All About Grooming & Encouraging Good Reading Habits

[tamarind]

optimistforum:

Hi Tamarind


I hope you are well.

Before I go any further DS2 (who will be 6 in July) is making great progress with Peter and Jane; he started 12a today.

I have a concern though. Some of the new words he has learned are irregular words, like excavator, imagine, naturally - and he is struggling with these. I do believe he has now resorted to remembering words by sight, but has slipped on using phonics. Eg the \"vator\" part of excavator. He knows that \"a\" can be sounded as \"a\" or \"ay\" - but struggles. How can I get him to decode words. I was expecting that at this stage (Book 12a)he would be able to tackle new words. Any advice, please?

Or do I persevere with getting him to read copiously, so that by reading a large volume of words he is able to enlarge his vocabulary?

Any advice is welcomed.

Hi optimistforum,
My son also encountered the same problem at around 4 to 5 years old. What I did was to help him by covering parts of the words with my fingers. For the word \"excavator\", first I covered the rest of the word and only showed \"ex\". The I showed only \"ca\", then \"va\", then \"tor\". Kids at that age still require lots of practice.

Also, note that it is not necessary to make the child decode every word with phonics. Many words in English are sight words and cannot be read using phonics rules. In fact, I realized that my kids are using a mixture of both phonics and sight to remember new words.

After completing the Peter and Jane series, you should continue to let your DS read large number of books. This is the best way to build up his vocabulary, and it is also the best way to learn grammar.

Before the age of 6, kids should read many picture books like these :
http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2010/03/picture-books-from-my-home-library.html

When kids are able to understand more complicated plots, these are essential books for them :
http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2010/03/importance-of-reading-books.html

[optimistforum]

tamarind:

optimistforum:

Hi Tamarind


I hope you are well.

Before I go any further DS2 (who will be 6 in July) is making great progress with Peter and Jane; he started 12a today.

I have a concern though. Some of the new words he has learned are irregular words, like excavator, imagine, naturally - and he is struggling with these. I do believe he has now resorted to remembering words by sight, but has slipped on using phonics. Eg the \"vator\" part of excavator. He knows that \"a\" can be sounded as \"a\" or \"ay\" - but struggles. How can I get him to decode words. I was expecting that at this stage (Book 12a)he would be able to tackle new words. Any advice, please?

Or do I persevere with getting him to read copiously, so that by reading a large volume of words he is able to enlarge his vocabulary?

Any advice is welcomed.

Hi optimistforum,
My son also encountered the same problem at around 4 to 5 years old. What I did was to help him by covering parts of the words with my fingers. For the word \"excavator\", first I covered the rest of the word and only showed \"ex\". The I showed only \"ca\", then \"va\", then \"tor\". Kids at that age still require lots of practice.

Also, note that it is not necessary to make the child decode every word with phonics. Many words in English are sight words and cannot be read using phonics rules. In fact, I realized that my kids are using a mixture of both phonics and sight to remember new words.

After completing the Peter and Jane series, you should continue to let your DS read large number of books. This is the best way to build up his vocabulary, and it is also the best way to learn grammar.

Before the age of 6, kids should read many picture books like these :
http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2010/03/picture-books-from-my-home-library.html

When kids are able to understand more complicated plots, these are essential books for them :
http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2010/03/importance-of-reading-books.html

Hi Tamarind

I agree with you about covering parts of the word. What I have also been doing is making up extra phonics sound for DS2, eg “sion” as in mission is sounded as (shun). Seems to work with DS2.

I have printed off your Phonics and Reading Blog, as I will refer to the titles in. DS2 is a voracious reader now, and reads other books outside of P&J. I have a question to ask. When DS2 finishes 12b, should he read the Level 4 and 5 books in your Blog, or go straight to the Level 10. In other words after reading P&J 12b, is there any value in him reading the Level 4 Story of Ferdinand. Will it stretch him???

All advice from you is gratefully accepted.

PS, my DC see you as an educational Guru and they look forward to reading your responses. They also follow them to the letter. You make my job that much easier.

