Going from sounding out words to reading...

[ksmiles]

When/how do they make that jump from sounding out a word c-a-t to reading it? My son can sound out CVC and CVCC words slowly (about 1 second per letter) and then says the word, but getting through a short sentence is TORTURE!

For example: The cat and the dog sit on the mat.

He will read each word and sound it out slowly, but by the time he gets to the end of the sentence, he has no idea what he has just read.

 

It seems like once he gets a little faster at it, then the easy readers will start to make sense. DS is only 4 and 1/2 right now, so I realize that he may just be young. We were doing OPGTR, but that went too fast for him and he was starting to get frustrated, so we have stopped for now. I want him to get excited about reading, but it seems like it's too much work for him and it takes forever. But I don't know, maybe this is how it's supposed to go as they learn? Should I continue to have him sound out words, or should we just forget about it and try again when he is 5?

 

Plus, I would love some curriculum ideas for reading/spelling since OPGTR is not "fun," according to my son, lol. I was thinking of doing PR for 1st grade, but I need something for K.

[littleWMN]

Yes, that's the way it goes. That stage is longer with some kids than others. Sometimes a short break (few weeks, few months, whatever) can help. Do whatever you can to keep it low pressure and fun. Use magnets, write in sugar/salt/sand, etc. Follow his lead. If he's stressing, put it aside for awhile. Actually, I'd suggest it anyway. I've found breaks really help, not just for sanity but cognitively too. Good luck! It's so fun when they "get it".

[GingerPoppy]

I wouldn't have him read whole sentences at this point. You're right; it almost defeats the purpose if he can't remember the beginning by the time he gets to the end. Shorter chunks of reading would probably give him both a greater feeling of success as well as better comprehension.

 

There are books available that are shared readers for adult and kid, so on one side of the page you have the adult-read story line, and on the other side you have a few simple words for the kid to add to the story. One company that makes these books is Usborne, but there are others.

 

Alternatively, you can play reading games where you might have to sound out a single word or a short phrase at most. Word Bingo, Word Concentration, etc. Check out Peggy Kaye's Games for Reading for lots of ideas.

[StartingOver]

Judging from my own children, from 3 months to 6 years. And yes it is torture. I work on a white board, and just use single words. I also have the children read a full sentence with me, then we repeat the full sentence fluidly. We read books over and over after we learn to sound out so that they commit the words to memory.

 

Every child is an individual. I have noticed sometimes a complete break for a week can make for giant leaps forward. Breath, just breath !

[boscopup]

My newly 5 year old is in that stage, and he's been there for about a year. :tongue_smilie:

 

First, I'd suggest nixing the long sentences like that. That's just too long for where he is developmentally. I know, because I tried OPGTR when my son was 4, and the long sentences were too long. I then switched to Webster's Speller, learning the syllabary. We did it at the white board (white board makes *everything* fun!). Sometimes I'd pull a short sentence from OPGTR as well, and we might draw a picture to go with it (I think there was one about a red van... maybe that's why he wants to have a red van when he grows up).

 

Second, when he's ready for sentences, download the free I See Sam readers. They are excellent! Way better than Bob books, and the sentences are SHORT. The child is able to gain fluency with the words he's reading by using them over and over again. My son is just now starting to actually "read" some words instead of having to sound them out every time. It's still slow and painful, but we're getting there. I use a "cursor" (index card with a notch cut out) to help focus on one word at a time, and that helps too.

 

Third, only do reading lessons with a 4 year old if they ASK for them. It's just so much easier to teach a 5 year old than a 4 year old. :tongue_smilie:

 

Fourth, spend LOTS of time reading to your child - picture books especially. If he loves being read to, he'll likely one day enjoy reading himself too. :)

[Laura Corin]

That stage can seem to take forever! Then one day, it just clicks.

 

It might help if you do lots of blending whilst not looking at text - play the 'what are the sounds in' game, so ask what the sounds are in 'cat', but make it a fun puzzle, rather than a stressful task. Do it in the car, or in the supermarket.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[TX Pilgrim]

I would also recommend giving it more time. I once read in a book (Gurian I think) about the difference between boys and girls development in this area. Typically boys can be a year and a half to two years behind girls in reading type skills. You would never expect a 3 year old girl to read but we constantly want our 5 year old boys to read. It is a hard process and sometimes they just need time to put the pieces together. It doesn't mean we stop exposing and teaching - it just means we let it take more time if it needs to.

 

I echo the suggestion to play sound games. Montessori Read and Write by Lynn Lawrence (I checked it out from our library) has lots of good examples of oral games to play with children along the lines of "I spy" and can you blend these sounds (s-t-o-p) and do the action (s-i -t, j-u-m-p, etc.)

