But once upon a time, many children wanted to learn to read, but their parents didn’t know the most effective way to teach kids to read. Then they thought of fairy tales.
Fables, fairy tales, and stories open plenty of opportunities to boost collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
Fairy tales are a proven way to teach kids to read. They’re fun, they’re familiar, and they’re with us from the very beginning of life. A good reading program for kids, for once, can make it even better. Reading classes turn fairy tales into magic, all while helping children with phonics, decoding, and reading confidence.
Why are fairy tales ideal for early readers?
Fairy tales aren’t just an amusement or a bedtime activity. They’re a super powerful tool to help kids roll into reading. Why? Fairy tales offer familiar, repetitive structures and predictable patterns: all the elements needed when making reading fun for kids. The frameworks, the relatable characters, and the predictable plot all work together to make decoding and understanding much easier.
It’s also a great language booster. With each new fairy tale, children learn many new words, explore sentence structures, and follow the sequence of events. That helps them strengthen memory skills and improve comprehension. Here’s a quick tip: asking children to retell the story is a real brain-boosting recipe!
Building reading skills with stories and fairy tales
Many reading tutors turn to fairy tales to level up their students’ skills. English teachers all around the world use fairy tales when it comes to teaching phonics, expanding vocabulary, and improving comprehension skills. Even with older students! Here is an impressive list of reading skills that can be supported simply by reading fairy tales:
- Mixing simple words with richer vocabulary
- Repeating sounds, rhymes, and patterns
- Supporting fluency and understanding sequences
- Understanding the cause-and-effect, characters, and morals
- Making predictions, asking and answering “what-if” questions + problem-solving
How to encourage reading in kids at home with fairy tales
If you’re a parent looking for an optimal way to teach your kids reading at home, classic story tales are ideal. Here are a few practical tips for making a fairy tale reading a magical experience.
Pick appropriate fairy tales
Selecting an appropriate fairy tale is half the success. When you skim through the pages of a fairy tale, look at the difficulty of the language used in the story – younger learners will naturally be drawn to simpler tales with basic vocabulary and straightforward plotlines. Fun characters like animals and magic creatures will engage learners of all ages, but tailoring the story’s length, complexity, and themes to the child’s age and reading level is an absolute must.
Use multi-media resources
Some parents try to limit screen time as much as possible. While this can be a good idea for many families (especially when children depend on screens for entertainment or distraction), using technology for reading can be a great support. For example, you can access a story online that you don’t physically own, but your child might like. Or, you can use audiobooks or interactive story videos to boost your child’s reading skills. What I’m trying to say is – use screens wisely, and you’ll definitely see some good outcomes!
Add some interactive reading activities
If you want to further expand your child’s reading skills, interactive activities can give them a great boost. Plus, it’s great fun for the whole family! What you can do is role-play scenes from your child’s favorite fairy tale, boosting speaking, listening, communication, memory retention, and comprehension – all crucial skills for reading. That will make your kid so much happier, all while learning.
One-on-one tutoring with fairy tale reading
Another way to help your child read is to hire a trusted tutor and ask them to incorporate fairy tales. A reading tutor will assess your child’s skills and reading level and choose the best fairy tales to read along with the other reading exercises. Brighterly, for example, uses fairy tales as part of a structured, 1-on-1 personalized reading support.
Brighterly’s magic formula: 3 ways to master reading
Brighterly online reading program is an education platform for 1st-9th-grade students. It has a wonderful reading curriculum that combines gamified learning with an adapted, personalized approach.
Here’s exactly how Brighterly approaches teaching kids to read with fun fairy tales👇
1-on-1 adapted teaching
Each kid has their own unique learning needs, style, pace, and preferences – which sometimes can be overlooked by parents or in a traditional classroom. Brighterly tutors know how to engage kids and make them curious: first, they thoroughly assess the child’s abilities, take time to make them comfortable, and provide them with the most beneficial fairy tale for their level and age.
Gamified, interactive lessons
The Brighterly lessons are built in an interactive format, allowing kids to have fun while learning. That takes away the anxiety or pressure that may come with reading. Making the experience fun and enjoyable is what makes Brighterly one of the most effective programs on the market today.
Engaging reading curriculum
A good reading tutor for kids knows that setting up an engaging, fun, gamified learning plan is key to capturing children’s interest. Brighterly uses a powerful duo: game-based learning curriculum (like reading short, amusing stories and fairy tales) plus a school-aligned plan to provide kids with the ideal balance of fun and structure.
Conclusion: Once upon a time, parents used fairy tales to teach kids to read…
Using classic fairy tales is nothing new, really, but today, educators and parents understand why they work so well. Harnessing the power of short stories and fairy tales is fun, engaging, and beneficial for both children and parents.
And if building a learning plan with fairy tales and amusing reading exercises seems like a bit of a difficult task, a personalized learning curriculum with professional tutors can help.
Comments are closed.