All About Teaching and Learning Phonics

[tamarind]

MadMum:

tamarind:

Dear all,

I would like to share the little stories written by my daughter, now 6 years old :

http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2009/02/written-by-chloe.html

I actually have not spent time teaching her how to write. I only make sure that she knows phonics very well, and that she reads consistently everyday. She has been reading many of the wonderful children's classics, like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Little House on the Prairie, etc.

A child who reads very well, naturally knows how to write.

:salute:
I'm so impressed. She writes and draws so well. Congratulations. You must be really proud of her. How did you teach her to write ? My daughter's 5 and a half, and she can barely read !

Thanks for your compliments

My efforts are only concentrated on teaching her phonics, and reading using the Ladybird Peter and Jane series. She spells most of the words using phonics techniques, and some words from memory. Since she has been reading consistently everyday, she knows the high frequency words very well. After she finished reading the Peter and Jane series book 12a and 12b, I let her read a wide variety of books. I make sure that she reads at least a few pages (about 200 words a page) everyday, even during school holidays.

I almost never ask her to practice writing. And I don't have time to teach her to write stories. I guess because I strictly limit the amount of TV she watches, so when she has nothing to do, she thinks of stories to write and draw. I only discover her stories after I return home from work. I guess since she has read so much, when she wants to express an idea, she naturally knows how to write the words.

I believe that parents should concentrate their efforts in teaching a child to read very well first.

[sleepy]

tamarind:

Dear all,

I would like to share the little stories written by my daughter, now 6 years old :

http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2009/02/written-by-chloe.html

I actually have not spent time teaching her how to write. I only make sure that she knows phonics very well, and that she reads consistently everyday. She has been reading many of the wonderful children's classics, like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Little House on the Prairie, etc.

A child who reads very well, naturally knows how to write.

Your dd is amazing !!!

Mine is an avid reader but no output in terms of writing. Painstakingly teaching her how to compose stories. Tough

[tamarind]

[quote]Your dd is amazing !!!


Mine is an avid reader but no output in terms of writing. Painstakingly teaching her how to compose stories. Tough[/quote]sleepy,
Thanks

What kind of books are your girl reading ? I am sure that as she reads even more, she will be able to write well.

[sleepy]

tamarind:

[quote]Your dd is amazing !!!


Mine is an avid reader but no output in terms of writing. Painstakingly teaching her how to compose stories. Tough

sleepy,
Thanks

What kind of books are your girl reading ? I am sure that as she reads even more, she will be able to write well.[/quote]She likes Roald Dahl. Besides playing with her sister, she spends all her free time reading. She's a bookworm. However, I've never seen her write anything on her own initiative like your girl. I'm so impressed

[pea]

Hi Tamarind,


Wow

I was admiring your girl's drawings - really creative and lovely. Did she learn to draw herself too?

My boy doesn't like art and craft at all. When asked to colour, just scribble over the whole page and beyond! Onto the table! :!:

Same with painting. His classmates are drawing beautiful buses and trains and his picture is an abstract art - blotches of paint! :oops:

[tamarind]

Hi pea,

Thanks Yes she has learned to draw on her own. Actually she draws more than she writes. She loves to draw.

Hi sleepy,
Roald Dahl's books are very good, very imaginative and unconventional. Perhaps you can encourage her to write at least a few sentences everyday, about what she has done, or what she has been thinking. Creative writing can also be about real life experiences Just change the names will do

[tamarind]

I would like this share some parts of a good article from The Malaysian Women's Weekly :

[quote]
Get your little one to love books!

What kind of books are suitable for our children, and at what age ?

Although every child's reading capabilities may differ, there are certain standard guidelines that you can follow when choosing books for them. Here's a rough guide :

Birth to six years old
Big and bold prints, with a combination of cartoons and photographs. Words and stories should be simple so that children can relate to the story easily.

Seven to 10 years old
Average sized prints, with a good selection of pictures. Stories may have underlying messages such as moral values, filial piety or being conscientious.

