How do you teach reading? Curriculum or in a more Natural way?

[Michelle My Bell]

I have taught the first four of my children to read, each a different painful way. I am on my last child (age 6 boy). Last year we did All About Reading pre-level. This year we started with AAR Level 1 and I was surprised he could actually sound out and blend really well. However I found the program was moving at a completely different pace than he was ready for so I essentially slowed the program till it stopped all together. When I was at Barnes and Noble the other day I picked up a Kumon book. My Book of Rhyming Words

 

Anyhow, he has really been enjoying it and has done about 4 pages everyday. He is reading the words fairly easily. So I decided to try and have him spell them from memory at the end of each lesson and then the next day before the lessons. During the lessons, I have him sounding out the sounds as he is writing them. It is going very well but I am trying to figure out if it is enough and if he is getting a good foundation.

 

I am not sure where I should go from here once he finishes this or if I should be adding something to it. What do you think of this method? What do you recommend I add or go from here? This feels more natural than working through a preplanned program. I feel like we are going at his pace instead of the pace set by a program.

 

Do any of you do a more natural way of teaching reading?

[Another Lynn]

Michelle,

 

I cannot say I have taught any subjects in a natural way, LOL. I am not a natural teacher. But, I can very much identify with this quote:

 

I have taught the first four of my children to read, each a different painful way.

 

:iagree: Teaching reading has been painful every time. With everyone so far it has been a two steps forward, one step backwards situation.

 

I think you'll know if you need to go back to a more "formal" curriculum, just like you knew when it was going too fast.

 

As far as where to go after Kumon, I usually try Explode the Code for awhile when I'm trying to figure out what we need next.

 

And, really this is just a "bump" so that someone smarter than I am can post and tell you the method you're using is just like xyz curriculum, so therefore you're doing just fine. :001_smile:

[sbgrace]

I See Sam felt very natural here but, in actuality, it's a well designed program. I did some other, more formal, things later using a phonogram based approach. But the I See Sam really got my struggler going and both boys loved those books.

[Ellie]

I think you should do whatever works for you. :-)

 

Older dd was reading when I took her out of school during Easter break of first grade (ABeka phonics). I never did anything else with her except to allow her to read.

 

I did Spalding with younger dd, although we only did it for about six weeks in the fall, for two or three years. She was a mighty stubborn little person, and wanted to do everything herself. :glare: Spalding isn't great for independent learners, lol, but I don't regret doing it with her, and I would do it again with an independent learner, because it's just so good.

 

It never hurts to do organized, systematic phonics with a child, at least for awhile. I like Spalding because it teaches dc to read by teaching them to spell, killing two birds with one stone. :D

[FO4UR]

I'm teaching my 6yo to read right now too. He's 3rd in line, so he benefits from my previous mistakes too.:tongue_smilie: I follow no program for him, but I take from several.

 

 

 

Finish the Kumon book that he is enjoying. Don't add too much too fast.

 

 

Happy Phonics is an effective tool, a nice and natural way to internalize those phonograms.

[Element]

I don't know if this is what you are looking for by "natural approach" but my dc just watched a lot of Electric Company and Super Why and read a lot of Dick and Jane and Dr. Seuss. Every night I would read aloud one story (a chapter of a hard book, like "The Wizard of Oz" or whatever) and 2 easy readers. We just read the same 40 or so easy reader books over and over and over again. I guess it eventually just stuck. My mom said that was exactly how I learned to read too: PBS, read-alouds, and Dick and Jane/ Dr. Seuss.

 

I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to teach reading, so I'm certainly not trying to give any advice on the subject. If, however, you want to just have lots of easy reader books around for him to work on with you, I would suggest just having him read from high-interest easy-readers like Fly Guy, Henry & Mudge, Biscuit, Dick & Jane, Frog & Toad and Seuss books. It sounds like he has the basics down already. FWIW, it took a full 2 years before either of my kids could spell at the level they were reading, so I wouldn't necessarily judge a child's reading ability on his or her spelling ability (but again, I could be totally off base.)

 

Best of luck to you. I hope you can find something a little less painful for you both.