comicphonics for early readers

What letter sounds should I teach first?

Posted on January 23, 2013 | Leave a comment

Suppose your child knows her ABC’s. How do you start teaching letter sounds? With vowels? With consonants? In ABC order?

The English alphabet includes 26 letters, of which 16 letters, almost always make the same sound. If you begin teaching letter sounds using those letters there are advantages for your child.

These 16 letters follow rules for the sounds they represent. A ”B,” for example, always sounds like a “B.” An “M” always sounds like an “M.” This predictability is reassuring to children who are deciphering the alphabet sound code.
Whether those 16 letters come at the beginning of a word, or in the middle, or at the end, the child can identify a consistent sound. The “N” in “not” sounds the same as the “n” in “pencil” and the “n” in “pan.” Compare that to a “Y” which has one sound at the beginning of words (such as “yo-yo”) and multiple sounds at the end of words (“party,” “boy” and “buy”) or no sound at the end of words (“day” and “key”).

It makes sense to begin by teaching letter sounds that follow rules. It also makes sense to begin with letters that have meaning to the child. If the child’s name is Pranavi, start by teaching the letter sound “P.” If the child’s brother’s name is Bhavik, teach the “B” sound.

If the child can remember a particular letter with a particular word, the child can go to that special word to compare new words for sound. “Z” is for zoo is great, but if the child’s brother’s name is Zachary, then “Z” is for Zachary might be more meaningful, and so more easily remembered.

The 16 letters that almost always make the same sound are B D F H J K L M N P Q[u] R T V X and Z.

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Posted in ABC's, letter sounds, methods of teaching reading

Should my child sit still when she learns to read?

Posted on January 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

That depends on many factors, such as your child’s usual activity level, the learning site and your own expectations.

In general, little kids can’t sit still or focus on one topic for long. They learn well through movement. To reach them, have short lessons and vary the method of learning (for example, moving ABC tiles, printing letters, playing Mother, May I? and walking through the house finding objects that begin with a certain letter). If the child thinks he is playing a game and can move around, he will hang in there much longer.

If you have set up a table where you want to work with your child, evaluate the setting from the child’s vantage. Does the chair allow her short legs to touch the ground? Or if the chair is higher, is there a shelf for her to rest her legs? (You can stack some books or a cardboard box under her feet.) Does the chair support the child’s back? (You can tie a pillow to the chair to fill the space if the chair seat is too deep.) Is the table low enough (waist-high or just a bit higher) so that her arms can relax while she works? All these accommodations to a child’s small size encourage a child to sit longer.

Some children prefer to stand while they work. They can stand straight, slouch, spread their legs or lean—quite a bit of movement all while staying in one place and paying attention. Some kids prefer to kneel or to squat on a chair or to stand on a chair and bend at the waist. The child might look absurd, but if he is paying attention, who cares?

Maybe the real question is whether you are comfortable teaching a squirming child? If you are not, let the child know up front that the lesson will last only a few minutes. Use a timer so the child knows that when the timer rings, he can move around.

If another adult is watching, you might feel pressure to make your child sit still. But is this in your child’s best interests? If the child feels pressured to conform to some standard that he is not ready for, he will not learn as well as if he is relaxed.

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Posted in methods of teaching reading

Tagged attention span

What is the right age for a child to learn to read?

Posted on January 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

The old rule of thumb was that when a child could put his hand over his head and touch the ear on the other side, the child was ready for school and reading—around six or seven.

However, with the drop in U.S. literacy and the push for preschool for four-year-olds, many parents and teachers begin teaching the ABC’s to four-year-olds, and in some cases, to three-year-olds.

Some signs that your child might be ready to read include:

Curiosity and questioning the world around her.
Recognizing letters.
Trying to write letters in her name and in important words.
Connecting sounds with letters.
Substituting words in nursery rhymes.
Interest in vocabulary or naming things properly.
Pronouncing words well.
Studying the pictures in picture books and drawing conclusions from them.

Research shows that acquiring language comes before reading. Children acquire language from hearing their parents or caregivers talk to them. When a parent responds to what a child says, even if it is babble, the child learns that sounds are important. When a parent reads a book to a child and asks questions about the book or shows an emotional reaction to the story, children learn that reading is important.