12 to 17 years old
Normal-sized prints, with few pictures in between the pages. \"By now children should be reading by themselves, so provide them a good selection of fiction and non-fiction books to widen their general knowledge\", advises Jenny Stachan (Head Teacher at the Lorna Whiston Study Centre).


POINTS TO REMEMBER
If children see you reading often, they'll want to do the same.
Most of the time, children dislike reading because they cannot understand what they're reading. For them to enjoy a book, they must be able to comprehend the story.

Choose a wide variety of books to avoid boredom.
Show an interest in what your child is reading by asking about the story or which parts they liked most.

Use a special reward system
For older children, allow them to watch a favourite TV programme or have an extra hour of play, provided that they have read for at least 15 minutes. This way, everyone gets to reap the rewards !


YOU MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EARLY YEARS TO SOW THE SEEDS OF INTEREST IN READING, AS IT WILL TAKE MORE WORK IF YOU MISS THAT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.
[/quote]

[tamarind]

Most experts will tell you that you should read regularly to your child from birth. However, reading to your child is not the most effective method of teaching your child to read. You may find yourself reading until your child is 6 years old, and he/she is only able to read simple books.


I have found the most effective way is to teach the following at the same time :
1. Phonics
Start with the Leapfrog Letter Factory and Talking Words Factory DVDs. Checkout my blog about how to practice phonics at home :
http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-teach-phonics.html

2. Reading out loud using the Ladybird key word series (Peter and Jane series)
According to Ladybird :
12 key words make up one quarter of those we read and write
100 key words make up half of those we read and write
About 300 key words account for three quarters of those we read and write

The Peter and Jane series let kids learn the 300 key words very quickly. Thanks to this series, both my kids (5 and 6 years old) are able to read normal-sized prints, with few pictures in between the pages, which according to the article above, is meant for 12 - 17 years old.

Parents may think that this series is old fashioned and boring. But the fact is that it is the best series for kids to learn to read, and it is especially good for kids of average abilities who need many repetitions in order to learn. Parents who have kids with very high learning ability may not need to use this series, if the parents have been reading regularly to the kids.

Read my blog for more explanations about how to use the Peter and Jane series :
http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2008/12/key-words-with-ladybird.html


The fact is that any mommy can teach your child to read at home, if you use good resources. It may seem that I have spent many hours a day teaching my kids to read, but the fact is that I am a full time working mommy, and I can only afford to spend 15 minutes a day to teach each of my kids to read. I started when my boy was 3 years 3 months old, at that age he could not read a single word. By teaching him consistently everyday, using a combination of phonics and the Peter and Jane series, he is able to read Roald Dahl books before the age of 5.

I have heard comments that kids below the age of 6 should not be made to read books with a few hundred words a page, because this may cause the kids to dislike reading. This is not true. A child who reads very easily, will love to read. My 6 year old girl has been reading books of a few hundred pages since she was 5 years old. She often giggles and laughs when she reads, she is transported to a whole new world of fun.

Most people think that reading is a chore or a difficult thing to do for kids, and that by making a child read everyday, he is not enjoying his childhood. This is a misconception.

The truth is that reading wonderful books can be great fun for kids

[ksunflower]

Hi,


It is always a pleasure reading this forum as there are so many wonderful mommies here that shared great tips on teaching our children to read.

Hi tamarind,

I have followed your blog for some time and I must say I have since became a fan.... The tips you have shared selflessly in teaching phonics and reading works for my child as well. I have just started my 4.5 yr old son on P&J not too long ago and he is now starting to recognize the words and read ! Thanks to you. :celebrate: And kudos to you ! :ugogirl:

[tamarind]

ksunflower:

Hi,


It is always a pleasure reading this forum as there are so many wonderful mommies here that shared great tips on teaching our children to read.

Hi tamarind,

I have followed your blog for some time and I must say I have since became a fan.... The tips you have shared selflessly in teaching phonics and reading works for my child as well. I have just started my 4.5 yr old son on P&J not too long ago and he is now starting to recognize the words and read ! Thanks to you. :celebrate: And kudos to you ! :ugogirl:

ksunflower,
You are welcome I am very happy to know that your son is reading now I am glad that you find my blog helpful, but you are the one who has done all the hard work !