 

Someone else mentioned the Webster's Speller - Mcguffey readers and books like Akin's Word Mastery are free through google books and take things much slower (good for the child) than we might. Actually Memoria Press uses an updated version of Akin because of the amount of time they spend practicing the basic skills of sounding out words.

 

If you are looking for some more contemporary books -there is a whole FREE online program that uses the method where you read some and the child reads key words that focus on a phonetic concept. I did this with my 5 year old for a while and it was helpful. He also thought it was great to read off of the computer screen - which he sees us do all the time.

 

I have used some of the methods of Spell to Write and Read (Spalding) so that I could learn all the phonetic sounds (that's not how I learned to read) and teach them properly to my son.

 

I am trying really hard to personally remember that I homeschool to help remove my son from the rat race and allow him to grow and develop at his own pace - especially with skills like reading. So, I try to stop whenever he gets a little overwhelmed and let him rest, wait, etc. I am trying to remember that laying the right foundation is key and to not push too fast.

[Murrayshire]

Just popped in to read......Thank you so much ladies for all the extra free reading sites!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Have a beautiful weekend!

:001_smile:

[ksmiles]

Thank you all so much for your advice and ideas! I looked into Webster's Speller and it looks like EXACTLY what my son needs - lots of easy syllables to practice and I can do it covertly without a book, so he will think it's just another game on the whiteboard. ;) I think I'm going to let him take the lead on asking to read, and we will progress slowly. Since he is my oldest, I don't have the experience yet to know what to expect as he grows, so I appreciate all the tips from you guys. :)

 

And the links to Word Mastery and I See Sam readers are fabulous! Thanks again!!

[Mommie_Jen]

I just wanted to second the big thank you! I have an almost 5 yr old. He is great at his letters and sounds, but just can't get the hang of blending. OPG, even on the whiteboard, is boring to him. And for me. I've downloaded some of the books for fun iPad time for him.

[Aspasia]

These are some very helpful suggestions. Thanks, ladies!

 

Just one other thing I thought of from the original post is ETC. I don't know how your DS is with handwriting, but if he's into writing, ETC is fantastic for reinforcement and my dd thinks it's a blast. There is a TON of repetition, so my dd (also 4.5) has gained some proficiency through that.

 

My dd loves games, too. We play word bingo--I printed off some cards from a Scholastic ebook ($1 Deals, baby!) and laminated them so I can write in with a wet erase marker whatever words we're working on. She loves that and we play it over and over. We also have Happy Phonics, which is a reading curriculum that is only games. Very fun.

[pitterpatter]

My DD is 4.5 years old and we just started our second "workbook" of HOP Kindergarten. I know others have said that they wouldn't have your DC reading sentences, but that's what my DD loves and excels at. Each HOP lesson goes as follows:

 

- Watch a short skit on DVD that introduces the word family.

- In the HOP "workbook", your DC sounds out the word family, then all of the new word family words first. The next page is three rows of single words to read (about eight per row maybe). The first row is usually all or mostly the new word family words. Then, the next two rows are words from previous HOP lessons. The final two pages of the lesson are a real story with short sentences and engaging pictures. Unless it's the end of a unit, then the child gets a little HOP reader to read (separate from the "workbook"). Again, short sentences and engaging pictures.

 

My DD loves HOP. She's loves books and stories, so she really, really loves reading the little HOP stories. She is not so found of the word lists. She struggled with them for a while (had to do A LOT of sounding out), but she is definitely getting better.

 

By the way, we also use this book to break up HOP. Star Fall phonics lessons too. Lots of little craft-like activities in here. Cut and paste activities worksheets too. All are age-appropriate.

 

 

I know a lot of phonics users don't seem to like sight words (called helper words in HOP), but I think they really propel early readers through sentences. We've been using The Best Sight Word Book Ever in conjunction with HOP and DD does a pretty good job of reading most sight words with little effort. Thus, she'll only have to sound out a couple of words per each sentence, if she doesn't know them right-off. HOP repeats a lot of words per story, so she gains confidence because she may have to sound them out a time or two, but by the end of the story, she remembers them (usually ;)). When she's really slow sounding out a sentence, I have her go back and read it again, but faster. Sometimes, I'll even have her read it a third time. We also take time to see how the sentence is reflected in the picture. She loves that. After we read the entire story, we either read it again together (her and I read at the same time) or I'll read it with her repeating each word after me as I point to the words.

 

Anyway, DD definitely is still in that sounding out stage, but I also see improvement. She's getting faster at the sounding out/rhyming and even does some of it in her head. Just depends on the word and the day. Sometimes, she can get a word right off, but then the next day we're back to sounding it out. I see little clicks, though, and I'm happy with that. She knows she getting it more and more too. She's very proud. :D

 

----------------------

 

As for the Best Sight Word Book Ever, you can see it's entire contents here (click on "Look Inside").

