Struggling Reader? Establish a Routine... And Stick With IT!

Establishing a routine is not difficult, it's sticking with it that is the toughest part! I've noticed that homeschool families are usually one extreme or the other- overly structured and routine driven or have had the 'today we are starting a new routine' talk every week for the past 5 years. Whether your child is struggling to read or flat out doesn't want to read, establishing a routine and sticking with it, for as long as it takes, can often dramatically change a situation.

Things to keep in mind before you start:

• Pressure to read perfectly does not help! If they are on a roll reading a sentence or reading a paragraph in a story, don't stop them to correct a misread or skipped word. Often we parents are so focused on fixing errors that we forget recognize the positive.
• Reward programs can be great motivators for children, but make sure it is tailored to them and is an achievable goal. If using a reward program start small and work your way up, don't make to reward feel unattainable and avoid rewards that are fulfilled too far in the future (they will lose interest and stop trying).
• Don't compare him or her to other children! This child is different in many ways from his/her siblings and peers. Phrases like "The other kids in your class don't seem to be having as much trouble with reading as you are," or "When your sister was your age she was reading two grade levels higher!"
• Set your priorities first, then set theirs! We parents are not perfect, but we are responsible to lead by example. If we are stressing that reading is a priority, especially before tv and video games, than it is essential that we stress that in our own lives.
• Use your local library! Books can really be expensive so check out your local library. Let them pick a few books that interest them and take a look at any free events they may be hosting. Our library always seems to have something new going on.

Steps to starting an effective, stress free reading routine

1. Establish a time that is consistent and is typically a quiet time in the home. For example: Every school day we are going to read for 1 hour, from 10-11am. This is the most difficult for people to follow, especially when there are other children in the house but once a routine starts it will become part of the daily flow.
2. Find an area. Reading in bed in not usually a good decision. If I have trouble staying awake when I read in bed, kids will too. Also choose an area away from distractions like their toys and tv. It is important that they do not feel removed from everyone else either. They should be in a comfortable area, not anywhere they may feel like they are being punished.
3. Allow them to choose a book or story, and once it's picked stick with it.
4. Bring a snack. I might bring a surprise snack that is themed after the story my daughter is reading.
5. Put clear expectations on them and hold your ground. What is your goal for them? Do you want them to read more in general, improve their reading skills? Kids, regardless of the activity will test to see if you are serious. For example, I expect my daughter to fill out a one page book report when she is done. Some books I have reading guides for her to fill out while reading. Overall I expect her to pay attention when she is reading and to be honest with what she has read.
6. Create activities related to what your child is reading. For example, if your son is reading about pirates, create eye patches and recreate a scene from the book! You'll have a ton of laughs, I promise!

Do you have a reading routine? Share with us what works for your family, and what doesn't :)

Have Fun Teaching Word Blends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blends Get Married! <3

 

When I was teaching the TH and WH blends with my daughter, we had a wedding party. We made cupcakes and wrote TH and WH on the tops. Now when they are together they make their own sound that no other two letters can make. It might seem cheesy but she still remembers that activity from 4 years ago!

 

 

 

Do you have any suggestions for other fun ways to teach blends? Please share!

 

 

Preliteracy to Literacy- Birth-5

Preliteracy skills and activities are ones that will create a supportive environment for your child to begin reading. This actually begins when your little one is a baby! I will try to break it down in to a simple to follow list, including activities, that you can follow through the stages. Keep in mind that no one is perfect! If you are starting now with your 5 year old don’t worry! It’s never, ever too late. You might have a bit more of a challenge but hey, challenges make life interesting.

