When we set out to teach our babies to read, it is not through rigorous drills and forced lessons that they learn to read.
It is exactly the opposite.
In fact, when we teach babies, it is just a game that we play with them throughout the day.
With a little creativity and a few tips, you can encourage your baby to read, too.
One of the most important rules in teaching babies is to not test them to see what they know.
Babies generally dislike being tested and prove this by answering incorrectly.
On the other hand, babies love to play games, especially with their parents, the people they love the most.
If you are interested in teaching your baby to read and curious to see what your baby has learned, you can use some of these techniques to encourage your little one to read for you.
It is important to remember to offer your child choices.
Give your baby two options and ask them to choose between them to reveal the correct answer.
If they seem disinterested or doesn't understand, you will need to play the game yourself in the beginning.
By modeling how the game goes, your baby will want to join in.
If you play the game and your baby answers incorrectly, gently and lovingly point out the correct answer.
Never tell your baby they got it wrong.
Instead, you can say, "Here it is! I found it.
" And then tell your baby what the word actually says.
oWhere is the word? - You can play this with babies that are eating solid foods.
Place two cards down and hide a small treat under one card.
You can use raisins, cheerios, or even the small M&M's.
Ask your child to find one of the words and when they correctly choose the right card, there will be a little treat there for them.
This game should be played only occasionally.
oPoint to the word.
- Hold up two cards and ask your little one to point to a certain word.
Babies that can't speak are able to play this game and demonstrate their ability to read.
oMatch it.
- Show your baby words of objects that you have around the house.
For example, you could use fruits or vegetables.
Once your child has seen these words regularly, show them the word and ask them to match the object to the word.
You can take a card that says banana and have your baby place the correct fruit on the correct card.
oPlay games with actions.
- Once your baby has seen action words, you can show your baby a word and give your baby an opportunity to demonstrate the action.
This is fun for words like clap, point, and sing.
These are just a few of the games you can play with your baby.
Do not play these games too frequently, as they will lose their appeal with your little one.
You also need to be sure to freely give to your child by telling them what words say.
Do not attempt to play these games until you have give your baby ample opportunity to read and master words.