In my experience as a classroom kindergarten teacher and an online reading tutor, learning to read is one of the most exciting milestones in a child’s early years. We love seeing the budding confidence as a kindergartener proudly announces, “I can read it myself!” However, for most kindergarteners, mastering reading skills takes time, practice, and the right approach. As a parent, you play a crucial role in supporting your child’s reading journey.
The best way to help your kindergartener learn to read is by focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension—the core elements of the Science of Reading. While apps and games can be helpful, nothing replaces hands-on learning, parent involvement, and structured instruction.
Here are 10 effective, research-based ways to help your kindergartener build a strong reading foundation.
1. Read Aloud Every Day
Reading aloud is one of the most powerful ways to develop your child’s literacy skills. It builds vocabulary, improves listening comprehension, and helps children understand the structure of language. Best of all, repeated exposure to books helps your child develop a positive attitude, and maybe even a love for reading!
Try these simple tips to make reading aloud engaging:
- Choose books with rhyming words and repetition. Books like Llama Llama Red Pajama, Sheep in a Jeep, and The Little Blue Truck are great places to start.
- Use fun voices for different characters. Your child will love hearing Elephant and Piggie voices in books like “Can I Play Too?”
Pause to ask questions like: “What do you think will happen next?” or “What do you like to do when you play outside like this character?” Taking time to make connections strengthens brain pathways for reading. - Encourage your child to point to words as you read. Your child will most likely memorize favorite books, which is actually very helpful! Repeated reading allows children to make connections and recognize common words.
Making reading a daily habit fosters a love of books and prepares your child for independent reading.
2. Build Phonemic Awareness with Word Play
Phonemic awareness—the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words—is the foundation for reading success. Before a child can read, they need to understand that words are made up of individual sounds (phonemes).
Try these fun phonemic awareness activities:
- Clap syllables together or have them put their hand under their chin to see how many times their jaw lowers in a word (e.g., “ba-na-na” = 3 claps or 3 times lowering their jaw).
- Play “I Spy” using beginning sounds: “I spy something that starts with a /b/ sound.”
- Have your child stretch out words into individual sounds. You can teach your child to tap out words by stretching out their left arm and using their right hand to tap each sound of the word on their arm from their shoulder to their wrist to blend words together. For example, in “dog” → /d/ (tap their shoulder), /o/ (tap their elbow), /g/ (tap their wrist), and then slide down their arm while saying the word “dog” smoothly.
Practicing these skills daily will help your child develop the ability to decode words when they start reading.
3. Teach Letter-Sound Connections
Once your child recognizes letters, it’s time to connect them to their sounds. This step is essential for decoding and early reading.
- Introduce a few letters at a time (start with common consonants like s, m, t, p and then move to vowel sounds). Once they have mastered a few consonants and vowels, they can begin reading simple, 3 letter words like /t/ /o/ /p/.
- Use multisensory techniques like tracing letters in sand or shaving cream.
Play letter-matching games with magnetic letters or flashcards. - Play word games, like the Alphabet Game, in the car by searching for letters on signs and license plates. Looking for letters from A-Z will help pass the time and make car rides educational!
Teaching letter-sound relationships in a systematic way helps your child understand how written words represent spoken sounds.
4. Make Rhyming a Daily Habit
Rhyming helps children recognize sound patterns in words, which strengthens phonemic awareness and prepares them for reading.
- Read rhyming books like Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss or Pig the Pug.
- Sing nursery rhymes like The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Down By the Bay, or The Wheels on the Bus and clap along. Connecting reading skills with movement will strengthen brain connections and help retention.
- Play “What’s My Rhyme?”—say a word and have your child come up with a rhyming word. It does not matter if they are nonsense words-the sillier the better!
These playful activities build a strong sound foundation for early reading.
5. Introduce Sight Words Gradually
Some words, like the, was, said, don’t follow phonics rules and must be recognized by sight. However, sight words should be introduced in small doses, focusing first on those that appear most frequently in early books.
- Introduce 3-5 new sight words at a time. Words like “the”, “you”, and “like” are a great place to start. Look online for sight word lists for kindergarteners and start to mark off words your child knows instantly.
