How To Teach Your Preschooler To Read
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Phonics For Three and Four Year Olds?
Teaching your child to read can be one of the most enjoyable things you will ever do. Preschool aged children are eager to learn and have an amazing capacity to absorb information. The key is to keep it simple and keep it fun. Do a little each day and maintain a relaxed environment.
I have taught four of my children to read using the methods I will write about. They were all fluent readers by age five. My seventh child is currently learning to read using this method.
*I taught my fourth and fifth children to read using a packaged phonics curriculum. They didn't begin to gain fluency until ages 6 and 8. This isn't to say that the curriculum was to blame. After all, every child is an individual and will learn at their own pace. I only mention this to show that a child can learn to read just as well without spending money on a purchased program.
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I have taught four of my children to read using the methods I will write about. They were all fluent readers by age five. My seventh child is currently learning to read using this method.
*I taught my fourth and fifth children to read using a packaged phonics curriculum. They didn't begin to gain fluency until ages 6 and 8. This isn't to say that the curriculum was to blame. After all, every child is an individual and will learn at their own pace. I only mention this to show that a child can learn to read just as well without spending money on a purchased program.
clipart credit
How To Teach Your Preschooler To Read
Getting Started
Don't Teach the Alphabet
I remember well my oldest son's first phonics lessons. They were a jumble of mixed up letter sounds, letter names, and names of the colorful objects decorating a set of "phonics" flashcards. By the end of the lesson, my son was in information overload and I was ready to pull my hair out.Later, I complained to my mother-in-law about the fiasco. "Sometimes he remembers the name of the letter but gives it the wrong sound. And by the time we get to the fourth letter, he's forgotten the first one!"
She looked at me and asked one simple question. "Why are teaching him the names of the letters?"
It was a good question. Why was I teaching them? After all, we don't read the letters. We read their sounds.
I went home and replaced the phonics cards with a laminated placemat with the alphabet printed across it in a variety of colors. This placemat was all my children needed to begin reading.
FREE ALPHABET CHART
A Home Start in Reading (Grades K-3)
Amazon Price: $1.46 (as of 02/12/2012)
How To Teach the Letter Sounds
Keep it positive
Here is how a lesson might look. The child sits in front of me as I hold up the mat. As I point to the first letter, I tell the child its sound. It is important when doing this that you are careful to say the sound EXACTLY as it would be sounded out in a word so that blending will come easier later. (For instance, if a child learns that the letter c says "cuh," then they will pronounce the word cat as "cuhat".)The child repeats the sounds as I say them. After three or four new letters, we start at the beginning again. I point to the letters and the child tells me their sound. If they don't remember, I say the sound and move on to the next one. We do this a few times, or until the child loses interest.
Sometimes I will draw on the placemat or use my hands to give a memory clue to help the child remember the letter. The whole lesson is treated as if it were a game to see what the child can remember. Sometimes I award a small prize for each sound remembered, such as a penny or a chocolate chip.
If you teach your child the phonics sounds without showing them what the sounds are used for, they will quickly lose interest. So it is important to allow your child to begin sounding out words as soon as they have learned enough sounds to make a word with. If your child knows the sounds for the letters "a", "c", and "t", show them the word "cat" and help them sound it out. Even if you do most of the "actual work", praise them and tell them, "Good job! You're reading!"
When the child can tell me the sounds of all twenty-six letters, we start reading sentences.
FREE ALPHABET FLASHCARDS
Memory Clues
My oldest always seemed to get stuck on the "f", so I started holding my bent finger up to look like an "f" and saying "Ffff, finger." After a few times, I could simply hold up my finger and he would remember the sound.
This worked so well that I came up with a whole alphabet of pictures shaped like letters: a-apple, b-ball and bat, c-cake with a piece missing, . . .o-olive, . . s-snake, . . . w-wave. I later discovered that the Waldorf schools also use this method. If you don't want to make up your own, you can find picture alphabets like these in the Curious George alphabet book and the Harold and The Purple Crayon alphabet book. It really helps kids to have something concrete to bring the letter shape and sound together.
FREE ALPHABET PICTURE CRAFT ACTIVITIES (lower case)
FREE ALPHABET PICTURE CRAFT ACTIVITIES (upper case)
- Writing the Visual, Kinesthetic, Auditory Alphabet
- Full of tips on engaging the students in the learning and remembering of the letters, how to write them, and what sounds they make. There are many hints for preventing backwards letters, and much more. This approach works because young children learn new information most easily when new concepts are tied to movements and to visual object with which they are already familiar.
- Phonics & Reading Worksheets
- Cut & paste activites suitable for young learners.
- Hidden Letter Worksheets
- Printable activity worksheets to practice letter recognition.
- Phonics Resources
- Free Printables for Teachers - flashcards, worksheets, handouts and game cards to match, phonics materials, projects, games, and more.
When They Won't Sit Still
My oldest daughter learned to read while sitting at her own desk. 
