First considerationsAlthough reading is something we as adults do without thinking about, and although learning to read should be simple in theory, it is not often that simple. However - some of the things that make it harder we bring on ourselves needlessly. In this post I hope to alert you to some of the pitfalls to be avoided and help you to decide on the best way to teach your child to read. Before you begin it does us all well to ask ourselves - 'What kind of books do I envisage my child ultimately reading as an adult?' as you will be paving the way for this whether you have though about it before hand or not. Reading for entertainment? Well - yes - it has its place, however fiction for the Christian can be a real snare (immorality) - so for us this wasn't top of the agenda: 'whatsoever things are pure' (Phil. 4:8) was our motto. We also have to be aware of the illustrations that are in the books we give our children. Are they caricatures of God's perfect creation - degrading humanity and animals? If so we steered away from them- our family motto was always 'whatsoever things are lovely' (Phil. 4:8). Yes, our lads read plenty of fiction as young children but as they have got older we have steered them towards more serious works, for example: Reading their Bibles Biographies (which they do for relaxation) Reading for study Reading professional books appertaining to the subjects they enjoy I don't believe that this has happened by accident but rather because we were led to consider physical books better than 'electronic books' - the highest quality books we could find, and because we followed the Robinson Curriculum, they were required to read for 10 minutes times their school year every day Monday to Friday. This instilled in them a love of reading and a thirst for knowledge. If you want your child to be a good reader, then:
The need for PhonicsI beleive phonics to be the best way to teach children to read (see here for why). Teach your child to read and spell with a good phonic programme and do it vigorously and thoroughly. Do not play at it, and drag it out over years. Learning to read with a good phonic programme can be done effectively in 2 years, giving your child then a lifetime to learn from good books. Spelling may take a little longer, but do not wait for it to emerge. Find a good phonic programme and use it consistently. Choosing a Good Phonic ProgrammeWhen looking for a phonic programme to use with your child you want it to be these things:
Before you start teaching it, you should get an overview of how the programme works and how best to support your child as s/he learns. This is very important - in fact - it is the KEY to helping your child learn to read. Tou must study yourself to understand what is necessary, so that you can tweak the process to help each child succeed. Two children can use the same programme, but the way each learns to read will be unique to him/her. always aim to make the programme fit the child, not the child fit the porgramme. Also bear in mind that what is suitable for one family/child may not be the best for you and your child - or even for subsequent children. Children all need phonics - but phonics can be presented in a myriad of different ways. There are many phonic programmes, of all complexities and prices. As my aim in life is to make things as simple as they can be, and as cheaply as possible, I reccomend the follwing two FREE programmes. Both work well. Phonics Programmes I recommend - cheap, but they work effectivelyI have written my own systematic synthetic phonic programme to fill what I saw as a big gap in resources: so many are time consuming, expensive, prescriptive and complicated! I wanted parents to see that phonics could indeed be made simple - hence the title! I wanted to give parents something that could be tailor fitted to each child, rather than a prescriptive method. It provides a framework from which to work and which can be adapted to suit any child. It is based on my many years of teaching children to read succesfully with phonics. It is designed to be a no fuss programme - straightforward and no frills, designed to get your child reading and spelling well in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of effort/money/resources. Free and truly simple, but very effective. Includes free extras like games, supporting worksheets/activities and phonic reading books. Phonics 4 FreeMany have found Mona McNee's Phonics 4 Free programme to be helpful - however some children need an even more sytematic approach, as mine is. I provide many FREE phonic games and resources along with 'how-to' information on my main phonics site: |
Welcome!After studying for an Early Years Specialism degree (B.Ed. Hons), and teaching in mainstream education, I home-educated my own children, after my husband and I were persuaded of the need to take responsibility for bringing up our children 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.' (Ephesians 6:4) We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
This costs the purchaser nothing extra. In this way I can continue to provide free resources. Thank you for your support. Looking for a read-aloud?
Here's one I heartlily reccomend for ages 10 +. Search
All
The First book from Christina Eastwood - the first in a triology - only £5.99 (ages 8 to 13).
Now available in PRINT!
See here Now available in PRINT
See here Now available in PRINT
See here |