Reading With Your Child
You can help your child learn to read faster
Your child reads so slowly that even a short assignment takes a long time.
You can help him read more quickly … and still remember what he’s
read.
Here are some tips:
- Preview. Before he
reads anything, have him take a few minutes to think about what
he’s going to read. Have him look at the title, any subheadings,
and any words in bold type. Have him skim the first and last paragraphs.
Then have him tell you what he’ll be reading about.
- Don’t let his
eyes wander. Help your child train his eyes to move more quickly. Have
him move a 3" x 5" card below the lines of text to guide his
eyes down the page.
- Practice. Spend 15
minutes a day working on reading speed. Choose something easy and
interesting for him to read. Ask him to read a little faster than he
usually would. Keep track of how many words he can read in that time.
Try to build speed each day.
- Have his eyes checked.
Often, very slow reading is the result of eye problems that have never
been corrected.
Reprinted with permission from the April 2005 issue of Parents make
the difference!®
(Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2005 The Parent
Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: “Tips for Increasing Reading
Speed,” www.ababasoft.com/speedreading/w001.htm.