Reading Lessons

I tried the “whole word” method of teaching my girls to read, but I found that they were only pretending, memorizing the story and repeating what they remembered based on the pictures.

Then I tried a book called Reading Reflex, but the girls looked at me as if to say, “I do not understand. Just tell me the answer so that I can make you happy.” And I got frustrated with myself because I could not find any other way to explain.

I picked up this book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons out of desperation. My husband told me that M was fascinated by the pictures, and so I gave it a try.

The lessons include the following:
· Saying words fast and slow
· Rhyming
· Individual sounds
· Stringing sounds together
· Reading comprehension
· Writing

The book contains word for word what the instructor should say to the student. At first, I did not like being told what to say, and I did not like the special text that helps a new reader to adjust. However, the results speak for themselves: after 50 lessons, M is reading at a 2nd grade level, and she is only 5 years old!

She astonishes us every time she says, “Mommy, I saw a sign that said…” or when she picks up a new book and only needs help with a few words. On her own, she began to write her own stories, sounding out the words and writing the sounds she hears. Not everything is spelled correctly, but the more books she reads and the more stories she writes, the easier the stories are to read.