8 Easy & Helpful Tips To Teach Your Child To Read

 I recently had to prepare my daughter for kindergarten, and wanted to share a valuable list of tips that I learned along the way to help teach children how to read.

Make sure your child has a strong knowledge of the alphabets 
This is the foundation of having a successful reader, and can determine how quickly your child begins reading. Review the alphabet daily, practice saying their sounds, and let them spend time writing their letters.

Read to your child 
Getting your child to read is a process, but reading to your child will instill a love for books, and you can also enjoy bonding and spending time with your little one. Be sure to ask questions as you read, this is a great way to encourage your child to interact with the story and assure they comprehend what you're reading.

Make reading apart of their environment
Hang up posters of site words, or place review words on your fridge, and always encourage them,even when they are able to read more independently.

Load up on books 
Keep a variety of books in your home that you and your family can enjoy. There are so many genres and types of books to rotate or read aloud with one another. This is especially great to do when they are able to read more independently.

Always make learning and reading fun
Be creative with the character's voices, get props for your story, just have fun. It's practically impossible to get kids interested in doing something if they're not having fun! Children are more willing to listen and try new things when having fun, this is always a opportunity for learning.

Give your child note cards 
Note cards provide a simple and effective way to review new words, and learn to read short sentences. This can help younger children with word recognition, and they are also easy to use to quiz your child, and play learning games with.

Read to your child daily 
Daily reading helps improve listening skills and literacy skills. Taking 20- 30 mins out of your day to read to your child helps prepare your child for kindergarten.

Pick up a book 
Be the example you wish to see in your children. Showing your child the importance in reading is as simple as reading! Children may read at an early age, but their fascination for reading can quickly fade if not modeled in the home. Make a conscious effort for your children to see you reading a few minutes each day.

9 Tips for Single Parents

Raising a child can be difficult at times, as parents we are expected to nurture, care, and provide for our children, but what do you do when things seem like it's too much or just difficult. 

 So, I created a list of tips that can be beneficial in challenging situations.


Always Make Time for " Me" Time 

Your career, family, kids, and friends, but where exactly does that leave time for you?

Always put time aside to do something for you; this gives you the opportunity to be well rested and more responsive and fun when you're spending time with your family.

 Stop Worrying About Everything

Looking back, it is almost comical how scared I was when I first began raising my children. Since time has passed, I've learned that with parenting there will always be something to worry about. It's always best to focus on the solution than to worry about your problems. You're only magnifying your stress , and blocking your chances of a clear and confident decision.

Get Organized 

Getting organized simply makes it easier to get things done. A lot of the times we run late, or lose items, and cant even make room for new things. Getting organized eliminates the headache of malfunction and messes.

Multitask 

I've noticed as a single parent there will always be something to do, an errand to run, and a bill to pay....but when you multitask you get things done a lot quicker!

Multitasking has recently become big in my household. I love cooking but I hate to clean up the mess, so instead of avoiding the dishes, I clean while I cook. When dinner is done my kitchen is clean!

Develop a Routine

Shockingly, kids like routine. I wasn't really dominant for developing a routine when I first had my children, I honestly didn't think they needed a schedule since either of them was old enough for school (Young Mom & Dumb Thinking). Recently, I've learned children respond better to a routine, it give them a sense of security and helps them to develop discipline. Also, this is great time to make room for some "me" time. Do you know how me sessions I missed out on?

Be Consistent in Making a Connection 

Find ways to spend time with your kids, listen to them, and pursue their passions with them. This will open up the doors to make plenty of connections and build long term and strong healthy bonds with them. 

Link Up With Other Parents

There are plenty of great online communities that offer places for parents to get free advice online, get access to articles about raising healthy children, and getting involved in your local parenting community. Linking up with other parents makes it easier to find other resources and people that can assist you with your parenting concerns, and can also open the door for a long-term friendship with both parents and children.

Avoid Getting Burnout 

This was a common issue I faced as a young parent and new mother. I constantly found myself trying to be Supermom. After the will power wore off I was just so tired, cranky, and falling more behind. 

When you get tired, rest, it's always best to take time to meet your body needs and go back to things well rested with a clear head.

Be A Role Model
Parenting didn't get easier until I understood the best foundation for a parent is to be a role model. Setting an example for your child is key!



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Plants Need Love Too

We all start as a seed—singular, tiny and beautiful—with hopes that we'll eventually grow into that accomplished flower.

As a seed plummets into Earth's soil, we are left with three decisions:

Do we let our dream, their dream, grow? Do we give them the tools to do something that no other plant has dared to even venture? Do we, inspire?

If we nurture, water and feed abundantly, the seed will then grow into that prosperous plant.

But as we hesitate like turtles to find an answer, the problem metastasizes and the seed is then drowning because of too much water.

Mal-nourished, forgotten and abandoned, the seed won't grow, won't transition into that unique color it so desperately wanted to flaunt.

You must decide whether or not a seed will grow. You must decide whether or not you want your child to blossom.

It all begins once your child enters his/her home for the first time.

What if I told you, you've only got 18 years to mold this now tiny seed into a well-rounded adult? Why 18 years? Well, within this time frame your child will be developing their own persona, their personality. Your job is to guide them in the right direction, so that by their 18^th birthday they know the right way to act, that manners come second-hand, and that your opinion does matter, especially to them.

Try to be positive and reassuring…it's contagious.

You don't have to be a botanist to know whether or not your child, the seed, is growing in a proficient manner.

There is a time period where children will garner the tools to someday build a country( and that time period is within those 18 years). Those tools are being bestowed from your callused fingers. The fingers that are full of soil, the chipped nails that no manicure could fix, and even the sweaty palms that are carrying the future to the pot where your seed will then grow.

It takes work growing the once tiny.

But then again, what doesn't?

Mitch Galloway’s Bio

Mitch Galloway cannot ride a bike without handlebars. He can’t swim… well, fly like birds or sing like fergie. Mitch, even hates roller coasters (he’s, believe or not, afraid of heights).  But there is one thing he can do, and that it pertains to writing.

Mitch has written for local newspapers, online websites and is currently the editor of his college paper (The Echo). Mitch loves writing and he believes writing loves him, too. So please critique him, enjoy him and read him—he hopes you enjoy his one talent.  

Contact me:

Email: mgalloway@olivetcollege.edu

Phone: (517) 677- 3998