Teach a Child to Read
Index
Introduction
Auditory Skills
Learning to Read
Teaching Alphabet Sounds
Teaching How to Rhyme
Improving Short Term Memory
Putting Sounds Together
Reading Selections
To, With and By
Phonics vs Whole Language
Components of Reading
Make Your Own Book
Literacy Facts
Good Books for Kids
Literacy Websites for Parents and Teachers
Education and Family Info Websites
Alphabet List
Alphabet Chart
Questions & Answers
Reading Rescue 1-2-3
About the Author
Introduction
Dedicated to the thousands of children who need to improve
their reading skills, and to their parents who want to help them succeed.
The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day.
I sat there with Sally. We sat there, we two.
And I said, "How I wish we had something to do!"
-from The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss -
Thirty-eight percent of all fourth graders in the United States can't read this simple
poem.1 Is your child one of them? Does your child drone, hesitate, and torture
words while reading? He or she is one of 7 million elementary-aged children who is
performing below his or her reading potential.
Certainly millions of children in America can't be stupid, lazy, or have ADD. Children
sitting in the best classrooms in the country struggle with reading. Moms and dads
are scratching their heads wondering whether to get a part-time job to pay for
tutoring for Jerome or Ashley.
This past decade, educators have been fighting a Phonics versus Whole Language
reading war. Each side has strong advocates, yet many children still emerge from
schools unable to read. Meanwhile, scientists have been busy trying to identify the
missing puzzle piece of how children learn to read.
Here's some good news: Research indicates that 90 to 95% of all children can learn
to read at grade level with proper intervention. You can make a profound difference
in your child's ability to read by spending fifteen minutes per day with your son or
daughter, using information provided in this website, playing games and reading
good books together.
So let's begin to help your child improve in reading!
1. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics, "Executive Summary," of The 1998 National
Assessment for Educational Progress Reading Report Card for the Nation, NCES 1999-500 (Washington, D.C.: March 1999).
Auditory Skills and Tri-Method Instruction
A Weak Link is Auditory Skills
Researchers have been looking inside children's brains while they do literacy tasks.
Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) they discovered that poor
readers showed differences in brain activities than those who are literate. Some
important brain areas are underactivating.
A common weakness is in auditory discrimination skills. For example, many poor
readers do not "hear" differences in letter sounds. To them, the five short vowels
sound almost exactly alike.
This causes poor readers to expend more effort for less return.
They have a harder time rapidly and accurately recalling letter sounds. Inefficient
letter-sound recall makes it more difficult for these children blend letter sounds to
make syllables or words. Finally, their brains are inefficient in recognizing and
recalling words.
But their brains work well in other areas, which explains why they can be bright, yet
functionally illiterate. The good news is that children's brains are not etched in stone.
Auditory skills and letter sound memory can be strengthened. Your son or daughter
can become a good reader with your help.
The Tri-Method Instruction to Literacy Success
In a perfect world, children would learn how to read using a combination of three
methods of instruction: auditory training, phonics, and whole language.
It's clear from research that using one of these methods will help only a few children.
In fact, using two out of three methods will still leave numerous children illiterate.
However, when auditory training, phonics and whole language are merged, literacy
rates increase significantly. Hopefully, you will see all three methods reflected in
curriculum and used in American classrooms soon.
Learning to Read
Learning How to Read Begins in Children's Ears
Most people think children learn how to read through their eyes. But reading is
actually learned through the ears. Parents lay a foundation for success in reading by
talking to a child, reading books to her, and playing auditory games such as rhyming.
The more books you read, the bigger her vocabulary becomes. A bigger vocabulary
allows her to recognize lots of words while she reads. If you've read books to her
about cheetahs and warthogs, it's more likely she can read those words when her
teacher gives a homework assignment about the Serengeti Plains.
Learning to Read, Reading to Learn
What is the normal sequence for children learning how to read?
From birth to age three, children listen to lots of words spoken and learn how
to talk.
Children, aged three to four years old have growing vocabularies, and they
learn how to rhyme.
In first grade children are taught how to blend letter sounds together to
"sound out" words and memorize sight words. They begin reading simple
sentences.
Second and third graders learn how to read "chapter" books and read
fluently with comprehension.
