Improve reading skills | Fun games for your child

Most parents want their children to have good language skills. To that end, you might want your child to start reading early, so you buy books for them. But suppose your child finds it difficult to read individual words; it could be difficult for them to read whole stories. And might even discourage your child from picking up the habit.   

If your child avoids books, they might have trouble navigating through specific words. One way to strengthen the basics is by using games that make reading difficult words fun.  

Here are a few games you could play with your child to improve their reading skills.

Small words out of larger ones

An excellent way for your child to learn vocabulary and spelling is to give them a long difficult-to-spell word and ask them to make as many small words out of it as they can. Words like 'Encyclopedia,' 'Vaccination,' or 'Strawberry' are long and used often. You can also take turns and play with your child. 

Reading aloud in funny voices

You can introduce a short story to your child and have them read each paragraph in different voices and emotions. You can also participate or invite your child's friends to read along. Eventually, ask them to read in a different voice for each character; you can also participate in this.   

Enacting Stories

Introduce a storybook to your child or read along with them. Once done, have them act out the tale or put on a show on a weekend. Help them choose characters and dialogue; you can always join in if they are shy. 

Guess the word

Write a few words on different flashcards. Place them upside down on the table. Ask your child to pick one of those and see which word it is without letting you know. Now you can play the game of 'yes or no.' Ask your child ten questions to guess the word; all your child has to do is reply 'yes or no.' For instance, you could ask them if the word starts with a vowel or a consonant. To make this game more interesting, you can set a time limit too. 

Find the word

Choose any book, and pick a word from it that also has its synonyms mentioned in the same book. Now give your child the synonyms and challenge them to find the secret word. 

While playing any of these games, try not to be their instructor. The idea is to have a fun time where they can learn something. This will likely make them look forward to such sessions with you. 

Head to byjuslearning.com to learn more about our Active Learning approach to Math, Language, and Reading for children between Pre-K and Grade 3.