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~ preview: TABLE OF CONTENTS ~
all content copyright 2003 & 2004
DO NOT PRINT!
Readiness
is not a myth! If your child isn't ready to learn to
read and you try to force
the issue you'll both quit and be left
with a sour taste for reading and
learning in general.
How To Do It?
Here
are the basics of phonics, how to teach it,
what NOT to do, and handwriting
tips.
Getting Down To
Business
Practice, practice, practice! Your child is ready to begin decoding words!
Let's Read!
At
this point, your child is ready to read. The biggest factor in whether
or not
he will excel at reading is the extent to which his confidence is
boosted.
Sight Words
Aside
from phonics there are several words in the English
language that can be read
from memory alone.
A Word On
Spelling
Here
is a simple yet very effective way to teach spelling,
punctuation, and
handwriting all in one step! In a word?
Copywork!
~ preview: Chapter 1, page 4~
When I was a kid we played hide and seek. When whomever was
"It" had counted to 100, we yelled out, "Ready or not! Here I
come!". I think it's unfortunate that many parents approach their
teaching
of reading with the same ferocity. Some believe that there is a certain
age, a
magic number, when all children should know how to read. Certainly by
5? or 6
or 7 years old? While it's true that most children can and do learn to
read by
the age of 5 or 6, it's not the end of the world if they don't!
I think it bears repeating that a
parent should never, ever, ever try to FORCE a child to learn to read.
It
simply can't be done. I am not referring
to training issues, or struggles of will but rather ABILITY.
Many
children balk at the initial idea of learning to read. My second child really
didn't want to at first. After some snuggly times, he confessed his
fear of me
not reading to him anymore if he learned to read for himself. Once he
was
assured of that not happening he was less apprehensive about starting.
I have mixed feelings about the use of
rewards in
teaching (other than verbal affirmation and praise). If you have a
particularly
hard case though, it just might do the trick. After I promised Joshua
his own
library card once he knew the sounds of every letter, he couldn't WAIT
to
start. Owning a library card with his name on it was big stuff.
For our
daughter, a sheet of stickers for each letter mastered seems to be just
the
thing.
There are a few things you can look at to
see if
your child is truly ready to learn to read. Don't be too rigid and
think that
he must be able to do everything on this list. It's a just a guideline
- a good
place to start.