·         Read to your baby!

o   Ages birth-1 year old

Ø  Have a quiet time set aside each day for baby-mommy story time. This is usually before bedtime or nap time when it’s time to relax. Board books are great to use, they aren’t easily damaged and usually have vivid pictures. Books with real pictures are best but often more difficult to find. Lullabies and songs are interactive and easy to follow.

o   Ages 1-3 years old

Ø  This is a really fun time! Story time is now interactive and you can add more variety to the reading list. Board books are still great; you’ll really need the durability at this age. Pop-up books are really entertaining at this age and so are any books that add tactile (touch) sensations. Look for books with simple pictures. Sometimes the pictures in stories have so much going on in one scene that it’s hard for little ones to decipher. Read stories that follow themes such as seasons or holidays. Also, don’t be afraid to use the same book several times! While variety is great, young ones love predictability!

o   Ages 3-5

Ø  Here is when letters, letter sounds and simple three letter words are introduced (gradually of course, not all at once). Keep reading you’re your little one! When reading you can begin asking simple questions about the story. Questions can vary in complexity as the child gets older. Begin with simple ‘wh’ questions and work up to questions that require predictions such as what will happen next.

 

Ø   Introduce pre-reading skills: These skills do not necessarily have to be completely mastered to move on to the next level, but it is helpful for them to have achieved much of it.

 

1.      Identify letters: Typically, children begin learning the letters of their own name and then move on to other common letters.

2.      Letters have sounds: There are many, many ways to teach the sounds of each letter. I suggest using a song and also adding a craft component. If you are teaching the letter f, you may want to consider a fish activity to help them remember the sound. *vowels are the most difficult since there are so many rules for reading vowels.

3.      Letter sounds make words? Really?!?!: Yes they do! And now you can work on reading simple three letter words. Be very careful what words you choose to introduce here. Car is a better word than toy since they are going to need to understand that two vowels can have a different sound.

4.      Congratulations, you are no longer in the preliteracy stage, you have graduated to “My child is really learning to read,” literacy stage.

 

For actual reading lessons I used Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelman, Phyllis Haddox, and Elaine Bruner.

This book made it fun and easy, with 100 simple lessons that were 20 minutes or less. It became a part of our bedtime routine and my daughter was reading paragraphs by the end, at 3 1/2 years old. Every child is different though and I don't recommend starting until you think that they are ready.

 

 

 

Creating a Love of Reading!! A Bit of Our Story

I have always enjoyed reading. As a kid I remember looking forward to trips to the library- especially during library book sales and summer reading programs! That love of reading has stayed with me as an adult and I expected my daughter to share in that passion. When she was a toddler she enjoyed story time every night. She would climb in my lap with a book and listen intently until she fell asleep. This was perfect! Then it came time to learn to read. She was an early reader and I was thrilled! Then, one day, she decided that she no longer wants to read… anything… EVER! She was about 6 years old and in the middle of first grade. She stopped reading, or would pretend to read the directions, skim through, or even skip that portion of the worksheet. Getting her to read was like pulling teeth. I started a reading program- read ___ books and get a prize from the box. Then it turned into- read ___ books and we’ll go to Chuck-E-Cheese!

About a year later I decided that the incentives I was using weren’t working and I got the feeling that she really wasn’t comprehending the stories she read (and Chuck-E-Cheese was getting to be expensive). So now what? She was going to be finishing 2^nd grade and starting 3^rd. This is when there is the transition from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn. I had her reading vocabulary tested, along with her other academic levels, and the results showed that she had an exceptionally high reading vocabulary and was age appropriate or slightly higher for all other areas. The problem was that she hurried through everything and really did not have the desire to read (as opposed to having dyslexia, ADD, or any other diagnosis that could impact ability to read). This shoed that it was her attitude towards reading needed to be changed.

After a few trails that really didn’t work I finally found an approach that worked well for her. In history we had been studying the Jamestown Settlement. I took a trip to the library and found the My America series by Patricia Hermes. These series are written as daily diary entries by children living through a specific event in American history. I began reading the books ahead and creating reading guides. One reading guide for every ten or so pages. These guides are interactive and incorporate several elements of reading comprehension. We have fill-in-the-blank, short answer, paragraph writing, empathetic writing, and art projects.

She has begun to love reading! Now, she nearly always has a book with her and actually asks if she can go curl up and read! Her school work has imporved as well, especially with math word problems! These study guides have really improved her overall attitude toward reading and school work!

I am going to attach some of the reading guides we have used so you can have an example. Over the next few weeks I am going to be posting methods for creating your own guides and catering them to your own reader. Also I encourage you to post things that have/have not worked for you and any reading guides that you have written and would like to share with others!