Learning to read

[Cera]

I need to teach (or at least try to teach) our 3 yr old to read. What is the easiest, slowest curriculum for reading? OPGTR? 100EZ?

 

Our 5 year old pretty much taught herself to read so I am not sure how to go about this.

 

(Yeah, I know, she is 3. I wouldn't choose to teach her to read but she has spent the past two hours throwing a tantrum because *I* can read, *Daddy* can read, *sister* can read but *she* can not read and nobody will teach her. She is a very sensitive but competitive child. If one didn't know better they would think we had relegated her to a life of servitude and oppression rather than simply attempting not to push the academics at such a young age. So teach her we shall, or at least try.)

[Closeacademy]

Let her watch the Leappad Letter factory dvds and start playing "I spy" the phonics version when you go out and about. You know "I spy something that starts with an a sound." But say the letter and then make the letter's sound.

 

You can also read books to her with rhyming words. I think that is one of the big keys to learning to read. Once they understand the concept of "rhyming" words then their brains click and they start looking at words to see if certain letters always make the same sounds in other words.

 

I wouldn't get a curriculum but play games instead. Make it fun.:001_smile:

[ElizabethB]

Yes, Letter Factory!

 

I think the 2 letter syllables for Webster's Speller are the easiest way to teach blending for a young child, then they lead directly into 2+ syllable words like de-ny and ba-ker and ad-mit.

 

Games are good.

 

Also, teach from a whiteboard in all uppercase, not from a book. It's easiest for a young child to discriminate uppercase, it also helps prevent B/D confusion.

 

Here are my general tips for a beginning reader, and here is a good thread with a few ideas about teaching a young child to read.

 

This thread has good preschool ideas that include fun games and ideas for reading and other subjects.

[mombygrace]

I used the leapfrog DVDs and then alphaphonics. We do it on a dry erase board initially and also use movable letters to make the words. We also use happy phonics games when he wants to. At 3 my DS liked the DVDs and learned a few words at a time.

What I look for is their level of interest, attention span, knowledge of letter sounds and whether they can pick up blending without too much frustration.

[TracyR]

I totally understand. I have a 3yr old like that too.

I would definitely go with 100 EZ lessons because of the typeface they use in the program. It is much easier for a 3 yr old. I have Reading Lessons and it wasn't working so well. But my 3yr old just a few days ago started to sound out and read the words from the 100 EZ lessons.

The lessons are short and to the point. At this point with my 3yr old I just do what she wants. If she wants to do a full lesson , fine. If she doesn't , fine. I'm not going to push at this age.

My three yr old just wants to do it because I'm using it with my 6yr old( which we have less than 40 lessons to go with her).

I would just go with the 100 EZ lessons and let her do what she can and just go with the flow for now.

 

She also likes the Leap Frog DVD's too!

[Orthodox6]

Here's a different vote -- from a hard-core supporter of Alpha-Phonics ! I can't bring myself to suggest anything else for a child who is eager to read. No frills, no bells, no colourful distractions. Just reading instruction.

 

One of my sons used this program when he was newly-four. After lesson #15, he abandoned the book and started reading. He is an Asperger's person, however, so I must imitate those advertisements for diet pills and diet powders and include the caveat, "Results are not typical for all users of this product." Having noted that, however, I'll continue by saying that for his younger sister, who was slow to learn how to read, Alpha-Phonics also was a distinct "winner". She learned to read, finally, at age six -- completing only 25 or so of the lessons before "taking off".

[StartingOver]

I would get the Leap Frog video's too. And OPGTR, although my son never ever sees the book. I write everything on the driveway, chalk board, whiteboard, etc.

[creekmom]

I love the Explode the Code books A, B, and C for preschool age. They are fun workbooks that teach all the consonant letter sounds. Hooked on Phonics is easy for that age too.

[mlgbug]

leapfrog vote...and we used 100 ez starting when dd was 3, almost 4.....

 

while it did get her blending and reading FAST, it leaves gaps i feel. id go with OPGTR....or something else/

[Just Another Jen]

I've used Phonics Pathways with my last 3 kids. We added the letter factory dvd this time and that was just painless. He went into it knowing his letter sounds and we are just starting phonics pathways now.