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Favorite Strategy to teach reading to 4yo Tigger


Targhee
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My DS is 4yo, and showing interest in learning to read. We've done nothing for reading instruction so far, except let him watch Letter Factory. He knows all his upper and lower case letters and their sounds (only short vowel). He's figured out on his own how to decode CVC words. He makes guesses at other words he sees using context clues, his understanding of letter sounds, and his imagination :tongue_smilie: This is all unprompted. I waited with DD to be at this point to start teaching reading - and we breezed through 100EZ. She is very verbal-linguistic, and visual in her learning style, so a book was a great way to go for her. However, this guy is not visual or verbal-linguistic. He's very kinesthetic (strong auditory too) and he is more a global learner. The book is not a good option. Anything that involves simply sitting and looking is not an option. I am in no hurry. I don't really want a curriculum. I am just wondering what were your most successful strategies for this kind of learner for teaching reading. I've thought about just taking the 100EZ lessons and using the magnetic letters instead of looking at the book. But maybe that strategy is still to visual. Anyone with experience think AAS (I know it is spelling, but that some people use it for reading) would be a good fit? Maybe it's too structured for my guy.

 

Let me expand the learning style to include the fact that he is always in motion, and always has been (even in utero I thought I must have been getting ready to birth an octopus). He bounces or runs in circles as he talks, he likes to touch (and sniff and taste) everything, he really thrices on physical contact with people (everything from hugs & kisses to kung fu battles on the tramploline). He will sit (stay in one location, maybe not on his bottom) for 15-20 minutes to do things like puzzles or build legos, and maybe sit for 10 minutes doing dot-to-dots and mazes. Like I said, I'm not in a rush to start serious lessons. But I see him making the attempts to read, and I'd like to help him along.

 

TIA

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I am in no hurry. I don't really want a curriculum. I am just wondering what were your most successful strategies for this kind of learner for teaching reading. I've thought about just taking the 100EZ lessons and using the magnetic letters instead of looking at the book. But maybe that strategy is still to visual.

 

I put magnetic letters on the fridge and we would move "at" down a column of beginning consonants, but twirl and chant the word at each move. "Fat" (spin around) "Hat" (spin around) "Flat" (spin twice).

 

I also was given some homemade circles (two with a brad through them, the AT etc on the smaller top one, and the consonants on the bottom, slightly bigger one).

 

We also chanted rhymes as we bounced up and down the stairs. The games in SWR, like putting a huge clock face on the floor and running around it to make an "a" etc, clapping the syllables, chanting the vowels. I did this all with sounds, BTW. He didn't learn the names of the letters until we started 1st grade.

 

I also worked hard at having first 5 then 10 minutes at a stretch of sitting still and concentrating on SOMEthing. We did math, because he loved it and it was his best subject. Once he did his little stretch sitting still and focusing, we then did a very active, outdoor thing as a reward and release. HTH

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You could have him sit on a yoga ball while he's doing his lessons.

He could use the Montessori Command Game (you could make up the sentences with words he can decode).

You can program a few beach balls from the dollar store with phonograms, words, whatever, and play catch with him (he reads whatever his hands land on, or just his left hand, for example).

An old Twister game or shower curtain made into a giant game board can be used for a ton of things--spin the spinner, step to a spot, read the word that's on the post-it note attached (that way you can use it for lots of reading practice).

Bingo/Lotto is fun--use raisins or cereal as markers, if he likes to snack.

For such a tactile learner, you can make up Montessori style "kits" with real objects and have him match them to cards printed with the words. Make sure they are phonetic. I got mine on ebay--don't know if the person is still selling her kits or not.

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Thanks for great suggestions! I just reserved a montessori literacy book at the library. I've actually considered putting him into a montessori preschool (I've done observations at a perspective few already) because of his learning style and because he absolutely LOVEs being around other kids. We don't have any neighborhood kids, his sisters just don't play the way he likes to play, and playgroup/soccer/gym/church don't seem to be enough to fill his social needs.

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The Bob books have been a hit with my young son. The "I read the whole thing" aspect helps focus the attention span of a boy who can be squirmy. And they are about a perfect length.

 

The only down-side is you can burn through them quickly.

 

Bill

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I have one of those giant foam alphabet floor puzzles. I would put it down on the ground and call out the letter or sound and then have ds jump to the right one. Then I would put together a word like cat and have him jump the letters as he sounded it out. He liked it as a game.

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I have one of those giant foam alphabet floor puzzles. I would put it down on the ground and call out the letter or sound and then have ds jump to the right one. Then I would put together a word like cat and have him jump the letters as he sounded it out. He liked it as a game.

 

We did something similar, but ds used matchbox cars to race to the letters.:D

Mandy

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Thanks for great suggestions! I just reserved a montessori literacy book at the library. I've actually considered putting him into a montessori preschool (I've done observations at a perspective few already) because of his learning style and because he absolutely LOVEs being around other kids. We don't have any neighborhood kids, his sisters just don't play the way he likes to play, and playgroup/soccer/gym/church don't seem to be enough to fill his social needs.

 

Is the book Montessori Read and Write? I first checked that book out of the library and bought it soon after because I liked it so much. My oldest dd is very similar to your ds and the activities in this book worked wonderfully for her. Once she was spelling simple CVC words for a few months I found AAS and we've been using this ever since. I do also play reading games with her, many of them found in the Montessori book.

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