My middle daughter prefered to practice her reading while alternating between sitting, crouching, and standing next to me on the couch. Although this drove me crazy, it didn't seem to affect her ability to learn. In fact, she actually picked things up much faster than her older sister did. Each child has their own learning style and the key to success is to do what works for each of them as an individual.
Reading Stories
Give Your Child A Sense of Accomplishment
Now that your child knows all twenty-six letter sounds, they can begin reading simple stories. Because your child has been learning the letters in order, this step will require a transition as they learn to recognize the letter shapes in a different context.Point to each letter and give the child a second to name the sound before giving them a clue. You could show them the letter on their alphabet mat, do a finger sign, or suggest a word that starts with the same sound. If they are still stuck, simply tell them the sound and move on. Don't make a big deal about it or force the child to come up with the answer.
The important thing is that the child see how the sounds he has been learning can be put together to make words. With practice, your child will eventually remember all the letters; but if their first experience with reading is one of frustration, then reading will become something to be dreaded.
Most phonics readers I have seen have at least a few "sight words" that don't follow the rules. When you come to one of these words, just read it for the child, telling them, "This word uses different rules and we'll learn about it later." Or you can write your own stories which only contain words your child can read. Online Sources For Free E books
- Learning Island
- This site has hundreds of books that you can print out and keep. Teachers are welcome to print them out and share them with their kids, libraries can print them out and add them to their collection, companies can print them out and give them to their clients. However you cannot save the books on your computer or share the files with others. The books must be printed directly from the site. You are also not allowed to sell them for any price, including the amount it cost you to print them.
Because research has shown that kids who read for at least fifteen minutes each day become better readers and have much more comprehension of what they read, this site has created a number of short books that take children about fifteen minutes each to read. There are also a number of books that help kids learn core concepts and fun facts, as well as some books that are just for fun. Activity sheets are being added to go with many of the books, to reinforce concepts taught at each grade level. - Learning Page
- Sign up for a free membership to access the printable readers on this site. There are also a couple of additional books available each month. Be sure to check out their penmanship pages while you're there.
- Fantastic Phonics
- This is a start-to-finish Program of 60 Storybooks which teaches children how to read using Phonics. Sign up to receive access to 5 sample storybooks which you can print.
- The Baldwin Online Children's Literature Project
- The books listed here aren't for beginning readers, but it's a great site to keep in mind for future reference.
- Progressive Phonics
- Progressive Phonics all-in-one reading program with free phonics books and free alphabet books.
Additional Sources For Inexpensive Books
Swag Bucks
Swag Bucks is a free program which you can use to win points just for doing searches on the Internet that you would be doing anyway. These points can be applied to things like Amazon gift cards which you can use to purchase books for your young reader! What could be better than that? I've been using SwagBucks for a little over a year now, and have earned over $100 in gift cards. It is totally free and I haven't gotten any spam from it.
Paperback Swap
Paperback Swap is a website which allows you to exchange your unwanted used books for used books that you DO want. The only cost to you is for postage to mail out books when someone requests one, but this is MUCH cheaper than buying books brand new. You get 2 credits for listing your first 10 books, and 1 credit for each book that you mail out. You can also purchase extra credits if you desire. I used this site to get all of the books for my children's American Literature class last year and saved almost a hundred dollars. I've also used it to purchase out of print books for Christmas and birthday gifts. There are about a thousand titles listed under the search term "phonics."
When They Have Trouble Blending
At first, some children will have trouble blending the sounds of the individual letters into a word they can recognize. For my children, it seemed to be easier for the younger ones who had an opportunity to listen as the older ones learned to read.
Let your child listen as you blend sounds together. Do two letter blends and point to the letters so they see what you are doing. sssttt, st, ffflll, fl, etc. After a while, let them try reading some of the blends you did. Make it fun and help as needed.
When you read stories to your child, stop occasionally and point to an easy word. (This works especially well with stories they have memorized, because you can stop at a place where they know what comes next.) "Sound out" the word as you point to each letter. Then let them "guess" the word you read. Or read in "slow motion" so they can hear the sounds that make up the words.
Another trick I've used with my children is to have them sound out the word in their head (actually, they usually interpret this as whispering), then say it aloud.
Just keep practicing and eventually it will click.
Diagraphs, Dipthongs, and R-Controlled Vowels
Some Letters Make Special Sounds
When the child is comfortable with what has already been learned, I start teaching them some of the special phonics sounds. I use homemade flashcards to drill these. The sound is typed on one side of the card and a word using the sound is on the back side. These cards are laminated for durability and so that they will slide apart to make turning easier.
I introduce these sounds a few at a time, adding more every couple days or so, as the child becomes familiar with them. This is done in the same way that the alphabet sounds were taught. I hold up a card, say the sound, and have the child repeat it. After a few new cards have been added, we go back to the beginning. I point to the letters and the child says the sound. If they can't answer or answer wrong, I will tell them the sound and a word it is used in (on the back of the card). "It's _____ as in _________."
We go through them several times. Then, if the child still seems interested, I make some words with the new sounds and help them to read them.
The next day, we will review the same sounds, shuffling the cards each time we go through them. If one sound seems to be especially difficult for a child to remember, I may have them read a list of words containing that sound or go through the list pointing to the sound as they say it outloud.
