15 Ways to Help Your Child Learn to Read + Free Sight Word Printable Flash Cards

Learning to read isn't as simple as enrolling your child in a Dr. Suess boot camp where they come out flipping pages in Little Golden Books. It's a process that begins alongside language development and starts in the womb.

Fun fact: The phrase "mother tongue" comes from the fact that babies begin learning their native language from their mothers in the womb. - Washington.edu

Did you know that there are many ways you can help your child learn to read, beyond the book? Part of learning to read is the readiness, and the more ready your child is to learn to read, the easier it will come to them. Here are some simple ways you can help get your child ready to learn how to read.


  1. Read to them.
  2. Sing nursery rhymes.
  3. Sing the alphabet song with them.
  4. Label common items that they use.
  5. Tell them stories.
  6. Make sure books are available for them to "read" from an early age.
  7. Play rhyming games.
  8. Make letter shaped snacks.
  9. Show them pictures in books, and corresponding words.
  10. Make up silly songs with them.
  11. Read them simple poems, emphasizing the rhythm of the syllables.
  12. Send them mail.
  13. Watch kids' YouTube videos with them (we love KidsTV123).
  14. Read a chapter book with them, depending on their attention span.
  15. Help them memorize simple words with flash cards.

Flash cards are probably our favorite thing around my house right now. Sammy is just starting kindergarten and they will be using the mClass Reading 3D to assess literacy skills and reading comprehension. Now, I would prefer they teach reading for the love of books, but because everything is so standardized in our school system - this is the path they are taking.

As an avid reader myself, I want to make sure my kids see reading as something to love instead of just a duty they have to complete for school. That's why I've been working on teaching them and helping them recognize words since they were little. These flash cards have been a big help with teaching Sammy the words that may not always follow phonetic rules and the early little words that he'll have to memorize to make reading a little more fluid as he graduates to bigger books. 


Click the button below to download the free printable sight word flash cards to help your kindergartner learn to read.


Click the button below to download the free printable sight word flash cards in an OpenDyslexia font.


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