It is essential that your child reads at home as much as possible. Try to make time every day to read together. The more your child reads, the better their reading will become. Read stories to your child however old they are. Make this enjoyable by putting on different voices for the characters. Ask your child questions about what you have read to ensure they understand and get them to guess what will happen next. Your school will usually send home a reading book. Share this with your child as often as you can.
Have lots of different types of reading materials at home. Fiction and non-fiction books, magazines, newspapers and even comics and catalogs available at all times encourage reading. If your child sees that you enjoy reading they will do the same.
Be pleased and proud of your child when they make small steps. Don't expect too much too soon and praise every improvement. Telling your child that they are doing well, that you are proud of them and that they can do it will all make a huge difference to their confidence, which in turn will make a huge difference to their reading. Never criticize, humiliate or use put downs. This will make your child more reluctant to read and less inclined to practice.
Make reading fun for your child. Play word games whenever you can but make sure they stay fun. Point out letters in road signs when you are in the car and on shop fronts when out for a walk. I-Spy helps with phoneme (sound) knowledge. Play rhyming games to help your child build up knowledge of word patterns.
Books can be expensive. Use your local library to access a huge range of books on any topic. Visit with your child and spend time just wandering around and letting your child look at a variety of books. Let them choose. This will help to encourage an enthusiasm for books and hopefully explode any ideas that books are boring. Libraries often hold activity and story telling sessions; this will encourage a love of books and reading in your child.
Make sure you know what is going on with your child's reading at school. A quick word with their teacher or a note to share how your child is doing with their reading can be beneficial. Know what reading system the school uses so that you can use this at home. Using different strategies can be confusing for your child and may do more harm than good.
If you have any concerns that your child may have an underlying problem such as dyslexia, talk to their teacher as soon as possible. Arrange a time to do this and take along any evidence that you have. Write down questions that you want to ask. It is essential to work with your child's teacher and school to ensure the best outcome for your child.