As adults we are immersed in a world full of text that seamlessly transforms into meaningful messages. The written word enables us to communicate with colleagues, family and friends, keep informed of current events and enhance and broaden our imagination. This experience of reading effortlessly requires a great deal of effort to accomplish. Children must acquire a complex set of skills and learn them in a systematic way to grow into lifelong readers.
Knowledge of alphabet, phoneme recognition, familiarity with a lexicon of frequently used words, and decoding skills all need to be learned before a child is able to read for information or enjoyment. For children with learning disabilities this already daunting task is even more challenging. Research-based online reading intervention programs by Essential Skills are designed to help beginning readers with activities that give them targeted practice where they need it most. More importantly, with bright colors, interesting sounds and engaging animations, it makes learning FUN!
Ways to Make Reading Fun
Play Games
Children are very social and are learning social skills as they learn the 3 Rs. For pre-readers, games that encourage phonemic awareness like guessing sounds, or making rhymes will encourage cooperation, taking turns, and being a gracious winner. These can be introduced as whole class activities and the reading skills can be practiced individually by incorporating early reading intervention programs.
Provide Options
Everyone has their own tastes and interests, and no one wants someone else’s choices forced on them. This is true for children, so your learning environment should be enriched with a wide assortment of books, magazines and other text. Fiction and non-fiction in an appropriate range of levels should be available for children to choose from. Research-based online reading intervention programs from Essential Skills give kids a choice of leveled, high-interest reading material that is scaffolded and presented in a fun format that keeps kids reading.
Appeal to All Senses
Just as everyone has their own interests, each student has a unique learning style. Teachers should be sensitive to this, and classroom resources should reflect it. The early reading intervention programs from Essential Skills offer something for every child.
Bright colors and bold designs will appeal to visual learners. Auditory learners will respond to read aloud, music, and singing songs. Tactile learners do best when using manipulatives. Keyboarding can help kinesthetic learners remember what they’ve learned. Essential Skills programs include typing activities to reinforce every skill. Since these programs can be used individually or blended with group activities, they can appeal to both social and solitary learners. By blending stimuli and methods of delivery, all children can find your classroom to be a happy place to learn.