Learning to read doesn't have to be boring. And it is already known that the best way for children to learn is by playing. Let's see some simple games to learn to read that we can do at home, and also have a good time with them.
We have already seen in other articles such as "Tips to encourage reading" the benefits of reading for children. It is the basis of all their learning, and if they have a good reading base it will be easier for them to assimilate what they study and read.
When is the ideal age for children to learn to read?
It depends. Each child is different and has their own rhythm. There are children who learn earlier and others who learn later. Yes indeed, to achieve this you will need a certain command of the language. The guiding age for learning to read is about 6 years. But before that we can do exercises and games to facilitate their learning in a playful way.
10 Games to learn to read
Before learning to read we need to know the letters by themselves, the syllables, the phonemes (sounds) and their graphic representation (grapheme). And there is no better way than with lifelong games that can be done as a family. Never force a child to learn to read or he will catch a mania from the start. It must be something fun.
Let's see what are the games to learn to read.
I see I see
A classic of the classics. The game we played in the car when we went on long family trips and there were no tablets or mobile phones to entertain us. To adapt it to learning to read instead of using colors we can use things or people that start with a certain word or syllable. "I see I see ... a little thing that begins with the letter M". It has to be something that is within his vocabulary and the child can recognize through the stories and books that you usually read to him.
The higher your overall vocabulary, the easier it will seem to learn to read. For this you can use an extensive vocabulary and explain the words that he does not understand.
Signed letters
Another interesting game is to ask the child to represent the shape of a letter that we have decided. Start with the vowels that are easiest for them.
Alphabet soup
One way of learn by eating. Word searches are very popular with children because they entertain themselves and eat at the same time. You can ask him to form a word or let him choose the one he wants.
Crosswords
The lifetime. They need to have a basic reading level to be able to do them. We can help you by filling in some gaps so that you can recognize the words more easily.
Clay
Children love play dough. We can ask you to form a certain letter.
Scattergories
Or a similar version. We choose a letter and ask the child to write as many words as you can think of that begin with that letter.
Cards
Flashcards are a great resource for learning. On several cards write different syllables and ask the child to make words with them. When finished, say the word out loud.
What word does the letter have
Several words are written and the child is asked to identify something that they all have in common or to look for words that have a certain letter among them.
Palms and syllables
A game that amuses them a lot, is separate the words into syllables and at the same time touch the palms. MAR-GA-RI-TA, AR-BOL. They find it very funny. You can also do it by writing, and clap each time you put a hyphen to separate the syllables.
Members
Vowels are the letters they usually learn first. For this we can give you pictures or word cards that start with a certain vowel.
Why remember… reading has many advantages, but it should never be seen as an imposition.