Reading Blogg 3

The beginnings of teaching your child to read starts with a solid foundation in language. This means that the child must develop language to express himself effectively and develop understanding of what is being said or read to him. One way of developing these skills is to expose your child to experiences that will improve both these language areas. Simple experiences such as going to the park, cooking, playing and attending the hairdresser are all learning activities. These real life experiences allow the child to use all his senses to learn. Then, there is other learning, that of  books and movies.

 One of the important steps in building a foundation for reading is to teach your child that an object or a person can be represented by a picture. Some children find it so difficult to understand pictures. Currently, I am teaching a child in Year One who has problems in this area, therefore her understanding of print is limited. If a beginning reader can’t express the meaning of the picture take him through the steps of picture interpretation. Look at the background of the picture, then at the main part of the picture and finally look at the details that provide more information. Talk, listen and talk until the child graps the subject.

Once picture understanding has started to happen, you can look at the techniques of reading. Most of these skills can be taught while reading to your child at night time before bed. BUT, please don’t think that you only need to read one book a day, read as many as is possible. Leave  books lying around so that the child can look through them during the day.

Knowing About Books

 A child needs to know the front of the book, the back of the book and the spine. Also, it is important for him to know what information is on the front, back and spine and the reason why information is in these places.

 As soon as a child is interested in books  show him how to turn the pages. As you read a book  talk about this step, starting at the front and moving through the book, one page at a time.

 Next, identifying the elements of a page. The pictures tell the reader about the print and the print tells about the pictures. There is a sort of symbiotic relationship between the text and the picture. If this phase is worked through successfully, it will support the beginning reader more than you could ever imagine. Reading is a problem solving skill and the child has to use all the clues to solve the word problems. If you leave books around the child will use the taught problem solving skills to “pretend read” when you are not available. This is the rambling stage of reading and is the  precursor of reading word by word.

Finally, for this blogg, teach the child where you start to read on the page (top of the writing). Then show him that you have to go along one line and then to the next line and keep on going in this mode.

 In Blogg Four I will discuss the next steps in the preparation for reading.

 Please leave a comment below.

 If you haven’t already purchased the products that support the development of the skills itemised, do it now and save time while letting your child listen to the CD and watch the pictures and learn the sounds independently.

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                                                                                                   Ann Foster

 Ann Foster is a teacher with a unique talent to provide back to basics step by step programs/products and tutoring for students in Australia and overseas. Her programs and products help children, teachers and parents to achieve extraordinary results quickly. She has a track record of bringing into action programs that are easy to follow and that achieve results.

 Ann has been working online teaching students and adults successfully for the last four years and has taken children from average results to well above.Her programs are tried and proven and bring clarity out of chaos .Letter Box staff solve problems and puts wings onto dreams.

 www.letterboxlearntoread.com