Every once in awhile a parent says to me, "My son can't read because he's lazy." I
don't agree with that. A child who can't read is missing important auditory tools:
He can't rhyme
She doesn't know the short vowel sounds-caused by her inability to hear
differences in short vowel sounds. (Short vowels: a-apple, e-elephant,
i-igloo, o-octopus, u-umbrella)
He can't put word parts together to make words-a skill used in sounding out
new words.
She has slow recall of letter sounds. She sees letter w and can't remember
what it says.
These traits are common to most children who struggle in reading. These are not
traits of "laziness" but of auditory and memory deficits. Do the following games and
activities to fill in your child's auditory gaps which in turn will improve his reading
skills.
Teaching Alphabet Sounds
Help Your Child Improve Auditory Skills by Teaching Alphabet Letter
Sounds
In order to read, every child must know the sounds of the alphabet letters. He must
be able to recall them quickly - he sees the letter and says the sound without
hesitation.
1. Test your child's knowledge of alphabet letter sounds by using the provided
Alphabet List. Point to each letter and ask your child to, "Tell me what this
letter says."
*The alphabet list has no pictures, so your child has to rely totally on
memory.
*You are asking your child to tell you the letter sound, not the letter name.
*Write down letter sounds that he or she misses. This is a good place to
begin fixing your child's auditory gaps.
2. If your child needs to learn most of the alphabet letter sounds, help her
create her own Alphabet Book. Staple some pieces of paper together and ask
your child to draw pictures of items that begin with the sound of each
alphabet letter.
3. You can also teach alphabet letters and letter sounds by using an Alphabet
Chart with pictures.
*Be sure to point to each letter as you are saying the letter name and letter
sound.
*Review the alphabet chart once a day and pretty soon your child will be able
to point to each letter and say the sounds himself!
*I have an alphabet chart tacked on the wall at kid-height of my son's
bedroom so he can look at it.
4. When you are teaching a letter sound, be careful not to add an "uh" sound
at the end of the letter. For example, letter s should sound like a snake
hissing, with no throat sound. Letter s says 'sss,' not 'suh.' If your child
learns letters 'c', 'a', 't' as sounding 'kuh,' 'aah,' and 'tuh,' those sounds
will not come together to say cat!
Children have different learning rates. Your child may need lots of direct instruction
to learn the alphabet sounds. Don't forget, he will learn letter sounds more quickly
with a short daily review.
Teaching How to Rhyme
Help Your Child Improve Auditory Skills by Teaching How to Rhyme
Knowing how to rhyme will help your child read word "families" such as let, met, pet,
wet, and get. Notice that rhyming words have same sound endings but different
beginning sounds. Some words don't look the same: ache, cake, steak but they
rhyme. To teach your child how to rhyme, play a game.
Body Name Game
How to Play: Begin by modeling how to rhyme. Point to parts of your body, say a
rhyming word and your child should say the body part. This puts rhyming into her
ears with a visual cue (pointing). If you point to your nose and say rose, she will
automatically say nose.
1. Tell your child, "We are going to play a rhyming game. Rhyming words have
the same sound endings. I'm going to point to something on my body, and
say a word. You're going to say the body part that rhymes. Okay?"
2. Give her two examples: "I'm pointing to my leg, and I say beg. You say leg.
I'm pointing to my nose. I say rose, and you say nose.
3. Here's a list of body parts and rhyming words:
�
deer-ear
pail-nail
sack-back
go-toe
gum-thumb
put-foot
bye-eye
deck-neck
see-knee
bear-hair
fin-chin
band-hand
peek-cheek
farm-arm
feel-heel
4.
5. When your child is able to do this, turn it around. Point to your knee and your
child will say a rhyming word such as bee or me!
When your child rhymes body parts, play this game:
1. Say, "I'm going to say a word and you'll tell me as many rhyming words as
you can. I say bee." Your child then says words such as "he, she, we three,
free, or agree."
2. Choose one-syllable words that are easy to rhyme with such as had, rat, man,
fall, ten, red, big, fill, hop, dog, bug and sun. All of these have multiple words
that rhyme.
Improving Short Term Memory
Help Your Child Improve Her Short Term Memory by Playing the "I Went to
the Market" Game
This game helps improve your child's short-term memory. She will have to
remember several sounds in the correct order to sound out new words such as,
fr-o-g put together says frog.
How to Play:
1. Read this short poem to your child:
� Johnny went to the market. Johnny went to the store.
� But when poor Johnny got there, he forgot what he went there for.
� Momma gave him a list. Momma gave it to him twice.
