Reading Tips

After you have looked at the general tips for learning language at home, here are some tips specific to the teaching of reading in Inuktut. These tips will help make your reading time as beneficial as possible:

• Read out loud together 

Reading out loud helps children hear the words in the book pronounced properly. Reading out loud also connects the letters and words on the page to spoken sounds and words. This is especially beneficial for younger children.

• Track the words with your finger as you are reading

Using your finger to identify the words you are reading helps a child with sounding out words and word recognition (both are important for reading).

• Read the same stories over and over

Children love repetition, as they can anticipate what comes next and see patterns in the language. Although it may be a little boring for older students, repetition is an important part of language learning for young children.

• Stop and ask questions about the story while you’re reading

Stopping to ask questions is a great way to assess if a child understands what they are reading. This will also provide natural opportunity to encourage oral skills, discuss concepts, practise new vocabulary, and strengthen understanding of what they are reading.

• Pick books that are at the right level for your child

If a child is having a lot of difficulty reading a page of the book that was chosen, then perhaps the book is too difficult. On the other hand, if a child can read a book with no mistakes, then perhaps the book is too easy. You need to select a book that challenges your child, but is not overwhelming. A child needs successes and challenges to continue learning. Look for books that cause children to pause and think, or make 1–2 small mistakes on some of the pages. This is probably the right level of book to use while practising reading.

• Gently correct mistakes and re-read entire sentences

When a child does make a mistake, make sure your corrections are gentle.  Then encourage the child to re-read the entire sentence (not just the word they got wrong).

• Positive feedback

As we mentioned in the general guidelines above, positive feedback and encouragement go a long way to help a child develop confidence with their reading.

• Teach children to hear the sounds in words

If you see that your child is having problems with a word, try to break the word down into its individual sounds. Children need to develop the ability to hear individual sounds in words, but this takes practise.

• Teach phonics at home (letter names and their sounds)

It is very important to know the sound of each symbol or letter. Your child needs to master this before they can read fluently. One way to practise this is to write out the alphabet together. With young children, you should practise the alphabet song often. You can also play phonics games where you point to a letter and they need to make the sound of that letter.