Teach a Child Bilingual Reading

For bilingual families, getting a child to start reading in both languages is next to impossible, and needs to be learned the hard way - often for money - at a later age. Yet there is a window of opportunity and a technique to make it easy, fun and free early.

Start early. You should really start this at preschool, as that's the best window of opportunity, but it is not too late to start at early school either.
Resolve home language. Though this step is optional, recent research shows that it could be key to success: resolve to just speak one language at home. It will not hamper your child if you speak your native language if you start early and stick to it.
Make it a game. Much like in other activities, your child will learn more effortlessly if it is a game.

When your child is comfortable talk about a "school game"or a "letter game" you could play. (Avoid saying "learning" or "translation" as they sound like a task to avoid.) Gauge reaction and don't force it.
Make it short without forcing. Play it for a short period or leave the game in plain sight and wait till your child initiates.
Have initial game plan. Once you get cooperation, work out a game plan. Follow these steps below, don't rush. Once the process is natural you will find yourself improvising more and more.

First few sessions: play around with letters with no particular reason. This will give them familiarity and a feel of a non-threating environment.
Next ask for a short favorite word. Propose one from a favorite movie if you need to give help.
Work that name. Think how you can "work" that name. It (or similar in sound) should be suitable to follow the next steps.

Arrange the letters and read it aloud, one-by-one a little faster every time.
Smile to the trick. Smile and tell that here comes the "tricky part." Only they need to close their eyes. Children will be intrigued and delighted to play along. (You will be surprised just how many times this works.)
Tell them no peeking. Now take away the front letter.
Allow your child to look and tell again this is very tricky. (Tell them what you did by repeating the word and that you removed the front letter.)
Now ask them to "read" aloud. Try it and you'll be surprised because with a little encouragement they'll do it.
Make them proud. Let them be proud of their achievement. Repetition is the easiest, most rewarding reinforcement.

Now repeat same as above with back letter.
Do one or two more words per session. Repeat with playful variations.
Start translation game. Once you both get into some kind of habit where you both accept rules of the game (He or she will have some rules too, be ready to accommodate one or two.) Now start the translation game: this needs a little planning too. Again, words should be easy and suitable.

Think up a word that would appeal to your child which could be rearranged into a word in YOUR language.
Vary it. Once you found a good word follow these steps.

After the front and back game do the rearrangement while they close their eyes. Tell them that it is now EVEN trickier.
Read out the word aloud, tell them it's in your language and ask what do they think it means. Then tell them. Don't tell its a translation, only after a little time when the process is natural.
Reinforce it some more. Reinforce this process with more positive experiences.

Let them choose from your selection. Let your child watch videos in the two different languages. This way they WILL request one langauge or other just to exercise their liberty. You can pick up the main character and tell about its different names in the two languages.
Play a letter block game on this name too.
Be inventive. There's no excuse: your child is inventive, that's how she or he learns. So don't lag behind. Be inventive where do you get the new words from your child's new experiences.
Read about the techniques of teaching someone to read first. A good foundation and all is applicable.
Always play for a short time. Signs of boredom are good signs of fatigue.
Try repeating before each new session with a little school game what the lesson was last time. Put a teddy or a stuffed animal alongside and ask who wants to answer. Look intently at the other "pupils." She or he WILL want to answer, guaranteed.
Not suitable if the character set is different in the two languages learned. (Like English and Japanese for example.)
Not suitable for trilingual families, where parents speak different languages from the main language that your child learns at school.
The key is to keep it interesting. Once your child is at school, to make reading in your language interesting is next to impossible.