reading with a kindergartener

[sthompson]

I am very new. Have been researching homeschooling and what I want to do, use for the past year. This is our first year and we are starting with K for our 5yo DS. The most important thing for my DH is reading. He wants each child (we have 3) to read in K. I do sight words on flash cards and DS does really well with some and with others he says he doesn't know that one (I know better, he knew it yesterday). Or he just doesn't pay attention and is looking at everything but the cards. I also have the first 3 sets of Bob books and we have just started using those. I will be using Explode the Code when we start formally in the end of August. I am wondering if there is anything else I can be doing that will help him and the next two when the time comes. I do read alouds. Should I continue to read TO him or should I point to each word and have him repeat it. Any insight is appreciated. Even if I am told that I am doing all I can I will feel better. Thanks so much!!!

[mom2att]

Well, with an aside to the idea that regardless of your husband's wishes not every child is ready to take off with reading by kindergarten age, I will offer this book suggestion: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

 

My daughter was "ready" at 3. My middle child dragged his feet until he was 7. My youngest had all of the skills in place at the same time as his sister, but his desire to learn to read was zero. He's now nearing 6 and doing well. I have used this book with the oldest and am currently using it with the youngest. It was not a good fit for the middle child, so I didn't even try.

 

The book itself is simple to use. It starts with a few sounds, and teaches the child to blend them together to make words. It has a phonics component, but is not entirely phonics-based. It has the child reading a few simple sentences by about lesson 20. It is scripted--you don't have to wonder how to present the material to the child because the lessons tell you what to say. There is also a writing component to each lesson, but that part is easy to skip if you want this to be about reading only (which I have done). The lessons take only about 10 minutes.

 

I got about halfway through the book with my oldest before stopping because she could read anything at that point. With my youngest it is taking longer for that lightbulb to go off, so I will likely continue longer. I will soon start Explode the Code with the youngest in addition to 100 Easy Lessons.

 

Hope this helps--teaching reading in K is a great way to start. Just don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen like you planned. It will happen eventually, and you are laying a great foundation.

[mlgbug]

100 ez lessons to read

[tjarnold]

Well, with an aside to the idea that regardless of your husband's wishes not every child is ready to take off with reading by kindergarten age, I will offer this book suggestion: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

 

 

I could not agree more. With my first child, I didn't even start trying to teach him to read until he was almost 6 because I didn't have any idea we would be homeschooling -- and it didn't even occur to me to try. We started with Teach Your Child to Read ..., and I supplemented with everything I could find. It wasn't until his dad and I got tired of reading his Pokemon cards to him (around 6 1/2) that he really became motivated to read on his own. By the time he was 8, he was reading Lord of the Rings.

 

That said, I don't think you can rush a child who isn't quite ready to sit and work on reading for long periods of time. But you CAN keep approaching it from different angles. I would definitely try Teach Your Child ..., and if available, watch Between the Lions for another approach. Read BOB books together. Keep it happy and loving, and keep modeling by reading your own books (to yourself) and reading aloud (to him) daily.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Tiffany

Edited July 21, 2009 by tjarnold
proof-reading

[Guest Barb B]

[quote=mom2att;1084998]Well, with an aside to the idea that regardless of your husband's wishes not every child is ready to take off with reading by kindergarten age,

 

:iagree:Of the three children 2 learned at kindergarten age and one in first. You just can't rush them if they are not ready. Start with where he is and work on that and proceed further when he is ready. I would recommed something strong in phonics as well as what you have planned for my three I have used at one time or another the following: Happy Phonics (Very hands on - good for boys!), abeka phonics, Catholic Angel Readers, and Modern Curriculm Press phonics workbooks. Sight words can be hard since they follow no rules. Work on just a couple at a time and don't add more until he is consistent with those. Also, try games with the flash card, most K's just won't want to sit still for for them.

 

Barb

[plansrme]

I used the phonogram cards from Spell to Write and Read by Wanda Sanseri, and it was quick and no-nonsense. I mostly use just the cards at first and then add the rest of her program once they are reading fairly fluently. All 3 of mine, including the 2 who were just afterschooled at the time, were reading fluently by the end of kindergarten, if not before. My rising K'er (he'll be 6 in October) is reading well right now--I just had to ditch the brand new, still-in-shrinkwrap "learn to read" program I bought back in May in favor of a first grade reading program. I'd just used the phonogram cards with him very casually, a few minutes here and there, maybe a Bob book once a week, and it just clicked for him without actually trying too hard.

 

Think about using a solid phonics approach first--I think it might be hard to get a good sight reader to learn phonics later.

 

Terri

[Pretty in Pink]

I basically do what you described.

 

I use ETC and have my child read aloud from the Bob Books (some kids are bored by these but my child enjoys working through them and graduating to the next set). We play games with phonics flash cards a few times a week. I read aloud to all of my children all. the. time!

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I agree with the others to be using a phonics approach. I used Montessori Read and Write (starting at 3-3.5yo) for pre-reading and pre-writing and then switched to All About Spelling once my dd was building simple easily phonetic words (spelling, taught in MRW). DD spelled her way into reading.

 

Other good phonetic approaches include ETC, OPGTR (which we own but stopped using because learning to spell turned out to be the best way to teach dd to read), and Happy Phonics (games to play to teach reading or suppplement instruction).

[CookieMonster]

I highly recommend The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. I've used it, and followed it's recommendations and instructions, and it's been great. (Link: OPGTR)

 

We got through the first 100 lessons last school year, when my son was four. He can now read many, many things around him. For instance, while on vacation he read these signs:

 

"In case of fire do not use the elevators. Use the stairs"

 

"Worst seat in the joint. Sit here and get 50 off your bill." (it said "50%")

 

I really like it. I think it works well. Sure, it's not flashy. But you use it for 15 minutes a day. Explode the Code makes a great review/reinforcement for OPGTR.

 

Other people really like A Beka. It does work well if you get all the parts and pieces; all of it together is expensive.

 

There are a few other great programs out there. I'm failing to remember them now. Pick one that you think you will like teaching. If you're enthused about it, chances are your five year old will have no trouble learning to read with it.

[TKDmom]

I've also used 100 Easy lessons and really liked it for about the first half. After that we were ready to move on to something else.

As far as reading aloud, I think that's really important, too. You don't want to turn every book into a dull reading lesson. Spend 15-20 minutes a day on reading lesson time, then any other reading should be enjoyable. You want to instill a love of reading in your kids, so spend a good chunk of time each day reading stories that are interesting to everyone, but that a kindergartner probably wouldn't be able to read on his own.

[skaterbabs]

I took one look at 100 EZ lessons and decided it was far too busy; OPG is a far easier program IMO, especially if you have a child who isn't ready for a lot of written work. OPG didn't have enough "paperwork" for Dot, who is a worksheet lover, so I made worksheets for her using the lessons from OPG. She hated learning directly from OPG, but ate the worksheets up like candy. :lol:

 

OPG is an excellent program and I highly recommend it.

[Satori]

I got 100EZ, Phonics Pathways, ETC, and OPG. I didn't want anything too very scripted, so 100EZ was out for us. Ended up using OPG (Ordinary Parent's...) and that is going amazingly well! Any one of this will do the trick, just got to see which is best for your teaching and your dc's learning styles.

 

Not sure if anyone said it, but continue to read to your child! I have been researching a lot and reading aloud is so very important.