FREE DIGRAPH AND DIPHTHONG FLASHCARDS
FREE! Bossy R Phonics Manipulatives and Worksheets
Flashcards, minibooks, worksheets, and more! Introduce your child to the concept of R controlled vowels and reinforce through a variety of different learning activities. These manipulatives use picture clues to help your child grasp the idea that "Bossy R" causes the vowels make sounds they don't normally make.
I introduce these sounds a few at a time, adding more every couple days or so, as the child becomes familiar with them. This is done in the same way that the alphabet sounds were taught. I hold up a card, say the sound, and have the child repeat it. After a few new cards have been added, we go back to the beginning. I point to the letters and the child says the sound. If they can't answer or answer wrong, I will tell them the sound and a word it is used in (on the back of the card). "It's _____ as in _________."
We go through them several times. Then, if the child still seems interested, I make some words with the new sounds and help them to read them.
The next day, we will review the same sounds, shuffling the cards each time we go through them. If one sound seems to be especially difficult for a child to remember, I may have them read a list of words containing that sound or go through the list pointing to the sound as they say it outloud.
FREE DIGRAPH AND DIPHTHONG FLASHCARDS
FREE! Bossy R Phonics Manipulatives and WorksheetsFlashcards, minibooks, worksheets, and more! Introduce your child to the concept of R controlled vowels and reinforce through a variety of different learning activities. These manipulatives use picture clues to help your child grasp the idea that "Bossy R" causes the vowels make sounds they don't normally make.
- Phonics World
- Free phonics worksheets and games
- Consonant Digraphs
- Word lists
- Adrian Bruce
- Free reading games, word games, phonics activities and phonics posters
- Sparklebox
- Free digraph booklets
- Cando's Helper Page!
- Printable practice activities
- Make Your Own Flashcards
- Free printable flashcard maker
Long Vowels
Introducing the Letter Names
When the child knows the whole stack of flashcards, they are ready to learn about vowels. These are also taught using flashcards.I explain to the child that all letters have both a name and a sound. We have been learning the sounds, but now we are going to learn a few of the letters names.
Most of the letters in the alphabet are consonants. But there are also five special letters called vowels. You can't make words without vowels.
When two vowels are together in a word, they act differently than when they are alone. Sometimes they make some of the special sounds we have been learning. But, most of the time, when two vowels are in the same word the first one says its name and the second one is quiet.
So if we are going to learn to read words with two vowels, we need to know their names.
We drill these flashcards just like the others, taking time to practice their new skills as we go along. Sometimes the child will get confused at this point and give the long sound to all vowels or forget to give a vowel the long sound when they should. As always, don't make a big deal of it. Just point out that there is only one vowel or that there are two vowels. If the child can't correct the mistake on their own, give them the answer and move on. With practice, they will begin to see the difference on their own.
FREE SHORT AND LONG VOWEL LAPBOOK
Super Simple ABCs Phonics Fun A-I
Visit the Super Simple ABCs website for more videos, games, and more.
curated content from YouTube
Super Simple ABCs Phonics Fun J-R
Visit the Super Simple ABCs website for more videos, games, and more.
curated content from YouTube
More Reading Fun
- Starfall
- A free website to teach children to read. Perfect for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Contains exciting interactive books and phonics games.
- PrimaryGames
- Language Arts games focusing on contractions, the alphabet, ABC order, vocabulary, spelling, reading, and writing.
- Sadlier Oxford
- Interactive phonics
- Mr Thorne Does Phonics
- Where learning to read becomes reading to learn!
Practice Makes Perfect
Read, read, and read aloud
By this point, my children all took off on their own. They read an amazing quantity of books, and seemed to pick up on the rest of the phonics rules through trial and error.If your child is still having trouble, encourage them to practice their reading by providing plenty of books that catch their interest. Also, take time to listen to them read aloud on a regular basis so you can help them with any problem areas that are revealed.
I hope you enjoy this adventure as much as I have.
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vtigaina
Feb 2, 2012 @ 11:40 pm | delete
- Great information now ready to try out on my 3yr old.
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Hi
Dec 31, 2011 @ 2:39 am | delete
- My son was very ahead of his time and started reading around 3. He got frustrated in school and used to just call out. They wanted to put him on medication but I would let him until his grades decreased and he graduated from HS, went to college, and works at GS. Sometimes medication isn't the answer....
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JoyfulReviewer
Dec 1, 2011 @ 12:41 pm | delete
- Wonderful resource ... nicely done! Congratulations on having one of the top 35 homeschooling lenses.
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MCB2011
Nov 29, 2011 @ 10:01 pm | delete
- This is an excellent lens. So helpful. You did a great job!
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RobinDM
Nov 24, 2011 @ 2:03 pm | delete
- Wonderful! Thank you.
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by LilliputStation
LilliputStation
Homeschooling mother of nine: ages 8 months-16 years. We love notebooking, lapbooking, unit studies, and hands-on education. Visit Lilliput Station Adventures... more »
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