Mergath Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Dd just turned four last month. She's been able to read CVC words for awhile now, and I'm slowly teaching her to read longer words and sentences. However, a problem has emerged. Dd has a good memory. Like, scary good. She can hear a book once, not hear it again for a month, and then recite the story almost word-for-word. She memorized "The House that Jack Built" after hearing it twice. With her readers, she'll read through each once, sounding out the words and actually reading, but with all consecutive readings she just recites what she has memorized. She's not really getting a lot of actual reading practice that way. So... what do I do? I can't afford to buy a new reader every day for her to practice on. I can stand there and write new words on our whiteboard, but that's going to get boring quickly. She does want to actually read, and she can't help that she memorizes books so quickly, you know? Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Have her memorize the phonograms (Spalding) and teach her phonetic reading through spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Have her memorize the phonograms (Spalding) and teach her phonetic reading through spelling. :iagree: And don't forget about the library. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 Have her memorize the phonograms (Spalding) and teach her phonetic reading through spelling. So, after she memorized the phonograms, would I take her through a program like AAS? Sorry if I'm a little on the slow side tonight... I had to take one of my anti-anxiety meds earlier and they make me a bit, er, stoned. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 So... what do I do? I can't afford to buy a new reader every day for her to practice on. Use library books and online vintage readers (from google books or wherever) and save your money for better stuff. Also you can play games from Mona McNee's phonics program. http://www.phonics4free.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Have her memorize the phonograms (Spalding) and teach her phonetic reading through spelling. :iagree: This is what worked for ds6. He must have a photographic and perfect auditory memory. It is really scary what he recalls. He taught himself to read very young but I started him with SWR phonograms at 4 and the full program at 5. That memory sure comes in handy when memorizing phonograms and spelling rules. No need for readers...Spalding-type programs get them reading real books without leveled readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I second the recommendation to use phonograms. I also have a daughter with a freaky-good memory. I used the SWR phonogram cards and taught her to read in 3 weeks. Then I kept a pile of books and got more from the library that were devoted solely to reading practice. I never let her read one more than once. As soon as she was reading fluently, which was maybe 6 or 8 weeks after we started, she moved on to chapter books, and we used SWR solely for spelling. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 After she memorizes the phonograms, you open up a world of choices. You don't really need a program for this. (And at her age, it may be smart to simply learn the phonograms and search for them in words in her favorite books.) Memorize phonograms. Pull words from a book she likes and analyze the sounds on a board...maybe use magnets b/c they are fun. Have her copy the words as she is able. AAS, SWR, WRTR are all solid programs...just be sensitive to her fine motor skills. She might be ready for reading and spelling, but not the handwriting (or not that much handwriting). Use your momma-instinct to determine how much is enough. But, as a newly 4yo I'd simply make a stack of phonogram flashcards and memorize a few at a time...and take a relaxed, child-led approach and see how much she applies that way. When she's 6yo or so, you could give her a placement test and she will likely test out of the early levels even without going through the program (if she's that quick kwim). Oh, Happy Phonics is fun and age-appropriate and will likely be enough to really get her reading from what you've posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 DD is 3 months older than yours. We get like 7, 8 books from library every week. She also has excellent memory and I never have her read anything twice other than when I need to increase her confidence to go on next level. Library is your friend. DD does Hooked on Phonics and she just finished 2nd grade from both older and new version. the good thing about the program is that there are so many stories and books available to the program and you don't need to repeat a book to make the phonics stick especially you combine the old/new (both can be found very cheaply on ebay and Christian books.com). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I did two things with my DD when she started doing this. 1) Cover up any pictures on the page so she has no visual clues. 2) Change up the order that she reads the pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 Thanks for the ideas, everyone! :) You've given me a lot to look into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsrae Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 That is very exciting! Next she can move on to Latin! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Nonsense words in poetry or reading may help her to draw on her phonics skills rather than rely on her memorization. But I would really take advantage of that good memory for auditory things by reading to her, having her listen to audiobooks that are above her skill level, and teaching her all the poetry you can. I think it's good to have heard a wide range of words to have that auditory memory to draw on when you read the word on a page. Someone made the comparison to those who play music by ear vs reading notes. Both are important. But coming from a family who were traditional in music instruction and being friends with a family who were Suzuki all the way, I've got to say that I envied my Suzuki friend. I always wanted to hear the piece played, not so that I could memorize it (I wasn't that capable) but I needed to hear how it sounded for the rhythm. I could read the notes perfectly well, but I could never keep a beat or understand timing. Hearing it helped me to know how fast or slow I should play. In the same way, I think, hearing the words helps you to know how they should sound, where the syllable should strike the hardest, so that when you read it, you can say it as it should sound. Just my two cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 teach her phonics and just have fun with books. Don't stress about levels. Follow her interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 My oldest dd has a great memory. She also had very little tolerance for readers. There was a short period of scrambling to figure out what to do, and then she was just "a reader". :lol: She pretty much skipped Bob type books and went straight to easy chapter books (like Amelia Bedelia). After that, she was on to the Boxcar Children. She figured out a lot of longer words by context and intuition. I used AAS to fill in the phonogram knowledge, long after she was reading complex words. HTH. It worked for us. BTW, the fun part of a kid with a freakishly good memory is when they start giving oral book reports. As a just-turned 5yo Dd wowed a group of new friends with a "report" on Impressionists. They thought she was some kind of wonder kid. ;) I recognized much of it as word for word phrases from the book we had read. :lol: :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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