaches your child to break words into smaller components and to spell things out phonetically.
Children learn best when learning is fun and occurs in a normal, comfortable setting, according to the book "Einstein Never Used Flashcards." Try turning phonics into a game. Ask your child, "How many words can you think of that have a 'ch' sound?" Try saying, "The first person to name five words that start with 'th' gets to pick what we do this afternoon!" Online phonics video games are also an excellent teaching tool. "Child Psychology" explains that video games improve hand-eye coordination and are a superior teaching tool to rote memorization and drills.
There are a variety of "miracle tools" available such as videos and flashcards that purport to help children master phonics. These tools, according to "Einstein Never Used Flashcards," operate based on memorization and drilling. These strategies typically yield quick results that stagnate in a few days or weeks. In other words, your child might master a few phonics tricks, but mastering phonics and reading will be more difficult. Punishment, forcing children to read in time out and nagging are also unlikely to work.