frustrated dd wanting to read, help

[joysworld]

My five and a half year old really really wants to read. We've tried HOP and 100EZ, and she HATES them. I've tried computer games but she hates those as well. She gets so frustrated. I'm not pushing her, she's the one that comes to me and tells me she wants to do school and read. Usually because she sees brother doing school. She can sound words out, but she can't blend them.

 

I don't know how to help her. Ds taught himself to read, so this is new territory for me.

[jennynd]

My five and a half year old really really wants to read. We've tried HOP and 100EZ, and she HATES them. I've tried computer games but she hates those as well. She gets so frustrated. I'm not pushing her, she's the one that comes to me and tells me she wants to do school and read. Usually because she sees brother doing school. She can sound words out, but she can't blend them.

 

I don't know how to help her. Ds taught himself to read, so this is new territory for me.

 

we kinda went through similar phase. dd saw the big brother doing school and wanted to do it too. She asked to be taught to read and 100 ez and HOP didn't work. She ran the other way when she saw the book. and DS was a self taught reader also ....

what worked for us was sight words. We switch to sight word. (taught with phonic) and once she got the pre-primer and primer words. We started to read simple book, one sentence a time. Once she got the blend and sight word down we then restart HOP. She getting her confidence in reading and doesn't have to sound out EVERY SINGLE WORDS. It went very very well after that.

[danybug]

I am in kind of the same boat as you. My ds basically taught himself how to read, so this is my first time teaching phonics.

 

I ordered 100EZ did not like it. I borrowed Phonics Pathways from the library and did not think it was what I wanted either. I ordered and have been using Classical Phonics from Memoria Press and really like it. I LOVE the simplicity. I have been pairing it with two simple phonics card packs that were in the dollar bins at Target. And we have been making headway. I think it all seems so simple that my dd does not jinx herself in to thinking more into it and getting flustered and quitting.

 

Since we have begun using these items, my dd now enjoys using starfall.com. Oh, and something else that really helped my dd see the "bigger" picture for putting letters together to make words is watching the Leap Frog Talking Words DVD.

 

Anyway, I obviously am not an expert but thought I would throw out there a few of the things we have been having some success with.

[MandJsMama]

We really liked the Now I'm Reading books. They really helped my daughter feel successful and proud of herself for reading a whole book. It is a very gentle but fun introduction to reading, without making it feel like "work." By the end of Level 3, both of my kids were off and and running with reading and easily moving on to books like Little Bear and Frog and Toad.

[frugalmama]

Have your tried the leap frog dvd reading series? They worked for my dd.

 

There are 3 or 4 in the series - one on letter sounds, one on basic words, one on complex words, and then another on actual reading that covers chunking and hwo to read out loud.

[MomatHWTK]

Sit side by side with an easy book. Read along with your finger under the words. Pause a bit before words you think she might know to give her a chance to read them before you do. When you get to a word she can sound out, either ask her to try or slowly sound out the word yourself- modelling the blending, etc.

[llindseymomoffour]

I am going through the same exact issue with my 5 year old girl right now. I was afraid to ask about switching to sight words as I know a lot on here are against them, but that is how my oldest learned when in the school system and my 5 year old has the same learning style as him, so I think I will try that with her and put off AAR for now.

[merry gardens]

If she can sound out the sounds but not blend them together to make words, she might need some additional help with phonemic and phonological awareness. That basically means the realization that words are made up of smaller sounds and how to identify them.

 

Can she rhyme? Can she identify beginning, middle and ending sounds in words? If so, can she do that for two and three letter blends (like the "bl" and "nds" in blends)? Also sometimes related to this, is her speech easy or difficult to understand? If her skills in these areas need improvement, there are ways to develop them.

[Ellie]

AlphaPhonics would be good. Or PhonicsPathways.

[MerryAtHope]

I would play some oral blending games with her. Say 3 sounds and see if she can guess the word. You can do words like "kite" that have more letters but still just 3 sounds as well. My kids used to love this and also loved saying 3 sounds and having me try to blend them. They always made nonsense words, but that still helps them to hear what you do with the individual sounds. When she gets good at being able to blend the sounds she hears, then blending the sounds that she sees in a word on paper will become easier.

 

Another game that is fun is to use letter tiles or magnet letters to make words, have her say the sounds, help her blend it if needed, then change one letter to make a new word (big-bit-pit-pat-pad-mad) and so on.

