Parents are always asking, what should I read to help my child learn

Well here’s a great suggested reading list for kids up to 3.

• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
• Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
• Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill
• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
• Corduroy by Don Freeman
• The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbitby Beatrix Potter
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr
• I Can! Can You? by Peggy Parish
• I’m a Little Mouse by Noelle & David Carter
• Miffy series by Dick Bruna
• Tom and Pippo Make a Friend by Helen Oxenbury
• Mr. Gumpy’s Motorcar by John Burningham
• Do You Want To Be My Friend? and The Very Hungry Catepillar by Eric Carle
• Freight Train by Donald Crews
• Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack
• Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue? by Tana Hoban
• Blueberries For Sale by Robert McCloskey
• Quick As A Cricket by Audrey Wood
• Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes

What were your favorites for your little ones?

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

What is the right age to start learning to read?
Most children can begin at age four. You can begin teaching the sounds of letters at about four years. Simple reading instructions can be started about the same time. By five the pace of new learning and reading fluency can increase dramatically. Most children can learn to read at the second-grade level, by age six.

Can I hurt my child by starting early?
Of course not, but you may help significantly. Studies conducted over the last thirty-five years concluded that early reading gives the child a significant advantage in school. Children who start reading before the first grade maintain their lead in reading and comprehension over their “regular pace” peers through grade school. Early readers are also likelier to excel in other academic subjects as well.

About 10% of all children show signs of reading problems in second and third grade. By starting early you decrease the chance that your child will be one these children.

What about phonics?
Although the ABC Phonetic is primarily a phonics-based program, we do recognize that there is a great deal of brouhaha over phonics. Any reading program based solely on phonics is both boring and difficult for the child and is incomplete. Our language is not totally phonic and many words do not follow phonics rules and need to be memorized. We need phonics to teach the child how words sound. But reading fluency can only be achieved when the child learns to recognize the word as a whole rather than sounding out. A successful reading program must combine phonics with some elements of whole word approach.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

In order to read, every child must know the sounds of the alphabet letters. He must be able to recall them quickly – he sees the letter and says the sound without hesitation.

1. Test your child’s knowledge of alphabet letter sounds by using the alphabet. Point to each letter and ask your child to, “Tell me what this letter says.”
   *The alphabet list has no pictures, so your child has to rely totally on memory.
   *You are asking your child to tell you the letter sound, not the letter name.
   *Write down letter sounds that he or she misses. This is a good place to begin fixing your child’s auditory gaps.
2. If your child needs to learn most of the alphabet letter sounds, help her create her own Alphabet Book. Staple some pieces of paper together and ask your child to draw pictures of items that begin with the sound of each alphabet letter.
3. You can also teach alphabet letters and letter sounds by using an Alphabet Chart with pictures.
   *Be sure to point to each letter as you are saying the letter name and letter sound.
   *Review the alphabet chart once a day and pretty soon your child will be able to point to each letter and say the sounds himself!
   *I have an alphabet chart tacked on the wall at kid-height of my son’s bedroom so he can look at it.
4. When you are teaching a letter sound, be careful not to add an “uh” sound at the end of the letter. For example, letter s should sound like a snake hissing, with no throat sound. Letter s says ‘sss,’ not ‘suh.’ If your child learns letters ‘c’, ‘a’, ‘t’ as sounding ‘kuh,’ ‘aah,’ and ‘tuh,’ those sounds will not come together to say cat!

Children have different learning rates. Your child may need lots of direct instruction to learn the alphabet sounds. Don’t forget, he will learn letter sounds more quickly with a short daily review.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Graphic organizers have proven to be powerful learning tools in the science classroom. The use of graphic metacognitive techniques for improving learning has yielded successful results for both teachers and students. One such graphic organizer for learning content material is the Concept map.

1.Select several concepts from the content material (8-12 preferable).
2.Write each concept on a separate post-it or card.
3.Select an organizing concept or main idea concept to be placed at the top of the map.
4.Arrange the other concepts in a distinct hierarchy under the organizing concept.
5.Draw lines between related concepts adding linking words that explain relationships.
6.Review and Reflect. Once satisfied with the arrangement of the concepts on the map, construct a final map.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The Directed Reading-Thinking Activity  engages students in a step-bystep process that guides them through informational text. It is designed to move students through the process of reading text. Questions are asked and answered, and predictions are made and tested throughout the reading. Additionally, new questions and predictions are formulated as the student progresses through the text. While the teacher guides the process, the student determines the purpose for reading.
To introduce the strategy, the teacher gives examples of how to make predictions. A preview of the section to be read is given by having the students read the title and make predictions.
Independent thinking is encouraged as knowledge from previous lessons is incorporated into the predictions. All student predictions should be recorded by the teacher, even those that will later prove to be inaccurate. Misconceptions are clarified by the reader through interaction with the text and in post-reading discussions.