� And what Momma wanted was a big bag of rice...
2. Now say, "Momma wanted a bag of rice and carrots."
3. Your child repeats that and adds another item, "Momma wanted rice and
carrots and a cake."
4. It's your turn. "Momma wanted rice, carrots, cake and a tulip." Take turns
until someone gets an item out of order or forgets an item. Make it fun by
adding items such as a football or alligators.
5. Another version of this game is to highlight a letter sound. Let's say your
child doesn't know w sound. Play this game thinking of items that begin with
w such as, "Momma wanted a walrus, walnuts, wink and a wand."
Putting Sounds Together
Help Your Child Put Sounds Together to Make Words by Playing "Connect
Three."
This game will help your child connect sounds to make words. This skill is used when
he sounds out new words.
How to Play:
1. Tell your child, "I'm going to say three sounds. I want you to put the sounds
together and say a word. For example, I say c-a-t and you say cat. I say
d-o-g and you say dog." This is a little tricky on your part because you have
to think of words that can be said in three parts. Words such as me or go
won't work. Longer words such as party can be par-t-y or p-art-y. You might
want to practice ahead of time to say words in three parts. I have trouble
thinking of words, so I usually look around the room for good ideas such as
l-am-p or win-d-ow.
2. Here's a list to get you started: begin with nouns-things that can be
visualized and advance to words that don't create mental pictures.
m-o-m
b-ir-d
h-o-t
h-i-m
d-a-d
s-u-n
gr-ee-n
c-a-n
d-e-sk
pi-zz-a
dr-in-k
w-i-ll
br-ai-n
mo-n-ey
c-ol-d
a-n-d
tr-e-e
c-am-p
st-o-p
b-u-t
y-ar-d
t-en-t
w-i-n
fr-o-m
Getting Back into Books and Real Stories
Since the goal is improving your child's reading skills, we need to get her into books.
Choose four words from a short reading selection (one page of a book) and say each
word in three parts to your child. Ask her to put the words together. Now help her
find those words on the page, and read them together. You are making a connection
between the words she put together and what they look like in print.
Reading Selections
What is a Reading Selection?
A common mistake that adults make is to insist that a child read a whole book. It is
far better to help a child reread a short selection to excellence. A short selection is
one or two pages from an easy book or one paragraph from a higher level book. If
the selection is on the correct readability level for your child, he should make no
more than one or two mistakes per twenty words. Any more than that will cause him
frustration and will actually block his reading progress.3
Don't make him read it cold turkey either or he'll sound like a car starting up on a
winter morning - bumpy and hesitant. We don't want your child to practice bad
reading. That's why you want to do the following:
1. Read the short selection to him twice.
2. Read the same selection with him twice.
3. Finally, ask him to read it by himself twice.
To, With, and By is a fabulous repeated reading technique that will catapult your
child forward in reading skills.4 It will help him learn and apply sight words more
quickly, helps him to practice fluent reading and improves his comprehension-all
the important skills of reading.
Some parents say, "But she's memorizing the selection!" Well, when was the last
time you used phonics to sound out words while reading? Phonics is used as a last
resort when bumping into unknown words such as cruciate ligament. When reading
you usually recognize words by sight. Phonic skills are necessary to jump-start the
process of learning to read. But reading by using sight words is more efficient.
You might be thinking, "My child isn't getting enough practice if she isn't reading a
whole book." My answer is, your child gets excellent practice when you do To, With,
and By in a short selection. A little bit of good reading is a lot better than a whole lot
of bad reading.
Have I convinced you to do To, With, and By? Your child might not be thrilled at first.
However, once she gets the hang of it, her attitude will improve and her reading
skills will skyrocket.
3. Edward Fry, How to Teach Reading: For Teachers, Parents, Tutors (Laguna Beach: Laguna Beach Educational Books,
1995), 20.
4. Barbara E. R. Swaby, Journey Into Literacy: A Workbook for Parents and Teachers of Young Children (Colorado Springs:
Swaby Books Publisher, 1992).
Phonics vs Whole Language
Phonics
Phonics is one method of teaching children how to read. Children are taught how to
"sound out" new words by learning the following items:
Consonant letters sounds: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y,
z
Blend sounds: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, wr, bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl, scr, str, sm, sn,
sp, sc, sk,
Short vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, u
Always teach short vowel sounds first: a - apple, e - elephant, i- igloo, o -
octopus, u - umbrella)
Digraph sounds: sh, ch, th, wh
Two letters combine to make a totally different sound.
