Practise the thinking. Keep the judgement.
N5 kanji practice: learn the reading inside a word
Use short word pairs and sentences to practise kanji readings without assuming that one character has one permanent pronunciation.
Why is the word the useful learning unit?
A kanji can appear with different readings in different words. Learn a usable word with its reading and meaning first. A list of possible readings becomes more helpful after you have examples to connect them to.
Keep the kana beside the complete word. When reviewing, hide that kana and read the word aloud. Looking at the character and listing every reading you have memorised does not establish which one belongs in the sentence.
Compare 日 in three familiar words
日 appears in 日本（にほん）, 日曜日（にちようび）and 毎日（まいにち）. These words do not support a rule that 日 always sounds the same. Learn each complete reading, and notice the repeated parts without forcing a single substitution.
Try 毎日、日本語を勉強します。— “I study Japanese every day.” Identify 毎日 and 日本語 separately before reading the whole sentence. The sentence gives you a practical reason to distinguish the words.
Separate a shape error from a reading error
If you confuse two written forms, compare the part that differs and write each once slowly. If the shape is clear but the reading is missing, practise speaking the complete word. Copying a page of characters may leave that second problem untouched.
Do not add a new reading to a word because it is possible for the character elsewhere. Check the dictionary entry for this word and return to the original sentence. Keep exceptions as examples you can retrieve.
Build a five-word reading check
Select five words from a passage, write the kana answers separately and read the words with the answers covered. Then put the same words into two short sentences. This checks whether you can find them outside the original order.
Return after a break and mix old and new words. Record whether you missed the shape, reading or meaning. The next practice should address that specific error instead of repeating the entire list equally.
Try it yourself
Which reading belongs in 毎日: まいにち or まいほん? Explain why you should check the whole word.
Show the answer and explanation
まいにち.
The reading belongs to 毎日 as a word. The reading of 日 in 日本 does not transfer automatically.