My son is 5 yrs old and reading at a 1st grade mid-year level. I’ve also got a 3 ½ yr old beginning reader that learned to read just from watching her older brother. I’m confused about how to help them take their reading to the next level. It seems as though they both learned reading from sight or memorizing words. They both picked it up very quickly. I don’t get how they know as much as they do without understanding the rules of phonics. I wanted to formally teach them decoding skills so that when they get to an unfamiliar word, they can correctly sound it out. Right now, neither child sounds words out. They either magically know it, or if I tell it to them they seem to remember it moving forward. This method is only going to take them so far. I was hoping to find free printable worksheets online or workbooks that I can purchase to help me teach this to them. (I hope I’m using the word “decoding” in the right context. Specifically, I’m looking for resources that will teach them things such as long/short vowels, consonant blends, consonant digraphs, irregulars, r controlled sounds, etc…) Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Thank you so much for the great responses!! So many wonderful resources for me to check out now. I think I am going to have to try them all.
no biggy, they are reading from context clues, leave them alone, Do you know how to correctly sounds out all unfamiliar words? I know when i reread lord of the rings, there were some i got close enough to and it was exactly that close enough. Let them read and enjoy it.
you could always teach them out to use a dictionary.
Congratulations on your super-smart boys! My son is also an advanced reader, and on the basis of my experience with him, I'm going to advise something different from what everyone else has said: Just keep reading to them, reading with them, getting them books. But otherwise, leave them alone. If anything, get books that incorporate phonics, like, "The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat," but don't make reading into a chore. My son just developed decoding skills by reading nonstop. No phonics, no workbooks, just reading every minute he could. He taught himself how to read at just-turned-5, and when he started kindergarten, he was about where your son is. Now, a year later, he's read the first 4 1/2 Harry Potter books, solo. He just figured out the phonics as he went along. Enjoy! It's going to be a wonderful ride. :)
What you are talking about is phonics. There are a ton of little work books out there for Phonics. Any store, including our local dollar store, has them.
Any of the Big First Grade workbooks have exactly what you describe. Its been fun for my daughter to go through because, well, its easy for her and just adds another element to what she knows intuitively or from reading experience - same as your boys.
Why can't you teach them how?
Vowels have two sounds - the long and the soft. Breeze. They (long e in the first, soft e in the second).
Most letters have one sound, which you could teach them. And even the consonents that have two sounds (c for example) you could teach them that too.
Check out the book "How to Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". I believe this book is exactly what you are looking for. I used it with my youngest and can not say enough good things about it! In just 15 minutes a day I taught my then 4 yo to read. She was reading chapter books by kindergarten:).
start with short vowels.. teach them the sounds.. then the long vowels.
then move on to thge blends.. bl cl pr br..
then the sh th ph sounds..
I got phonics flashcards. and first grade phonics workbooks..go to a book store and see what workbooks they have.
my son learned to read magically like yours.. just figured it out.. reads first grade level at 5. my daughter needed phonics and is one of hte best readers in her kinder class. but it didnt come easy to her..
I homeschool. My favorite go to curricula are as follows:
Hooked on Phonics - This is the most cost effective and simple to use program. Everything you need comes in one box and books and materials are colorful and kid friendly. There is no preparation required on the part of the parent, just open the box and begin! It teaches incrementally from Pre-K to 3rd grade. You can find mini-versions at Target or see: http://www.hookedonphonics.com/
How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons - Very straightforward lessons. Downside is that can be very visually unappealing to some children as it is all black and white print. But it gets the job done fast and simple and it's all in one paperback book. Easy and cheap. Trusted, tried and true...well loved in homeschooling community.
See: http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Lessons/dp/06...
Explode the Code - This is used in both schools and among homeschoolers. These workbooks are very straightfoward, but the program is designed to roll out over a couple of years. You will want to supplement with reading books of your own choosing. Because there are many levels, it can get expensive.
See: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find/13...
Spell to Read and Write - Is very time intensive on the part of both the parent and student. It is an excellent and very thorough curriculum that combines handwriting, spelling, and phonics in one. It is multi-sensory and by the end of the program your child will have a very solid foundation and understanding of the english language and it's many complicated phonics rules. This approach is based on two other similar and equally popular approaches called the Orton-Guillingham Method and the Writing Road to Reading (also called the Spalding Method) which are also popular go-to for kids who do not learn reading and writing intuitively.
See: http://www.swrtraining.com/id23.html
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Road-Reading-6th-Rev/dp/006...
http://www.gophonics.com/orton_gillingham.html
Bob Books- You can find this incremental series (pre-reading and up) at most bookstores like Barnes and Noble. Nice, cute, simple readers for young readers.
I have used 100 Easy Lessons, too, and it did a great job with my son. Something a little less work intensive and fun for them as a back-up reinforcement on some of the phonic skills are the leapfrog videos. Letter factory and Word Factory in specific for phonic skills. We also have the Leapster Explorer, which while pricey, does a great job at getting them to "drill" without knowing that's what they're doing (bonus that it covers lots of math skills as well and adapts to their skill level). We are also homeschoolers and will be starting up with the Explode the Code series this year. Haven't really done much with it yet so can't give a personal recommendation on it, but it was highly recommended by oth homeschoolers so that's what swayed us.