Double vowel sounds: ai, ea, ee, oa
These pairs say the name of the first vowel.
Other double vowel sounds: oi, oo, ou, ow
Silent e: Silent e is bossy, it doesn't say anything but makes the vowel before
it say its own name.
R controlled vowel sounds: ar, er, ir, or, ur
Notice that er,ir and ur make the same sound.
Phonics is a series of rules that children have to memorize and apply when they are
sounding out new words. Children are taught a rule, i.e. Silent e, and then they
practice reading words with Silent e. Then children do skill sheets at their desk
highlighting the Silent e rule. Children must learn letter sounds to an automatic level
- they must be able to see the letter(s) and say the sound immediately.
Critics point out that the reading/practice materials aren't very interesting, "See
Spot run. Run Spot run. Spot runs fast." It is a contrived atmosphere of reading
practice using the phonic rules.
Here's the bigger problem: children who struggle in reading memorize phonic rules,
and then are unable to apply phonic rules to connected print. To remedy this
problem, two things must happen:
1. Only the most important phonic rules should be taught in the least
complicated manner possible. For example, in teaching vowel sounds, it is
distracting to talk about "short versus long" vowels. Instead, a child should
be taught the short vowel sounds first. Then when a child encounters a long
vowel as in the word find, tell him, "That vowel says its own name."
2. Phonics must be taught in a way that allows these children to immediately
practice phonic information in real stories. Every time a child is taught new
phonic information, he should be given a short reading selection that
highlights the phonic rule. Completing a skill sheet is good, but even better
is to help the child practice applying the phonic skill to connected print.
A child cannot learn to read without proper knowledge in phonics. It is the
foundation for success in reading. She will succeed to read if she knows phonics.
Whole Language
Whole language is a "whole - part" method of teaching children to read. (Phonics is
a "part - whole" reading method.) Teachers use connected print to introduce
reading to children. Children are encouraged to memorize words as whole units.
They do hands-on activities such as writing in journals, and analyzing words in
context, by using pictures, for meaning.
Whole language has strengths in that children begin to write early. They are
involved in connected print, and they are using personal language skills making the
process of reading more interesting. The weakness of whole language methods is
that some children never get a full phonic foundation. They are unable to decode
unfamiliar words. Research has shown that good readers always use phonics to
decipher new words.
Reading is best taught using a combination of three methodologies:
Auditory training - training for the ears to prepare the child's brain for
phonics.
Phonics - knowledge of letter(s) sounds.
Whole Language - immediate application of phonics into connected stories.
Components of Reading
Reading begins in a child's ears. When you talk to your child, you are putting the
sounds of the English language into his brain. His brain is properly wired to learn to
talk back to you. Over time his speaking vocabulary grows to thousands of words.
The more you talk, sing, and read to your child, the bigger his speaking vocabulary
will become. Here is the surprise: children's brains are not automatically wired for
reading. Your child needs your help to become a successful reader. Learning how to
read begins when your child's ears are ready. There are several things you can do to
get your child's ears ready. Teach him how to rhyme by playing rhyming games, or
reading rhyming poems to him. Play some of the other games presented in this
website. His ears are ready when he can rhyme and play the games successfully.
Teach your child alphabet letter names and sounds. This is the beginning of phonics.
Phonics is learning what letters and letter combinations "say." It is an essential part
of learning how to read. Don't assume that your child learned all the letter sounds in
school. It is likely that she does not know the vowel sounds because they sound so
similar. Other important phonic combinations are listed in the sidebar. When your
child learns letter sounds, teach her to "blend" them together to "sound out" new
words. Knowledge of phonics will help her to read many words that follow phonic
rules. The best way to incorporate phonics is to find a short reading selection that
has a lot of "sh" words, for example, and read those words to him. Ask your child to
say some words beginning with the "sh" sound. Then teach him to read the short
selection. Continue teaching phonics by finding other short reading selections, each
highlighting one of the letter combinations from the phonic list. Please notice that
letters and letter combinations appear in different places in words. Vowels often
occur in the middle of words. "Wh" occurs at the beginning of words and "Ch"
appears at the beginning or end of words.
Phonic skills must be put into connected print in order to become useful. Connected
print is short selections in magazines or books. Two books, both by Dr. Seuss, have
wonderful selections to help a child apply a phonic skill by reading connected print.
