school aged children

I know these are probably going to sound like stupid obvious answer questions but I am having difficulties.

For one...
How the hell do you teach someone to read?... I think I am doing it right? I read the book over and over with him and try to have him recognize words and sound some out, and try and read the story back to me with help.

Another thing, he is excellent at writing his name both first and last but... he always writes like TAKING UP THE ENTIRE PAPER. He starts out little and then just goes GIGANTIC. I have tried lined paper and told him to stay in the lines and he just kind of does his own thing...

I am trying my best to help him with both things because I know he needs to be good with them before he starts kindergarten but holy crap it hurts my head sometimes. I could never be a teacher...

He's honestly probably ahead of most kids he will be in kinder with already.

Reading one book to him over and over is teaching him to memorize it not read it.

Start by sounding out the letters with him. Once he knows all the letter sounds start by teaching him to sound out 2-3 letter words. Then move on to simple sentences in books where the picture tells the story because then it'll be easier for him to figure out the words.

Just keep working on the lined paper. DD is in kindergarten and she sometimes has a bit of trouble writing small. But is getter much better with practice. She wrote her own letter to Santa in nov and was so proud of herself for writing in the lines.  

Why do you feel he needs to be good at those things before kindergarten?

My daughter writes out the letters in her name, just jumbled all over the page. I'm not worried about her reading, but she does play with flash cards.

I have my son sound out the words. He looks at each letter individually, makes their sound (if he says a short vowel instead of a long vowel I'll correct him) but them I tell him to just keep sounding it out faster and faster til he gets the word...If he sounds it out, but it still isn't right, or he gets too frustrated, I'll sound it out quickly for him, and he usually can tell me what the word is. I wouldn't read it to him first, because then he'd just try to memorize what I say instead of trying to read it himself. Tell your son to look at teh pictures to help figure out the words...

For reading, it's phonetics. He needs to learn all the letters and their sounds, then learn how to put the sounds together. Then he can work on sounding out 3-4 letter words, and once that's mastered slowly work on bigger words.

As far as the writing, that's just something that comes with age/experience. The more he works on it, the better he'll get. My 2nd grader JUST got the concept of writing on the line, and smaller this year.

Quoting Mommy|Of2:" Reading one book to him over and over is teaching him to memorize it not read it. Start by sounding ... [snip!] ... much better with practice. She wrote her own letter to Santa in nov and was so proud of herself for writing in the lines.  "

not over and over... I read it once and then we go over it together once.

Quoting Legendary Yermom:" For reading, it's phonetics. He needs to learn all the letters and their sounds, then learn how to put ... [snip!] ... more he works on it, the better he'll get. My 2nd grader JUST got the concept of writing on the line, and smaller this year. "

okay thank you! it makes me feel better hahaha I cannot remember smurf from when I was that little so I wasn't sure if it was an age thing or him just having to practice

Quoting Kimber-lily:" Why do you feel he needs to be good at those things before kindergarten? My daughter writes out the ... [snip!] ... letters in her name, just jumbled all over the page. I'm not worried about her reading, but she does play with flash cards."

that's what they enforce in his pre-school and with kindergarten. I just want to be sure he is up to speed with everyone else.

Quoting Piecey.:" He's honestly probably ahead of most kids he will be in kinder with already."

Yeah, his teachers said they are impressed with how much he knows already.
I just... want to make sure he is on the ball with writing and stuff because I dont want him the odd one out not knowing what they do.

Quoting InkDMomma:" Yeah, his teachers said they are impressed with how much he knows already. I just... want to make sure ... [snip!] ... want to make sure he is on the ball with writing and stuff because I dont want him the odd one out not knowing what they do."

Don't stress too much about it. You're doing a great job already! When my oldest went into kindergarten, they didn't look for a lot in their initial assessments. Understanding patterns, recognizing colors, recognizing letters and numbers, rhyming even if they are nonsense words, counting to 10...there were some physical skills they assessed but I cannot remember what they were.

Quoting Piecey.:" Don't stress too much about it. You're doing a great job already! When my oldest went into kindergarten, ... [snip!] ... they are nonsense words, counting to 10...there were some physical skills they assessed but I cannot remember what they were."

thank you. I try not to stress lol I just want him to be the best he can possibly be. We went to the kindergarten parent meeting last night for him to start next year and it just made my brain explode hahaha

It's going to be so weird without him around for 8 hours!
Yeah he can do all of those things. They were impressed he could point out states and stuff on a globe but we only have worked on that because we have family in so many states and he wants to know where they live and how far it is from us all the time. and both these little stinkers can count to at least 30 without any help.