Every kid wants to stay up past bedtime. Every kid wants a story read.

You will need a pad of paper and a black felt tip pen.

Day 1.

Ask the child that you just put in bed if they'd like to do sounds.

I told you it was simple.

But here's the rub: if they appear to not understand your question, pick up a book (like you always do) and read it to them.

If they are still awake at the end of the book, ask them once more if they want to do sounds. If they continue to ignore your question, kiss them good night and leave the room (the way you always do).

If they respond positively, write on the pad the letter 'A' (I used only caps to keep it simple. I introduced lower case letters later). Say, 'ahh'. That's the key. Stop as soon as they start losing focus, gently put the pad and paper away, kiss them goodnight and stay patient.

It's highly unlikely that they will have any clue about what you are doing so the first time you try this and they want to do sounds, don't be surprised if it looks like it isn't working. If they appear lost, smile and kiss them goodnight. Tell them to think about it for tomorrow.

If they stay focused (by their own choice - no force), continue with the simple sounds. 'T' is a good one. Any consonant that they know how to pronounce works. If they've stayed focused and can repeat the single sounds, make simple two or three letter words using those sounds. Add vowels and repeat the process. Again, stop as soon as they lose focus.

Follow standard phonetic practices, i.e. blends, etc. Have them pronounce the sounds you give them.

Here's the most important thing to remember and it's also the hardest to keep in mind (because we want to race to the finish line once they appear to have joined the race): stop, gently put the paper and pen away and kiss them goodnight the second they start losing focus.

Do NOT teach them the names of the letters. Teach them the sounds the letters make.

Do NOT correct their spelling. If it makes phonetic sense, accept it and go on. 'Kat' works just as well as 'Cat'. They'll correct the spelling on their own.

By teaching them to read this way you accomplish much more than just teaching them to read.

You teach them patience.
You teach them consistency.
You teach them real love and gentleness.
You teach them how to focus.
You teach them that letters and sounds make sense.

But mostly, you teach them to choose all those things. You give them that power.

Day 2. Repeat day 1.

It may take a few days for them to make the choice to do sounds. That's actually a good thing. I've found that what is said to them might not register for days and days. Then it's like a light switches on. Once they start, it becomes hard to stop (but that's a good problem to have).

Incidentally, when reading to them before bedtime, follow the same rule about focusing. If they lose focus, stop. Gently put the book away, kiss them goodnight and don't make the process a punishment. Disengage slowly, perhaps make a soft comment about the reason you're stopping. Tell them you'll continue tomorrow, etc. A small conversation explaining what focusing means (tell them just once) is also a good idea.

If it's not bedtime and you're reading a fairly complicated book that might or might not have pictures, have them lay on their backs on the floor and close their eyes while you read. Stop occasionally and ask them to describe the pictures they are making in their heads.

And don't be afraid to ask them to do seemingly very hard mental tasks. When they are young and not around other children they just accept your requests as natural and even if they can't do what you ask immediately, their little brains start working on it. And before you know it (and when you've forgotten about it), they'll astound you with what they can do (like recite an entire book of poems before bedtime instead of reading).

It should never become a chore, however. That'll turn them off quick as anything. Nor should it be a chore for you. Find a book that interests you and read that to them when they are done with "The little engine that could".

I read the Narnia series to them and we fell in love with Reepicheep together.

When they were very young I read Robert Louis Stevenson poems with them.

It was the happiest time of my life.

As I revisit this subject some of the things we did start coming back to me. Here's a list of the ones I can remember:

1. Read road signs.
2. Read road signs backwards.
3. Read words in books backwards.
4. Do sound copying games. One person has to make a sound and the others have to copy it exactly. That trains the ear and helps in many ways.
5. When you are reading a book to them, have them point out specific sounds on the page. Sacrifice a book or two and have them draw circles around the sounds you request them to identify.
6. Initially, when you are teaching them sounds and the letters we use for those sounds, stay away from 'ph' words and focus on 'f' instead. Introduce 'ph' as a wierd way of saying 'f'. It's important for them to grasp the concept of a symbol relating to a sound we make. Once they get that, then go ahead and get complicated.