If you taught your kid(s) to read....

howleyshell

Can you share any tips/tricks/tools/books?

I have NO clue how to teach reading!Dylan sounds out words well but I have zero clue how to teach him all the exceptions to the regular letter sounds (ie:  when EY makes the "E" sound instead of the short e and short y sounds)He'd be fully reading by now if it weren't for a Mom who doesn't know how to explain this to him! 

 

ValAndRyan

I used to put index cards taped to items all over the house with my oldest - ex: clock, stove, phone, etc. This way, he'd see it spelled out and we went through a few words a day. We read lots of books for the level he was at and there are starter books.

shopgirl78

There is the same post on parenting:

https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/44755899.aspx

This is what we did:  

Read to them

Point to the words, teach them that reading goes from L to R

Teach them that written words have meaning

Teach them letter and letter sounds

Teach them the most common blending sounds (th, br, sh, etc)

Starfall dot com (educational computer games)

Sight words (google)

Once they get reading, we have DD read to us before bed and then we read to hear.  Teachers use the daily five (google)

HTH!

 

toyah81

She started with recognizing words. When I read to her, I would point out different words and gradually did it with all of the words in books. While driving in the car, we would point out streets signs and what they said on them. Even signs in the grocery store - basically everywhere we went She also watched Noggin - I know this helped her a lot. She recognized small, simple words at 3yrs old and she could read an entire short book at 4yrs old. She has known how to use a computer for some time now, so I agree with PP Starfall.com helped a lot.

Also, I didn't worry about the grammar rules, like why a letter sounds a certain way in different words - I left that part up to her teachers at school

lizloo85

We watch the Electric Company on tv. That show is fabulous! It talks about the exceptions to the rules in song, Silent E is a ninja- how at the end of a word it makes the vowel say its name. Bossy R, changes the vowel to make the r sound.

When we read and she sounds out the words, I tell her to try it with one sound, is that a word? Try the other sound, is that a word? yes, good job!

Her teacher sent home a worksheet listing all the letters with just 1 sound with an example, all letters with 2 sounds, 3 sounds and 4 sounds. By the end of the year she is expected to know each sound for every letter.

Also I try not to burn her out on reading. I will have her read a few sentences, sounding out each word, and then I'll take over. When I read I will still point to each word as I read and if it's a word she knows by sight then I will stop and let her say that one.  

 

neverblushed

I taught both my kids to read before kindergarten.  If he's sounding out simple c-v-c words, like "red" "dog" and "top" then you can probably get a very easy book with simple sentences.  He'll be able to sound out many of the words, and his sense of sentence syntax, combined with phonetic awareness will help him guess at sight words he doesn't know.  It doesn't take long for a kid who has been immersed in phonics to memorize simple sight words like "a", "as", "the" "see", etc.

When my kids were at this stage, I didn't force them to sound out every word.  If they were stuck, I either supplied the initial sound, the initial syllable, or read the whole word for them if it was a daunting, multi-syllable word. 

Initially, kids have to focus on each word and either decode it phonetically, or recognize it as a memorized sight word. But somewhere along the way, their method of reading changes.  Instead of sounding out each word, their sense of the whole sentence takes over and helps them roll along more fluently.  If they've been read to a lot, and they have a better "ear" for language, this happens quickly.  

Both of my kids really experienced this "leap" in reading when I started reading more challenging books out loud to them.  I had been reading picture books, but around the time my kids were learning to read, I switched to chapter books -- easy ones at first, then more challenging ones. 

A great read-aloud is Kipling's "Just So Stories" -- adult-like sentences but stories a 4 y/o can really understand.  I have to admit I get bored with some of my kids' favorites, but I could read The Elephant's Child every night and still love it!

HTH! 

lurid

I agree, starfall.com is a great site for your child.  We also used Bob Books.  You can usually find the series as Costco.  Short sentences with words you can sound out.  My daughter was reading when she entered Kindergarten.  We read books everyday before bed time. She also enjoys playing on my iPhone when we are waiting in line, at the doctors, etc.  There are a ton of great apps for young children on it and the iPad.  I like the sight word apps and my favorite, Smarty K, which helps with letter sounds and practices sight words.  I like this app b/c it has six subjects each with four lessons and four mini games in one!  I didn't teach her the specific syllables...she figured out the words from the context of the sentence.  She is learning the different syllables now that she is in first grade and writing/spelling more.  Hope this helps.