Teach your child to read in 10 easy steps....

Really, it doesn't take much.  OK it takes a decent amount of time, but the steps are not too difficult.  This is for phonetic reading, while all children do become sight readers by adulthood, they will have a much harder time in the 'middle' years if they do not have a good grounding in phonics.

1. Read to your child

Actually continue this step, simultaneously with all the others, forever!

Often folk wonder just what they should be reading to their children.  Truth is if you enjoy it who cares!  Though you need to watch for attention spans.  Keep the story appropriate in length.  And remember the most important part is YOU enjoying it.  If you dislike the book they will be getting the wrong impression about reading.  Namely that it is a chore.  (which it shouldn't ever be)

2.  Watch for readiness signs:

a. Taking books and 'reading' stories they make up to go with the pictures

b. Asking you to tell them what different words are

c. Pestering you to read to them, when you are trying to read to yourself.

d. Asking you to teach them to read

e. Reciting from memory a book.

 Once you see one or more of these proceed to step three.

3. Ask your kid if they want to learn to read 

If they say yes, proceed to step 4, if not go back and repeat. step one and two.

4. Teach your child simple letter sounds

a. Try websites like starfall.com 

b. There are multiple schools of thought as to whether you should teach both sounds of various letters, I vote no, simple is easier.  But I am not in your house and can't hear, so do what you like. (actually if you have an older child they will notice and complain that letters do not always make the simple sound, so you might want to teach more sounds faster.  Younger kids are pretty happy with simple)

5. Practice blending those letter sounds into simple words 

a. Begin with short words, such as: 'cat' 'top' 'ant

b. Move on to words with more letters, stick with basic sounds though like: 'truck' or 'plan'

c. you can just write these words on paper, or get a worksheet, or find them in stories as you read. (the cat in the hat is a great book, along with green eggs and ham for all kinds of simple 

6. Read with your child:

You can make up books, use Starfall.com, or borrow Bob books from the library, or borrow any easy reader.  Be warned not all easy readers are actually easy words, sometimes they just have one or two hard words per page.

7. Teach your child common sight words 

a.  Any word that makes no phonetic sense, like 'the', don't worry if you later find there is a phonics rule, kids love it when parents learn with them.

b. You can find these words by looking in easy readers, sometimes they will tell you they are sight words, sometimes you just know your kid cannot sound out the word with the rules of simple sounds they already have.

8. Teach fancier sounds

a. Relax, fancy names like 'diphthongs' are rather easy to understand, you after all can read.

Heres a fancy 'diphthong': ee, betcha you knew that said E...really they are all pretty easy, though you may need a word for context.  

b. You can either get formal program books, or just continue reading library books with your child, explaining rules as you find new ones. There are tons, but if you work with beginner books you will prolly find the same few cropping up.  Pick one to work on, fill in any words the kid doesn't know rules for. Stick with one rule or two until your kid generally gets them right in a word.  

c.  Keep adding to their arsenal of phonic rules.

9. Sit back and enjoy having a child read YOU a bedtime story instead of the other way around!

10. Go back and explain some words that make no sense, like 'colonel'  though if you fail and you have a 20 something year old who still thinks 'kernel' and 'colonel' are two separate military ranks it will be ok.

A few questions I have had from others.

Q: How old should my kid be?

A: Doesn't matter, the readiness signs are far more important than how long they have been on earth.

Q: I remember those signs years ago, now my kid is older can I still teach them to read?

A: Of course, but you might find more resistance to simple books, in which case get harder ones, but do still wait for them to agree they want to learn.  (unless you need another battle)

Q: Why don't you recommend  a formal program?

A: Several reasons, first if your child is younger or older than the typical age for a program you will have added frustration.  Either the games/extra practice will be too hard/too young.  Or the material will be too above or below their interest.  And second, if your kid asks you to teach them then decides they are not interested for a couple months you have this 'timeline' hanging over your head. Or you may find the lessons move to slow, or two fast, and you have wasted your money.

Q: Are there any books you can recommend?

A: Free ones.....Actually if you can get your hands on the Phonic readers for Saxon they progress nice and simply through basic sounds, sight words, and on to more complex sounds.

Or you could go with the Bob books, easier to find, but not as good IMO.  These only work for younger kids, once you get interested in more complex topics reading about 'Mom's film' feels like a waste of time.

ABeka has a few early readers, I have some old ones that I like, but I cannot comment on new ones.

Q: How long will this take?

A: Depends on the kid.  In general though it will take 5-20 minutes a day (age depending) until you suddenly realize your kid can read (nearly) any book they like.