 

 

http://www.carsondellosa.com/cd2/Products/CarsonDellosa/PID-804038.aspx?CM_VC=10001

 

For each sight word, you copy (or print out, if you buy the eBook), cut out and staple a little booklet together. There are fun little activities to do for each word. We divide the booklet into two days. The first day, DD rainbow colors the word and then the next two pages. Then, we do pages 4-6 on the second day.

 

On the activities where the child is supposed to write letters, words, etc., we don't do that. DD spells out the words with Scrabble tiles, strings letter beads onto pipe cleaners, uses letter cards, puts magnetic letters onto a cookie sheet, sticks letter stickers...whatever I can think of. I mix them up. We do three or four of these activities instead of booklet page 3 on day one. On day two, we use letter stamps to complete any written activities for booklet pages 4-6. All of the while, I constantly ask her what word she stamped or made or whatever.

 

My DD loves the little booklets...she eats the activities right up. Retention is very high when we spread the booklets across two days. (I did find retention isn't as good when we do one booklet per day, so we're sticking to one booklet per every two days right now.) We also have a word wall (ok, word closet door :tongue_smilie:), so we review all words daily as well.

 

PS - Bought our copy from B&N with a coupon.

[boscopup]

I know others have said that they wouldn't have your DC reading sentences, but that's what my DD loves and excels at.

 

We said that because her son wasn't loving and excelling at it. If your child is doing great with sentences, by all means, stick with sentences! :D Unfortunately, the OP's child isn't having such luck, which is why we suggested going back to shorter sentences and individual words. :)

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I just teach word building (aka, spelling) until reading clicks. We do play some reading games with just one word at a time, but they aren't reading sentences until they are ready. My oldest dd chose one day to pick up a book and read the whole thing. The day before she was slowly sounding out one word at a time. She hasn't stopped reading since.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Lisa in the UP of MI

[nmoira]

We said that because her son wasn't loving and excelling at it. If your child is doing great with sentences, by all means, stick with sentences! :D Unfortunately, the OP's child isn't having such luck, which is why we suggested going back to shorter sentences and individual words. :)

 

When my youngest was going through this stage, I'd have her read a few sentences a day, but I would recap all she had already sounded out before she would start to read the next word, pointing out each word as I read. She seemed "stuck" at cvc and cvcc words for about a year, then had a breakthrough just this past spring. Now she reads me the Ramona books with fluency and expression, missing only an occasional word. It was like a switch was flipped.

[Rosie]

You've gotten some great advice and ideas here! I just wanted to add that part of the developmental readiness has to do with digit span. A person's digit span is the number of pieces of information they can hold in their mind at a time. It is part of working memory. There is auditory and visual digit span. Children usually have a digit span equal to their age until the age of 6-7. At that point it usually tapers off and stays in that range. Adults generally have a digit span of 6-9, but can be up to 12, I think (which would be really smart!).

 

Anyway, I've read that a child needs a digit span of at least 5 to be able to read fluently. This makes sense because, like your son, if a child can't hold all of the pieces of info in his head through to the end of a sentence then he loses the meaning (usually of the middle because the beginning and end are easier to remember).

 

So, to increase digit span, do things like the Simon game or Concentration/Memory game or anything else where the child has to hold info in mind while doing something else. Ask him to do 4 things for you (either small chores or make it a fun game) and see if he can do it. When he's ready, move up to 5 things.

 

An easy way to test digit span is to slowly say numbers (or colors or items or letters) in a row, leaving 1-2 seconds between each word you say. Then have your child repeat what he heard. This tests auditory digit span. If he can repeat 4 things, then his digit span is 4.

 

Make sure anything you do is fun, though! That should be top priority at this age!

 

HTH! That was all from memory and it was several years ago that I learned about it so you might want to google more info!

[Rosie]

Oh, also, I think the reason most kids read around age 5-6 is because that's when they hit a digit span of 5-6. My oldest started reading at 3 and her digit span at that time was 5. (That's how I started researching all of this.) My youngest is almost 4 right now and her digit span is somewhere around 4-5 and she is starting to read a bit but it is not fluent yet. I don't expect her to be reading actual books until her digit span increases a bit.

[lluv]

 

Second, when he's ready for sentences, download the free I See Sam readers. They are excellent! Way better than Bob books, and the sentences are SHORT. The child is able to gain fluency with the words he's reading by using them over and over again. My son is just now starting to actually "read" some words instead of having to sound them out every time. It's still slow and painful, but we're getting there. I use a "cursor" (index card with a notch cut out) to help focus on one word at a time, and that helps too.

 

 

Thank you so much for this!

[Lecka]

My son did well with word building/spelling, too.

 

When he had letter tiles to slide around or watch me slide around, it made it more concrete for him.

 

I spent a long time trying to do oral games with him in the car about blending and he could do it a little but it turned out not to be the best way for him to learn. I did a "robot voice" though saying sounds and then he would blend.... once he was started with blending he did enjoy this for practice in the car.

