Helping your child learn to read is the greatest gift a parent can offer a child. Here are some steps you can follow.

READ!
Set aside time every day to read with your child. Read to your child and have your child read to you. Read a favorite book over again. Point out repeated phrases or words that rhyme and have the same letter patterns. Have books available for your child at all times.

Invent Word Games
Point out words when you are out and about. Make up games in the car like asking your child to find the word "stop" as many times as possible. Look for words starting with "br" or "sh" while shopping in the grocery store. Find a word and think of actual words or made-up words that rhyme with it. Read billboards, bumper stickers -- anything with printed words is fair game for reading.

Show Relationships Between Words
Make lists of words that have the same beginning, ending or vowel combination. When your child is spelling or reading and has difficulty with a word, refer to the list. Say things like, "That word looks a lot like 'bat.' Try putting a 'c' where the 'b' is."

Teach Letter Sounds
Make the sound that is associated with a letter. Play guessing games where you make the sound and your child names the letter or letter combinations. For example, "RRRRRR" = r, "GUH" = g. Say simple words like "big," and have your child guess the beginning, ending or vowel sound in the word. When your child has a problem reading a word, help him sound it out. Say things like, "What letter starts the word? What sound does that letter make?" If your child can't spell a word, remind him to sound out the word. Say things like, "What sound starts the word? OK, write that letter."

Look for Small Words Inside of Bigger Words
The word fantastic has several small words in it, such as "fan" and "tic." Ask your child to find small words, pronounce them and then add the other letter sounds to make the big word.

More Tips
Let your child learn the alphabet early. Teach him the letters, capital and lower case, as soon as your child can talk and manipulate letter toys.

Buy letter stamps or stickers, markers or paints and letter sponges to add variety to your reading practice and to make it fun.

Making practice into a game will be more fun for your child and will help your child retain the lesson more easily.

Warnings
Know when to give your child a break. Your child knows he has difficulty in reading, and having to spend every minute practicing will frustrate and upset him.

Sources
http://www.cec.sped.org/ericec/ptips.htm, ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, "Tips for Parents"
http://www.cec.sped.org/ericec/princple.htm, ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, "The Principles for Reading"
http://www.cec.sped.org/ericec/ttips.htm, ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, "Teacher Tips"

About the Author Angela LaVelle graduated from Florida Atlantic University (U.S.A.) in 1995 with a Bachelor's of Education in Specific Learning Disabilities. She has taught students from daycare to middle school specializing in children with learning and behavioral disabilities. Now a mother of three, Angela researches and writes family and educational articles for Internet-based sites.