[hot]

hihi Jedamum,


can u pm me? thks

[tamarind]

optimistforum,

Even after kids have completed level 12b of Peter and Jane, we should still let them read picture books for as long as they want to.

Pictures are very important for the development of visual perception and comprehension. Both my kids are very good in comprehension, and I never have to spend time teaching them. I ask them to read out loud from books that are of a higher standard that level 12 everyday. At the same time, I have many wonderful picture books around for them to read on their own.

I don't consider myself an education guru, I am only sharing my methods with other parents, so that they can have an easier time teaching their kids. I am still learning

[optimistforum]

tamarind:

optimistforum,

Even after kids have completed level 12b of Peter and Jane, we should still let them read picture books for as long as they want to.

Pictures are very important for the development of visual perception and comprehension. Both my kids are very good in comprehension, and I never have to spend time teaching them. I ask them to read out loud from books that are of a higher standard that level 12 everyday. At the same time, I have many wonderful picture books around for them to read on their own.

I don't consider myself an education guru, I am only sharing my methods with other parents, so that they can have an easier time teaching their kids. I am still learning

Hi Tamarind

I am a little concerned as DS2 (a risng 6, will be 6 in July) still struggles with phonics, He has read Ladybird 1a 12 b, however, he still gets stuck with simple phonics even though he reads phnoics sounds everryday.

Would it be ok, if I got him to re-read Ladybird from 1a again - as well as daily practise of phonics.

[tamarind]

optimistforum:

tamarind:

optimistforum,

Even after kids have completed level 12b of Peter and Jane, we should still let them read picture books for as long as they want to.

Pictures are very important for the development of visual perception and comprehension. Both my kids are very good in comprehension, and I never have to spend time teaching them. I ask them to read out loud from books that are of a higher standard that level 12 everyday. At the same time, I have many wonderful picture books around for them to read on their own.

I don't consider myself an education guru, I am only sharing my methods with other parents, so that they can have an easier time teaching their kids. I am still learning

Hi Tamarind

I am a little concerned as DS2 (a risng 6, will be 6 in July) still struggles with phonics, He has read Ladybird 1a 12 b, however, he still gets stuck with simple phonics even though he reads phnoics sounds everryday.

Would it be ok, if I got him to re-read Ladybird from 1a again - as well as daily practise of phonics.

Hi optimistforum,
The Ladybird Peter and Jane series are mainly used for teaching sight words. It is better for you to use phonics readers.

I found this series of books from Ladybird :
Superhero Phonic Readers
http://www.ladybird.co.uk/ladybirdworldwide/phonics.html

I have not used the Superhero readers but they look interesting.


I have this series of books :
The Magic School Bus Phonics Reading Program
http://zilingyuying.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/the-magic-school-bus-phonics-reading-program/

I think it is quite good for practicing phonics.

[optimistforum]

Thank you Tamarind.


I will give it a try.

[tamarind]

optimistforum:

Thank you Tamarind.


I will give it a try.

optimistforum,
You are welcome

[jedamum]

hot:

hihi Jedamum,


can u pm me? thks

I tried to search for the link to the online shop, but apparently the link is no longer working. They may have closed down (maybe cos of too thin profit margin! :lol: ).

[hquek]

I stumbled on 2 great children authors recently - Lois Lowry and Kaye Umansky. I think I have this preference for humourous tales…life is hard, so read funny.


(All the books listed below are available from NLB.)

Lois Lowry - she wrote this series called "Gooney Bird Greene" about a young girl and the stories she tells to her classmates and teacher. Stories seem outlandish but somehow her mantra that "she never lies" holds true. It’s wordy but I think is suitable for younger kids (ie K level). There’s a lot of emphasis on how to start a story, sustain audience influence etc.

For older kids, she has books such as Number the Stars (about a young girl’s friendship with Jews during WWII) and Meet the Willoughbys (a hilarious tale of how 3 children and their parents got rid of each other and found their own happiness).

Kaye Umansky - more for lower primary children. NLB recently brought in "The Stepsisters Story" - a short funny story about Cinderella (from the viewpoints of her stepsisters). Other books me & DS1 read from her are "I am a Tree" - another funny story about a boy and his school play, "the Jealous Giant" etc.