teaching to read

DD knows her letters and letter sounds but we are at a standstill from there...I don't know how to help her understand that those letters make words and such.

Is there a technique you used? Did you just pick up a book and start going? Use workbooks? A computer program? Etc...

Any advice is appreciated  .

Get easy books like board books, and just read. I do that with my oldest and he is 22 months. He is starting to spell dada "D..A...D...A...D" but that is verbally so I am starting to spell more words that he says so he can learn.

I know when I was younger my grandma had these really easy books like what they use with kindergarten and she would read those with my sister and I until we started recognizing the words to read.

I am not the biggest fan of technology so I don't plan on using it to teach my kids much of anything while they are little 

I've started my son with sight words. I think that's helping with the whole concept of letters spelling words and stuff lol

We use index cards. Labelled stuff around the house and will ask her to spell it out and tell us what it is. Then we will ask her to spell a word thats not in front of her and see how close she gets, then shell find the object to see the correct way. Sometimes we wil also take the words down and ask her to put them on the correct object.

We used zoophonics but If she knows the sounds u don't need that. But the zoophonics books are like $12 a piece but dd is able to read them independently because it's all words they can sound out phonetically. We have book 1 and 2 level A. Available at zoophonics.com. Not a great storyline but a good confidence booster. We also bought BOB books. We got them through the scholastic book orders. I think we have a level 1 or skmething. Some are too advanced for beginning readers even though they say for beginning readers. They're mostly like for picture readers. Not phonetic readers.

When I first start teaching kids to read I Hve them short CVC words like cat an do all of the at family words. I wrote a book I use in my classroom
Called a fat cat. It repeats "a fat cat sat on a " then fills in a did at family word. Rat, mat, bat, hat. It's a huge confidence booster. then I wrote one called Dan ran. Same concept. "Dan ran on a " pan, fan, can.

For DD I used to write the words on paper. Then cut them out once she read it on er own and we made a word wall. Se could go to it and practice. I put all the same word families in the same row do she could learn memorization of high frequency words and gain fluency.

It is hard at first because if they havent reached the cognitive stage of understanding how to click it in their brains as a word it's useless. Just keep trying CVC words and have her do each sound as you or her points to them. Then show her how to say it faster and blend it together. Shell get better with prac.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Momma +2 Girls:</b>" We use index cards. Labelled stuff around the house and will ask her to spell it out and tell us what ... [snip!] ... the object to see the correct way. Sometimes we wil also take the words down and ask her to put them on the correct object."</blockquote>

Do remember that they do not have to spell them right. Invented spelling is a normal developmental step to writing. That is when they write words the way they hear them. So as long as she's spelling using the right sounds but maybe not the right letters according to the English language it's ok  

Quoting Chuck Bass:" I've started my son with sight words. I think that's helping with the whole concept of letters spelling words and stuff lol"

I am trying to remember sight words to start with. In first grade I remember doing "I, the, and is". What words did you start with?

<blockquote><b>Quoting Chim Richalds:</b>" I am trying to remember sight words to start with. In first grade I remember doing "I, the, and is". What words did you start with?"</blockquote>

I Hve a HF word list by grade but that would mean I'd have to find the book it's in haha. I'm
Sure u can google kindergarten high frequency words and it'll tell you. Basically and the I a etc.

Thanks ladies! These are all doable suggestions  . I feel like she has known her sounds for so long and we're just not doing anything with it and it is time to move forward. It is a daunting task though.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Chim Richalds:</b>" Thanks ladies! These are all doable suggestions  . I feel like she has known her sounds for so long ... [snip!] ... her sounds for so long and we're just not doing anything with it and it is time to move forward. It is a daunting task though."</blockquote>

It is daunting. But don't fret if she doesnt get it. Just wait a few weeks and start again. It won't make her want to read if it's a chore.

Quoting lolajessup:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Chim Richalds:</b>" Thanks ladies! These are all doable suggestions ... [snip!] ... But don't fret if she doesnt get it. Just wait a few weeks and start again. It won't make her want to read if it's a chore."

She's pretty young yet so I just wanted to do it for fun so her brain is doing something new, we're pretty into Waldorf style so no pressure, lol.

<blockquote><b>Quoting lolajessup:</b>" <blockquote><b>Quoting Momma +2 Girls:</b>" We use index cards. Labelled stuff around ... [snip!] ... as long as she's spelling using the right sounds but maybe not the right letters according to the English language it's ok  "</blockquote>


True !  

We started off sounding out letters(after learning the alphabet)..pointing to words as I was reading so he could tell how the letters sounded.


I have the little vtech alphabet magnets(fridge phonics)..super cute, fun. My son used it on our front door. We also watch educational programming..ie sesame street, superwhy. I watch it with him, ask him questions.

I suggest books, lots of them. Dr. Suess beginner books especially. They are weird, cooky, and fun. The first book my son read was One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. I thought he was memorizing books, then I tested him with the fish book..needless to say I was shocked.

We also did alphabet flashcards...made a game out of it, sang songs, spelled words. Then, we moved on to beginner word flashcards(sesame street dollar ones). Eventually, he picked it up and ran with it. Make it fun, easy, and game-like.

I find it hilarious my kid could read before he was potty trained  

Quoting j0des(+2):" We started off sounding out letters(after learning the alphabet)..pointing to words as I was reading ... [snip!] ... up and ran with it. Make it fun, easy, and game-like. I find it hilarious my kid could read before he was potty trained  "

Wow ya, that is impressive!

She just started showing an interest like a week after i posted this so we have been sounding out words together. She only likes to try one or two words herself at a time, then gets bored. It is a little challenging because she doesn't have the capacity to sit at all. We love Dr. Seuss and we also love Mo Willems' elephant and piggie books, she likes the speech bubbles and trying to figure out what they are saying.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Chim Richalds:</b>" Wow ya, that is impressive! She just started showing an interest like a week after i posted this so ... [snip!] ... we also love Mo Willems' elephant and piggie books, she likes the speech bubbles and trying to figure out what they are saying."</blockquote>


I suggest 2/3 letter words at first..with similar sounds.

Like at, cat, rat, bat, ect. At words. Hy words, why, shy, cry. It words, hit, bit, kit, mit. Make it a word game and she will totally catch on.

I dunno how my second is going to live up to my first haha but at 11 months, he is totally catching on with a couple colors(he says boo and gee lol), the rings, and blocks.

I must sound like a crazy person but 0-5 are super important ages..they are little sponges! I dont pressure them at all, I let them learn at their own paces through play..its alot of fun and its amazing how smart they are! Its hard to keep them challenged as well..