1. Hop on Pop, an easier selection by Dr. Seuss (1963), has the following
selections:
o pages 3-5 short u "Up pup pup is up."
o pages 22-24 short e "Red Red They call me Red."
o pages 26-33 short a "Pat cat Pat sat on a cat." "Dad is sad. Very, very
sad."
o pages 40-41 short o "We like to hop on top of Pop."
o pages 56-57 short i "Will is up hill still."
2. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss (1960), has these
selections:
o pages 10-11, 18-19 short u "They run for fun in the hot, hot sun."
o pages 26-27 ea words "Oh dear! I cannot hear."
o pages 30-31 oo words "He took a look at the book on the hook."
o pages 40-43 short i "It is fun to sing if you sing with a Ying."
o pages 48-49 short e "You never met 卆 pet as wet as they let this wet
pet get."
You should help your child read a new reading selection every other day. This is
incorporating whole language methods of learning how to read. Using "To, With, and
By" teach your child how to read a couple of sentences or one paragraph until it
sounds great. The whole language method helps your child learn to read "sight
words." Sight words must be memorized because they don't follow phonic rules.
(Half of all words in the English language are sight words.)
Best of all, using To, With, and By will improve your child's fluency and
comprehension. The goal of reading is comprehension. When your child is able to
sound out new words, has memorized a bunch of sight words, reads fluently and
understands what he read, he has learned how to read!
Make Your Own Book
Make Your Own Book
Children struggling in reading tend to stay in the emergent phase longer. They need
stacks of easy-to-read books for practice. There aren't many books in this category,
and the cost adds up quickly. So help your child to make his own books. He'll be able
to read them since the words came from within and he'll be proud of his own
creations.
1. Put two pieces of paper together, fold in half and staple the folded edge.
2. Ask your child to think of a topic such as favorite animals, toys, vacation trips,
birthday presents, friends or a movie.
3. If your child doesn't write well, he'll dictate the words while you write them
down. If he has some writing skills, help him to spell the words.
4. Write the title on the front page and his name - Tigers by Jerome.
5. Write one short sentence per page.
�
�
6. Try to keep the words as close as possible to what he said. We want him to
be able to match what he said to what it looks like in print.
7. Read the book to him running your finger under the words while reading.
Then ask him to read the book to you several times. Let him draw pictures to
complete his masterpiece.
8. Keep his books together in a basket or box. He will read them over and over
to anyone who listens. These books will increase his sight word vocabulary
and increase his interest in reading.
Literacy Facts
1. In 1998, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tested
children nationwide for reading skills. The results for reading tests for 4th
graders were:
Below the most basic level ---38%
Proficient -----------------------31%
Advanced -----------------------7%
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics. The Executive Summary of
the 1998 National Assessment for Educational Progress Reading Report Card for the Nation, NCES
1999-50 (Washington, D.C.: March 1999).
2. In 1998 there were ten million children between seven and eleven years of
age who performed below the most basic level of reading achievement.
Population Estimates Program, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau Washington, D.C. 20233
3. It is very important to note that a substantial number of children from highly
literate households and who have been read to by their parents since very
early in life also have difficulties learning to read.
Lyon, G. Reid. "Report on Learning Disabilities Research." Prepared Statement to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce. U.S. House of Representatives, APA Science Advocacy (July 10, 1997).
4. In 1998, students who reported reading more pages daily in school and for
homework had higher average scale scores than students who reported
reading fewer pages daily.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics. The Executive Summary of
the 1998 National Assessment for Educational Progress Reading Report Card for the Nation
(Washington, D.C.: March 1999).
5. In 1998, students who reported watching three or fewer hours of television
each day had higher average reading scores than students who reported
watching more television.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics. The Executive Summary of
the 1998 National Assessment for Educational Progress Reading Report Card for the Nation
(Washington, D.C.: March 1999).
6. National Institute of Health studies are finding that at least 95% of even the
poorest readers can learn to read at grade level if they are given proper
instruction in sound-letter relationships.
Lally, Kathy and Debbie M. Price. "Learning How We Read." Palm Beach Post, West Palm Beach, Florida
(January 4, 1998): plA+.
7. Having kids read a lot is one of the crucial components of becoming a good
reader. Young readers need to become practiced at recognizing letters and
sounds. The only way to get good at it is to practice.
"Reading Research Read to Go." National Educational Association Today 17 no. 4 (Jan. 1999) 6
8. The average reader spent about 6 minutes per day reading connected text.
Children with reading problems spent about one minute per day. The amount
of time students spent on worksheets did not relate to gains in reading
achievement. What appeared to be most relevant was time spent reading
connected print.
Stahl, Steven A., Ann Duffy-Hester, et al. "Everything You Wanted to Know About Phonics (But Were
Afraid to Ask.)" Reading Research Quarterly 33, no. 3 (July-September 1998):338-356.
9. Four year old children who were read one alphabet book per day significantly
improved in their awareness of phonemes - tiny letter sounds that make up
words.
Ibid.
10. Children who struggle in vain with reading in the first grade soon decide that
they neither like nor want to read. (Juel, 1998)
National Research Council. Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Catherine Snow, Susan
Burns, Peg Griffin, eds. (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1998).
Good Books for Kids
Easiest to Read Books
Who Ate it? by Taro Gomi (Millbrook Press, 1991)
Big Long Animal Song by Mike Artell (Good Year Books, 1994)
My Puppy by Inez Greene (Good Year Books, 1994)
Mrs. Sato's Hens by Laura Min (Good Year Books, 1994)
The Fox on the Box by Barbara Gregorich (School Zone, 1984)
The Gum on the Drum by Barbara Gregorich (School Zone, 1984)
Jog, Frog, Jog by Barbara Gregorich (School Zone, 1984)
I Want a Pet by Barbara Gregorich (School Zone, 1984)
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1963)
Bob Books by Bobby Lyn Maslen (Scholastic, 1976)
Easy to Read Books
Cat Traps by Molly Coxe (Random House, 1996)
Big Egg by Molly Coxe (Random House, 1997)
Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman (Beginner Books, 1961)
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1968)
Great Day for Up! by Dr. Seuss (Beginner Books, 1974)
One Day in the Jungle by Colin West (Candlewick Press, 1995)
"What is that?" said the Cat by Grace Maccarone (Scholastic, 1995)
Jeb's Barn by Andrea Butler (Good Year Books, 1994)
Mouse and Owl by Joan Hoffman (School Zone, 1991)
Star Wars, Anakin to the Rescue by Cecilia Venn (Random House, 1999)
Beginning Readers
Clifford the Big Red Dog - (Series) by Norman Bridwell (Scholastic Inc.,
1963)
Thunderhoof by Syd Hoff (Harper & Row, 1971)
Dark Night, Sleepy Night by Harriet Ziefert (Viking Kestrel, 1988)
Good Hunting, Blue Sky by Peggy Parish (Harper & Row, 1988)
"Pardon?" said the Giraffe by Colin West (Lippincott, 1986)
A Snake Mistake by Mavis Smith (HarperCollins, 1991)
Going to Sleep on a Farm by Wendy Cheyette Lewison (Dial Books for
Young Readers, 1992)
Henry Goes West by Robert Quackenbush (Parents Magazine Press, 1994)
See How They Grow Fox (Dorling Kindersley, 1992)
See How They Grow Pig (Dorling Kindersley, 1993)
See How They Grow Rabbit (Lodestar, 1991)
Willie's Wonderful Pet by Mel Cebulash (Scholastic Inc., 1993)
Dinosaur Babies by Lucille Recht Penner (Random House, 1991)
Wake Up Sun! by David L. Harrison (Random House, 1986)
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (Harper & Row, 1985)
Dragon Gets By by Dav Pilkey (Orchard Books, 1991)
Where's My Teddy? By Jez Alborough (Candlewick Press, 1992)
Fortunately by Remy Charlip (Four Winds Press, 1986)
Bears are Curious by Joyce Milton (Random House, 1998)
The Big Sneeze by Ruth Brown (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1985)
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss (Beginner Books,
1960)
Literacy Web Sites for Parents and Teachers
Help Your Child Build Speedy Brain and Reading Skills
(http://WowzaBrain.com)
o Click on Podcasts
o Click on ePackages
Educational Resources Information Center
(http://reading.indiana.edu/)
o Click on Family Info Center
o Click on News About Reading
o Click on Online Information
o Click on Free Phonics Course
America Reads Challenge
(http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/)
o Click on Resources/Research (at top)
o Start Early, Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader
o Ready*Set*Read (English and Spanish)
o Simple Things You Can Do
Learning Disabilities Online
(http://www.ldonline.org/)
o Click on LD Topics
o Click on Reading and Dyslexia
Reading Rockets
(http://www.readingrockets.org/)
o Click on Articles from A-Z
o Click on Brain and Learning
Help My Child Read
(http://www.ed.gov/parents/read/resources/edpicks.jhtml)
o Click on Parents
o Click on Motivating Kids to Read
Reading is Fundamental
(http://www.rif.org/parents/)
o Click on Parents
o Click on Motivating Kids to Read
Education and Family Information Websites
Help Your Child Build Speedy Brain and Reading Skills
(http://WowzaBrain.com)
o Click on Podcasts
o Click on ePackages
edHelper.com - Membership
(http://www.edhelper.com)
Lesson Plans - Worksheets - Teacher's Lesson Plans - WebQuests - Primary
Teacher Resources - Math Lesson Plans - Writing Lesson Plans - Reading
Lesson Plans - Science Lesson Plans - Technology Lesson Plans - Social
Studies Lesson Plans - and more ...