[MistyMountain]

I am very knew to this so I don't have any advice but I will be reading this because my dd is in this stage. She is 5 but we just started recently. She was stuck in knowing the sounds but having trouble blending it into a word. She is now over that hurdle and can sound out words but she has to actively sound out every word and struggles through sentences so sentences are hard. I was doing 100EL and bob books but I think I may go back to bob books at another time. She does better with the sentences in 100EL but she still is sounding everything out. She can get the words pretty good sometimes she messes up on a word but mostly she can now but she just isn't doing great with sentences because she is actively working on sounding things out. She is my first so I don't know whether to be happy with her progress which I think is great or a little concerned she is struggling so much when kids much younger fly through reading especially bob books. I think she is fine and she is doing so well blending words now. I think my kids are true late bloomers but I am a worrier and she is my first. All the talk about it being easier around 5-6 with a longer digital span is making me a little worried but thanks for this thread!

Edited January 1, 2012 by MistyMountain

[Rosie]

All the talk about it being easier around 5-6 with a longer digital span is making me a little worried but thanks for this thread!

 

I'm sorry if I made you worry! Totally not my intention. 5-6 is the AVERAGE age for learning to read, but just like there are kids who learn at 3 or 4, there are also kids who learn to read at 7-8 (or older!) and it is the perfect timing for them.

 

No one worries if a child walks or talks a little later than average, but for some reason if a child hasn't learned to read by 6 in our culture, then everyone starts freaking out. I think it's because of how schools are set up with specific standards for specific grades. It makes everyone think that ALL 6 year olds should be developmentally at the same place and it's JUST NOT TRUE. Every child is unique. So aren't you glad you homeschool and don't have to worry about keeping your child right at grade level for every single thing? :)

 

Really, your dd sounds like she's right on track and doing fine. Please don't worry!

[pitterpatter]

How fun...thank you! :D

 

Second, when he's ready for sentences, download the free I See Sam readers. They are excellent!

[jennynd]

When DD was at that stage of reading. I started sight words. I taught her sight words but using phonic. I follow the dolch sight words. I didn't do any other phonic with her until she had all the pre-primer and primer words down (do not have to sound out those words anymore). It helps greatly when she read sentence after that. It really built her confidence.

[savmom]

You can obtain all 52 of the I See Sam readers here along with some AWESOME lessons that correlate with each book. You have to register, but it is free.

[MeganW]

What really worked for 2 of mine was sounding out one word, then re-reading the sentence to that point and adding that word, then sounding out the next word and re-reading.

 

MMM-AAAA-TTT

 

Mat SSSS-AAAA-TTT

 

Mat sat OOOO-NNNNN

 

Mat sat on SSSSS-AAAA-MMM.

 

Mat sat on Sam.

 

If only this method would work for kiddos #3 & #4....

[MathGirl]

My DD3 is in this stage right now. A few months can definitely make a big difference. I plan to practice sounding out words in a fun way (make a game out of it) until she gets faster at it. Also, I found that teaching her a few sight words (the, a, I) has made a difference in her ability to read short sentences.

 

She loves playing the Bob Books app on my iphone even though actually reading a sentence is tough for her. The app focuses on building each individual word in the sentence and has different levels.

[Pug]

Hi, I've been teaching 4 to 5 year olds for the last 9 years.This is Pre-primary in Australia and the first year of a formal curriculum. My words of advice are below.

-It is developmentally appropriate and normal for children to slowly sound out every word at this stage. As long as he is hearing and blending the 3 sounds together at the end of a word by the end of the year, then he achieving at the expected standard. We are not looking for Fluency at this age!

-I always start with individual words first that have sound buttons underneath. The children also sound out and match individual words to pictures cards.The sentence you are giving your son sounds too long at this early stage. It is more effective to start at word level first before moving on to sentences. Books shouldn't be more than 3 words at the beginning.Decodable books that schools use usually start with 1 to 3 words on every page.No more at the very beginning. 

-Have your son make CVC words with magnetic letters (NOT the capitals).Phoneme frames (Google this term) are a highly effective way for a child to visually break apart sounds in a word in a clear and explicit way. I never introduce blending words for the first time with just letters.You need to make it highly visual to begin with fir the child to solidly understand it. For example, cat with sound buttons underneath each letter or in individual phoneme boxes. The children then progress on to reading a word normally with just letters. Doing it in a more visual way with phoneme marking, will set them up later blending/reading success. 

-A lot of children at this age progress towards being able to sound out each letter in the word but struggle to blend them together at the end at the start.If your son can blend the letters together in a word already,then he is doing well! Don't stress.They progress to that eventually. He is so young.

 

Google sound sound buttons and phoneme frames.That way you can see photos of what I am referring to.

 

Good luck.