Cheeky todder don't want to learn phonics

[lchunleo]

hi all,


i have been trying to teach my 3 yr old toddler son to learn simple phonics. However, he had been cheeky and don't want to learn anything. He was cheeky wheni tried to ask him to pronunicate the words. He deliberately come up with wrong answer. Any idea how to handle such situation? Thanks

:imdrowning:

[osim]

There is no need to learn phonics to become an early reader. In fact phonics take away the joy of reading. I used the whole language method with my kids, they started reading independently at 4 yrs of age. By 7, they were reading the 7 books in the Chronicles of Narnia. It was a treat enjoying the fruit of our labour reading to them and with them prior to that. Always read for the stories, not the pronunciation. The latter is painful and does not engage the child well in the story.


$0.02

[Nihauma]

Dont stress your 3 yr old. I dont think it is necessary to know phonics at 3. Or at all! I never learn phonics but can read english fine. Agree with osim totally on reading for enjoyment.

[sharonkhoo]

Don’t bother to question him if he gives cheeky answers. You are just allowing him to misbehave. Kids absorb what they here very easily, so just keep reading to him and pointing letters and sounds out now and again. And I agree with osim that reading should be mainly for enjoyment, not ‘learning’ at this early stage. Language awareness and appreciation is more important at this stage. Phonics can be taught later.

[cherrygal]

Zoophonics 3-4yo class (N2) is only teaching the letters and their sounds, no sound blending yet to make words. Think they start learning how to blend at 4-5yo class (K1). Good that you are making the effort to teach but there is no need to rush if he is unwilling. Make sure he gets a good foundation in the alphabet and the individual sounds first.


I also let my kid watch the Leapfrog DVDs.

[lchunleo]

thanks for your response, i must admit being kiasu…haha…trying to give him a routine of learning things (and reading his books eventually) rather than unstructured form of learning since time is aplently for him now. I am a bit frustrated/disappointed when i failed to get some "serious" attempt/answer from my child but have to agree that every child have their own timetable to learn things.


regarding the usefulness of phonics, initally i don’t buy into it as i myself not phonics trained as i am based on sight reading. but i realize the importance of phonics comes when encountering new words, one will need phonics to piece up all the words to sound correctly (without the use of modern tool like electronic dictionary). but i must say phonics can be dry and difficult even for adult…so i will try to adjust my expectations.


Presently, i do my own phonics card to learn with him and also try to teach him phonics whenever i could, when conversing with him or reading books to him or even bathing for him…embedding in more vocabulary for him so that he learnt without stress but unconsciously learning things. i think that is more fun rather sit down and learn.Today i tried to teach him to learn using the eraseable board where i draw picture (of things that he like) and teach him the individual parts of the drawed object and realized that he did know some alphabets and name of objects.

[lchunleo]

just to share, "I CAN READ" only teach their students phonics starting from 4.5 yrs onwards.

[cherrygal]

I already salute you for putting in the effort to teach by yourself and making all those cards.


There were no phonics lessons when we were little, most of us learned ABCs in kindy then sight reading in P1 onwards. However, now it is important to know how to read independently by end of K2 coz teachers in P1 don’t teach the basics any more. They expect kids to know how to read, spell, show and tell. Those who did not have these basics will lag behind. So it’s OK to start early as long as the kid enjoys it.

[sharonkhoo]

lchunleo:

just to share, \"I CAN READ\" only teach their students phonics starting from 4.5 yrs onwards.

Studies have shown that the average age for blending is around 4-5 yrs and independent reading about 6 yrs. It's to do with the child's brain development, so it's really no use rushing.

[Nebbermind]

slmkhoo:

lchunleo:

just to share, \"I CAN READ\" only teach their students phonics starting from 4.5 yrs onwards.

Studies have shown that the average age for blending is around 4-5 yrs and independent reading about 6 yrs. It's to do with the child's brain development, so it's really no use rushing.

:offtopic: slmkhoo, isn't your time zone in middle of night now? :scratchhead: