When a child first begins to read, they will occasionally use the pictures in the book to fill in the words that they cannot read or may not understand. This is perfectly normal. Your child is not cheating.
Many parents worry that this is hindering their child’s reading abilities; some will even cover the pictures to make sure that their child is reading the words. You should not do that. What your child is doing is normal and necessary, and should be encouraged.
As a child advances in reading, they will need to fully understand the text by itself, but for a new reader, the visual cues are a great help to a child who is struggling with a word they are not sure of. As your child continues to advance their reading skills, they will rely less and less on the pictures and will starts sounding the words out when they are unsure of them.
Even adults who read fluently use a form of this method. When you are reading and there is a word you do not recognise, your mind looks at where the word lies in the sentence, and what the paragraph is about in order to get the context and hopefully make sense of the word. This is the same as a child who looks at the picture to understand the context.
When you are reading with your child and they struggle with a word, point to the picture to help them out. Then, move your finger back to the word. This will reinforce the relationship of the word to the visual.
Many parents worry that this is hindering their child’s reading abilities; some will even cover the pictures to make sure that their child is reading the words. You should not do that. What your child is doing is normal and necessary, and should be encouraged.
As a child advances in reading, they will need to fully understand the text by itself, but for a new reader, the visual cues are a great help to a child who is struggling with a word they are not sure of. As your child continues to advance their reading skills, they will rely less and less on the pictures and will starts sounding the words out when they are unsure of them.
Even adults who read fluently use a form of this method. When you are reading and there is a word you do not recognise, your mind looks at where the word lies in the sentence, and what the paragraph is about in order to get the context and hopefully make sense of the word. This is the same as a child who looks at the picture to understand the context.
When you are reading with your child and they struggle with a word, point to the picture to help them out. Then, move your finger back to the word. This will reinforce the relationship of the word to the visual.
