Beginning Reading

Does the thought of teaching beginning reading lessons scare you?

Your child is ready to learn to read. They have been begging for you to teach them. Now what?

First, remember your response to your child’s efforts will make a lasting impression on his or her future attitude.

Be patient. Try to imagine yourself learning to read Chinese…that’s about what the experience may be like for your child.

The more encouraging and understanding you are, the more likely the lesson will be successful and the less likely it will end with tears from all parties involved.

Your ultimate goal is to nurture a child who loves reading, not just one who can read.

Next you need to find a program that will guide you through the process.

As a teacher, I had a few children who learned to read using a strictly phonics based approach. I had a few others learn to read using a strict whole language approach. Overall, a combination was the most effective.

Sometimes, like in the case of my youngest child, minimal beginning reading instruction is needed. I remember being worried about teaching her to read because my oldest had learned in public school – and I’m a READING SPECIALIST who taught dozens of other children to read!

I had all the pre-reading activities in place from day one. When she was almost 5 years old she told me she wanted to read like Sarah (my oldest.) She knew her alphabet and letter sounds just through play and repetition at home so we started out reading BOB Books because that’s what they had at the library. She got through the first set and decided she was going to read “real” books. She totally skipped the “easy readers” and went straight to books like Little House on the Prairie (a family read aloud favorite.) She never read these aloud to me (she didn’t want to), and I don’t even know if she got all the words when she read it, so I left her alone and kept reading aloud to both children every day. I’d have her read a line or two every now and then. Sometimes she needed help, sometimes she didn’t. Before I knew it, she was reading everything in sight and comprehends texts far above her “grade level”. I never really gave her any kind of reading instruction, so it’s bittersweet that I never actually got to “teach” my own children how to read.

Of course, not all children will learn this way and some instruction will be necessary.

No matter how you choose to to go about teaching reading, continue to read orally every day.

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