The Joy of Reading and the Place of Phonics There is nothing more enjoyable or rewarding as teaching your children to read. The ideas we acquire from reading are limitless – the adventures we take, the things we learn, the people we meet. Here a few basic tips that will connect your child to the world in the most profound way. Tips for Parents 1. Read to your children from the time they are very young, even as infants. Socialize children to be familiar with, and feel positive about, books. When they are able to do so, let children hold books as you read. 2. After your children are able to read, continue to read aloud with them periodically, even as late as 14 years of age. Even as reading develops, most children’s “listening” level for understanding words remains higher. They can use this experience to learn to get more out of reading. 3. Start with phonics-based teaching to help children learn to decode letters into sounds. Use simple books so that children can have the experience of completing a book independently as early as possible. 4. Don’t stop with phonics. Once children can sound out words well, you should move beyond that approach and focus on “whole word” reading, practicing with real words, in real sentences, in meaningful stories. This will enable your children to go directly from “print to meaning” without having to think about the sounds involved. 5. Allow your children to read the same books repeatedly, which they are likely to want to do as they are learning to read. 6. Involve your child in decisions about what books to read. 7. As soon as it’s possible, practice reading with your child “in the real world” outside of books. Read labels at the supermarket. Read signs on the street. Teach your child that reading can be used to get useful, real-world information. 8. Invest in a simple alphabet book, one that allows children to focus on the letters rather than the overly attractive decorations. 9. Encourage your child to read, but resist the urge to push too hard. Early readers are not always better readers in the long run, especially if they experience negative associations with it. (That’s why schools in Finland don’t even try to teach reading until children are 7 years old.) 10. Play rhyming games with your children as they are starting to learn. Suggested Reading and Resources Englemann, Haddox, and Bruner, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons Gladwell, Outliers Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia *Adapted from The Great Courses
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:56:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015