The basic building block of any language is the alphabet. Help your child memorize the look and sound of each of the letters by singing ABC songs. Start by singing the basic ABC song taught in kindergarten. As your child sings the letters, point to the corresponding letter on a letter chart on the wall. She will connect the pronunciation of the letter with the look of the word. Buy educational music CDs that focus on the alphabet. These CDs will have a range of memorable songs that help teach your child the alphabet. Listen to these CDs as long as your child is focused on them. If she gets bored, move on to a new activity.
The reading day activity will help your child learn pronunciation. Pick a day of the week on which you read to your child for hours. If you child can read, let him read back to you.. While you are reading, have your child repeat the words along with you. This gives him experience modeling the sounds of the words just as he hears them. Correct him gently when he makes a mistake and give him a reward, such a piece of candy when he gets 10 words correct. While he is reading, lightly correct his mistakes simply by stating the word to him. The level of the books reading skill should be appropriate for your child's age and development. Don't pick a book that he can't read or understand.
This activity is useful for learning pronunciation and word meanings. It can also be used to help children memorize the looks of the words. Get your child's vocabulary words from her teacher and write them on flash cards. Draw a picture of the word on the back of the card. For example, if one of her words is "cow," draw a cow on the other side. Write the definition of the word underneath it. Show your child the picture of the word. She must spell the word and define it. If she does it correctly, she earns a point. Do this activity every day and keep track of the points. If she earns a certain number of points, such as 50, reward her with her favorite meal.
Phonics is the study of the sounds made by letters and letter combinations. Write a list of common phonics letter combinations on a piece of paper. These sounds should be picked from whatever phonics your child is studying currently studying. Pick an instrumental melody that you and your child enjoy. Help him make a song using the phonics syllables. Try to integrate each sound into the melody in a repetitive manner so that the sounds ingratiate themselves into your his head. The song will be nonsensical but your child will always remember the song he wrote with you. Sing this song every day.