Take your cue from your child. But definitely by kindergarten the child should be acquiring prereading skills—recognizing letters in his name, learning the ABC’s, enjoying rhymes and beginning to connect letters with sounds.

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Posted in reading readiness.

How to prepare a two-year-old for reading

Posted on January 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

Suppose you have a two-year-old that you want to prepare for reading. Do you

Enroll the child in an excellent tutoring center?
Use flash cards for sight words?
Play Simon Says?
Do nothing. Two is too early for reading lessons?

Research at Oregon State University shows that playing Simon Says, Red Light Green Light and other games that require a child to listen, focus, and act appropriately may be the best way to prepare a child for learning.

The idea is to take a simple game, add increasingly complicated directions, and the child will learn how to learn. One example of an increasingly complicated direction is when the child has to do the opposite of the direction. So if Simon Says “Rub your tummy,” the child would rub her lower back.

An increasing body of research shows that when a child masters focusing and self-control, the child will do better in learning reading, math and other cognitive skills.

Singing and clapping are additional “games” that improve learning skills. Songs sung in rounds like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” are difficult for a young child to master, but worth the effort. Start by having the child sing along with you, learning the words and the tune. Later clap to the beat. Still later introduce the idea of rounds.

(For more information, see “Simon Says Don’t Use Flashcards” in the August 23, 2012, issue of The New York Times.)

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Posted in methods of teaching reading, reading readiness.

How do I teach my child the names of letters?

Posted on December 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Suppose your three-year-old is aware of letters and is ready to begin naming letters properly. Where do you begin? Since all children are self-centered, start with their names and the names of important people and pets.

Begin with the child’s name. Teach the child to name the letters in his or her name, and in family members’ names.
Point out letters from the child’s name on food items, and on the computer, and ask the child to name the letters.
Introduce letter names in small batches, three or four at a time. 26 capitals and 26 lower case letters—that’s a lot to learn all at once.
Explain that all letters can be written two ways, as capitals and as lower case letters. Point out examples of both when you are naming letters.
Let the child be the detective. Ask if the child can find the “t” on a box of oatmeal, or the “T” in the title, Ten Apples up on Top.
Cut out multiple copies of letters and glue them to a paper. Let the child glue similar letters near the one on the paper.
With little children, the process is more important than the product. Perfection can come later.
Even though today’s refrigerator masterpiece will be tossed out with next week’s recyclables, highlight today’s work so that the child sees you value his work as important.
Sing the ABC song with your child. Don’t worry if she says “el-en-em-oh” for “L, M, N, O.” You say it correctly and with time, she will too.
ABC flash cards can be great to help mastering letter names. For starts, use just the letters the child knows, and gradually introduce more. 26 letters all at once can be intimidating.
Expect confusing with b and d, p and q, I and l, and M and W. If the child is trying to say the letters, gently correct. “Oops, that’s a backwards b. What do we call a backwards b?” It’s common for children to confuse some letters for several years, but eventually they will outgrow it.

Focus on letter names that are important to the child. Don’t worry about the sounds that letters make. That comes later.

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Posted in ABC's, methods of teaching reading

Tagged flash cards

How do I begin teaching reading to my child?

Posted on December 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

First, as with all “work” with young children, keep the lessons short and repeat them as often as possible. Children are eager to learn but their attention spans are short. Several five-minute lessons may be better than one 15-minute lesson for a three-year-old.

Also, make learning fun. Children respond to work disguised as games and humor better than to work that seems like work.

That said, where do you begin?

Help the child become aware that letters are all around, and that they are important. How?

Start with the child’s name. Teach him or her to recognize his name on a birthday card, on decorations, and on your computer.
Point out family names on envelopes, smart phones and tags.
On food items—cereal boxes, soup cans, rice bags—point out letters, especially letters from the child’s name or family members’ names.
When you are reading to the child, point out letters from his name or from other words he is learning.
On electronic devices, point out letters and let the child create letters.
In the car at a red light, point out letters on a license plate or in a company name.

Focus on the existence of letters, not their proper names. That comes next.