 

You can also play games like "going to the zoo" or "going to the grocery store" and finding something that starts with the /__/ sound. (say the sound, not the letter name), and you try to guess what the other is thinking of. Games that reinforce listening to a first or last sound in a word, or rhyming etc... will all help to build phonemic awareness skills, which are important pre-reading skills.

 

Encourage her to hang in there, she'll get it! Determination is a great thing :-), and if she can add in a little perseverance too, she'll conquer this.

 

Merry :-)

[Reflections]

Maybe a whole language approach might work? We own Teach Your Child to Read with Children's Books and I have enjoyed it's insights. I also own Hands on Phonics and have used many of the activities. With my ds I have been attacking his reading instruction from all sides and from above trying to meet every need because a singular approach wasn't really working.

 

http://rainbowresource.com/product/Teach+a+Child+to+Read+With+Children%92s+Books+4ED/001678/1ec04b470c742fe19b742073?subject=5&category=816

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hands-On-Phonics-Activities-Elementary-Children/dp/0130320161/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334287168&sr=8-1

[ALB]

We had similar frustrations when we tried 100 EZ lessons, but saw significant improvement with OPGTR. I always use the chalkboard until they are reading fairly well (and until the sentences just become too long to copy :tongue_smilie:), and I think that makes it less intimidating.

[mumto2]

Since she can sound out words try the first BOB books. Once they read one they build nicely.

Edited April 13, 2012 by sawuk
spelling error

[pitterpatter]

Are her pre-reading skills solid? Can she identify all letters and sounds without trepidation? Can she identify the beginning, middle and ending sounds when presented with a CVC word? How is her rhyming? If those skills aren't solid, maybe find some fun workbooks and/or games that work on those skills...ease her into a more formal reading program. Might also look into learning a few sight words to propel her reading. Search for "sight words" on this forum for suggestions.

 

PS - Where you using the new HOP or old HOP? DD really enjoys it (new HOP). You can take it as slow as you want...one page at a time. We supplemented with hands-on word family paper crafts/games. I haven't looked into it, but how about ETC's Get Ready for the Code books? Plaid Phonics? IDK. Just trying to brainstorm with you.

[Tanikit]

Sit side by side with an easy book. Read along with your finger under the words. Pause a bit before words you think she might know to give her a chance to read them before you do. When you get to a word she can sound out, either ask her to try or slowly sound out the word yourself- modelling the blending, etc.

 

:iagree:

As for blending I would not keep questioning her on it - just do it for her and keep doing it. You sound it out and you tell her what it says. After doing that for a while you sound it out and then leave a small gap before telling her what it says so that if she knows she can fill in the space. Start with cvc words and other simple phonics.

 

I probably would teach some words as sight words though don't leave the phonics altogether - teach just enough to get her reading with your help.

[RachelFlores]

My dd was right where your dd was about a year and a half ago. I found several things that helped. We played a lot of phonological awarness games. I got the book Phonemic Awareness in Young Children: A Classroom Curriculum which has a lot of great game ideas in it. The, even though dd knew the sounds every letter made, she was still thinking too much about the vowel sounds. Vowels have to have instant recognition. We drilled those vowel sounds every day, before and after any reading lesson. Then I got Phonics Pathways and made the train game they have in it that teaches blending. We played the train game every day till she "got" blending. Then I moved her to Bob books and Starfall books and she was able to read them sucessfully. I kept waiting for her reading to "take off" like I heard other people talk about. It may happen with your child, but it may not. Dd works hard at her reading every day, but every phonics rule has to be taught and practiced a lot, nothing just comes to her. It is not what I expected when I started teaching her to read and I'm aftaid those expectations lead to frustration on both our parts. I am much more patient now.

[joysworld]

She can rhyme, and she has no problem with identifying the first or last sound of a word, but can't identify the middle sound. She does know all of the letters basic sounds, and a few of the additional sounds of some.

 

I don't know if it's the new or old HOP? I bought it about 3 years ago brand new from HOP.

 

Ds taught himself to read using whole words, and now at age 7 (next month) he can't read words that are 8 letters or longer, and it's iffy on 6-7 letter words. So we started up AAS so he can learn all the phonetic rules.

 

I've always been very against whole word approach, but I think I am going to get some bob books, or even just the HOP books and just teach her to recognize those words? And then later do the same with her that I'm doing with ds?