This type of instruction is used most often in High School and Early College Learning.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The Think Aloud is a literacy strategy designed to help students monitor comprehension and direct their thinking as they work through the problem solving process. This literacy strategy can be implemented effectively in many content areas. Through teacher modeling, students are “talked through” the thinking processes. The teacher should keep in mind that the comments must exemplify metacognitive  awareness so that each step in the process is modeled for the students. Questions are to be encouraged after the problem is solved.

Students can practice the Think Aloud as well, either individually or with partners. Peer instruction enhances learning as students share their own thoughts. On the video, you can watch a student think through an estimation problem using whole numbers. As the technique becomes routine, confidence and the ability to use the Think Aloud strategy independently will grow.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

When a child is learning to read it is important that they have help inside and outside the classroom.  Here are some ways you can help your child with their reading in your home.

Read with your child every day for 30 minutes.  Have them read to you as well as you read to them.  This is even important before your child starts to learn how to read since it will help them with letter and word recognition.  You can also make reading a family activity by having each member read a page out of a book. If you show enthusiasm while reading then it will make it fun for your child.

Take your child to the library every week.  It is great to always have books available around the home.  Help your child get a library card and let them pick out their own books since children like reading what they find interesting.  Also, get a childrens dictionary for your home and teach your child how to use it.

Set a good example by showing your child that reading is important.  Read magazines, newspapers and books and make reading be a fun activity for them.  Show them that reading is something to look forward to.

Keep track with your child’s reading progress in school.  Ask your child’s teacher what areas your child needs help on and what you can do to help.  Also, praise your child about their reading efforts.  Children tend to learn better when they feel positive about their efforts.

If you have any more questions on ways you can help your child with reading at home please visit here or contact us at ABC Phonetic.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

A lot of terms get thrown around when your child gets tested for learning disabilities. Don’t worry. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to your child’s education, but we’re here to help.

AAC
Augmentative and alternative communication refers to ways (other than speech) that are used to send a message from one person to another. We all use augmentative communication techniques, such as facial expressions, gestures and writing, as part of our daily lives. In difficult listening situations (noisy rooms, for example), we tend to augment our words with even more gestures and exaggerated facial expressions.

Articulation disorders
Articulation refers to speech sound production. Speech sounds are classified according to the place of articulation, manner of articulation and presence or absence of voice. Disorders of speech sound production characterized by substitution, omission and/or distortion of sounds.

Auditory processing disorder
Auditory processing is a term used to describe what happens when your brain recognizes and interprets the sounds around you. Humans hear when energy that we recognize as sound travels through the ear and is changed into electrical information that can be interpreted by the brain. The “disorder” part of auditory processing disorder means that something is adversely affecting the processing or interpretation of the information. An Auditory Processing Test is done to determine if a student is processing auditory information (that which he/she hears) effectively. This testing can take 1-2 hours to complete.

CAPD
Central Auditory Processing Disorder is condition in which one has difficulty processing or interpreting auditory information when presented in a less than optimal listening environment; difficulty understanding and/or processing spoken language in the absence of hearing loss. CAPD is diagnosed by an audiologist.

Hyponasality
Hyponasality refers to a lack of air exiting through the nose during speech production, which can make overall speech difficult to understand. Hyponasality usually results from some sort of blockage in the nasal area, often due to enlarged adenoids or some other source of nasal congestion. In English, “m”, “n’ and “ing” are sounds where clear production depends upon free passage of air through the nose.

Orton-Gillingham methods
The Orton-Gillingham methodology utilizes phonetics and emphasizes visual (what we see), auditory (what we hear) and kinesthetic (what we touch/feel) learning styles. Instruction begins by focusing on the structure of language and gradually moves towards reading. The program provides students with immediate feedback and a predictable sequence that integrates reading, writing, and spelling.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s reading, writing, or study skills contacts us today at 1 (800) L-E-T-R-E-A-D 1-800-538-7323

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

If your interested in learning more or meeting families with similar child literacy challenges you can reserve tickets at on the AZ literacy Website

Bookmark It

Hide Sites