- Use flashcards, word hunts, and brightly colored sticky notes to reinforce recognition. You can do a sight word treasure hunt, hiding sight words around the house or yard. When your child finds and says the sight words, they could earn a small “treasure”, which could be something as simple as reading a favorite book together!
- Before reading a book, give your child a few sticky notes with sight words that they can look for in the book.
Practice reading sight words in simple sentences: “I see the cat.”
The key is repetition in different contexts, helping your child store sight words in long-term memory.
6. Use Reading Games to Make Learning Fun
Learning to read doesn’t have to feel like work! Games reinforce reading skills in a fun, low-pressure way.
Try these simple literacy games:
- Alphabet scavenger hunt – Find objects that start with each letter sound.
- Word scavenger hunt- Hide words on sticky notes around the house.
- Word-building puzzles – Use letter tiles to form simple words.
- Word games– Play word games like Boggle, Bananagrams or Scrabble Jr.
- Bingo with sight words or phonics patterns (eg. words with an /o/ sound).
Play-based learning keeps kids engaged while reinforcing important reading skills.
7. Encourage Writing Alongside Reading
Reading and writing go hand in hand. Writing helps children connect sounds to letters and develop stronger reading skills.
- Let your child trace letters with their finger before writing. Use a variety of sensory materials like shaving cream, sand, or paint. Word to the wise-they will enjoy writing so much you may have to hide the materials!
- Encourage them to write their name, simple words, or short sentences.
- Use fun writing tools like sidewalk chalk, whiteboards, letter stamps, paintbrushes, or colored pencils.
- Have your child rainbow write, using different colors to write words, allowing them to practice letter formation and spelling.
Even if their spelling isn’t perfect, writing helps kids see how sounds and letters work together.
8. Use Reading Apps & Online Tools in Moderation
Technology can be a helpful supplement to hands-on learning, but it shouldn’t replace actual reading experiences. Some high-quality resources for early readers include:
- Starfall – Teaches phonics with interactive games.
- Epic! – A digital library with thousands of books.
- ABCmouse – Early literacy games and phonics activities.
- ABCya – Phonics games for young learners
- YouTube – Your child may enjoy hearing a read aloud from a famous celebrity. Seeing someone they admire share a love for books may spark their interest to read even more.
Use reading apps as reinforcement, but always monitor and pair them with real book reading and hands-on activities. Nothing replaces the interaction and quality time spent with parents!
9. Keep Reading Fun and Stress-Free
Learning to read is a process, and every child develops at their own pace. The key is to keep reading low-pressure and enjoyable.
- Praise effort, not just accuracy.
- If your child is struggling, take a break and come back to it later.
- Let your child choose books that interest them—even if it’s the same one over and over!
- Take a special family trip to the library for story time or just to pick out new books.
- Create a cozy reading nook with blankets, pillows, and favorite stuffed animals. Your child may love “reading” to a family pet or stuffed animal!
A relaxed, encouraging environment builds confidence and helps children see reading as an enjoyable activity.
10. Consider an Online Reading Tutor for Extra Support
If your child is struggling with decoding, fluency, or comprehension, an online reading tutor can provide personalized, research-based instruction. You do not have to wait until your child falls behind in school to get support!
Likewise, if your child is already reading above grade level, they may enjoy an extra challenge to boost their reading skills.
- One-on-one attention tailored to your child’s needs.
- Structured lessons based on the Science of Reading.
- Engaging, interactive activities to keep learning fun.
A skilled tutor can help fill in learning gaps, boost confidence, and support your child in becoming a strong, independent reader.
Final Thoughts
Helping your kindergartener learn to read doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By incorporating daily reading, phonemic awareness activities, and structured phonics practice, you can set your child up for success. Remember, you are the most important part of your child’s reading experience!
- Keep learning fun and interactive.
- Be patient—every child progresses at their own pace.
- If extra help is needed, consider an online reading tutor for expert guidance.
At Savvy Learning, our expert reading tutors specialize in evidence-based instruction tailored to young learners. If you’re looking for additional support, contact us today to learn more about how we can help your child develop strong reading skills and confidence!
