Learning to read must begin with a strong foundation of letter recognition. Children must understand that each letter has a sound, and those sounds work together to form words. Instead of drilling letters and sounds, parents can play games to help children learn about letters.
Make a simple bingo game with letters filling the spaces on each card, and then call letter names or letter sounds -- depending on what skills your child has -- to have her cover the spaces. Or try a letter scavenger hunt, asking your child to look for a specific letter on packages around your house or on signs as you drive in the car.
Another important component of reading is being able to hear the differences in sounds of words, or phonemic awareness. Rhyming is an fundamental skill in learning to read as children learn to play with sounds and recognize how words sound similar. Nursery rhymes are a great way to practice this ability because children are able to memorize them and begin to discover common word patterns. Challenge your child to list as many rhyming words as he can as you walk through the grocery store. Sing songs with rhyming lyrics, giving your child another chance to practice rhyming.
Perhaps one of the most important things parents can do to help their children learn to read is simply to read aloud to them. Children need to hear a variety of stories often, and it is best to make time for reading to your child daily.
As children sit next to a parent sharing a book, they are hearing and seeing the words in the book and beginning to connect meaning to the letters on the page. Look for simple, repetitive books that your child can begin to memorize and read along with you, or work together to make a book that is all about your child's interests.
Children must also have a large vocabulary before they are able to understand the meaning of the story they are reading. Parents can help build vocabulary in children by exposing them to a wide variety of experiences and outings so they are talking about new and different things.
Reading often also helps build vocabulary as children hear and think about new words they many have never encountered before. Use larger words as you talk to your child, letting him hear new words and gain an understanding of their meanings.