Sites For Teachers
(http://www.sitesforteachers.com)
"The Net's Best Resource for Teachers."
Library of Congress
(http://www.loc.gov/families/)
Resources for Kids and Families
o Click on Lifelong Literacy
o Click on Encouraging Reading
Home School Top 100 Educational Websites
(http://www.homeschool.com/articles/top100-2008/default.asp)
Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Crafts, etc.
Best Websites for Parents
(http://www.more4kids.info/549/best-parenting-websites/)
Alphabet List
Alphabet Chart
Questions and Answers
Here are some questions asked by parents, grandparents, caregivers and teachers.
Question: I know my son can read lots of words from a list. But when I pull out a
book, he freaks. He can't read words in a book.
Answer: I have met children who read words on lists, and aren't able to recognize
the same words on the page of a book. Remember how you used to feed pureed
peaches, spoonful by spoonful to your child? This is similar to helping him read
pages in a book.
Choose some phrases-two or three words, from a reading selection. Write
them on note cards, and teach them to your child.
Next, write or type two sentences from the selection on a piece of paper.
Using the To, With, and By technique help your child to read the sentences.
Open the book and show him where the sentences are located. Ask him to
read them to you. Let him compare the same sentences written on paper and
in the book.
Now type a couple of paragraphs from his favorite book onto a sheet of paper.
Using To, With and By, help him to read these sentences. Then have him
read them from his book. You are making a connection between words on
lists and sentences in books. He will realize that he can read sentences in
books-with your help. His resistance to books will decrease over time.
Question: My child cries when I ask her to read a book with me. Will this ever stop?
Answer: My daughter cried when she was learning how to read. It was a struggle
every day to get her to the table. (As you can imagine, this was not our favorite time
of day!) Your child needs to know the hard part of reading is at the beginning, and
it will get easier as she practices. Take her to the store to choose some candy or
stickers. These will be used for daily rewards for her efforts in reading. Praise her for
little victories. Your child will hear herself improve over time. She may enjoy making
homemade books. Create success in her reading by doing To, With, and By on a
selection every day. After a while she will be less afraid to tackle new selections. She
will be pulling your sleeve and asking, "When are we going to the library?" And you
will be able to put away the Kleenex box.
Top of Page
Question: My daughter mixes up letters d and b, and says the word saw when she
sees the word was. Does she have dyslexia?
Answer: Dyslexia is broadly defined in the dictionary as "an impairment of the
ability to read."1 Some scientists describe dyslexia as being a deficiency in the
language system that processes the sounds of speech, in the brain.2 Many children
who seem to have dyslexic-like tendencies begin to read better when they do
activities that help to increase their auditory skills. Mixing up letters d and b is a
visual confusion, not knowing which way the "tummy" of the letter faces-to the left
or right. (This has nothing to do with auditory issues that earmark a problem with
dyslexia.) A child who says dog for bog usually needs practice in knowing left from
right. In most children this letter confusion corrects itself by the end of third grade.
A child who sees the word was and says saw needs practice in visual discrimination.
This can be as simple as writing the words saw and was on note cards. Show your
child the note cards, and ask her to tell you differences she sees between the two
sight words - was, saw. Or, play the Find That Word game to highlight a chosen
word.
Find that Word Game
Choose a word that your child often confuses such as was. Write it on a note
card.
Show your child the note card, and make sure she knows what the word
means.
Open a children's magazine such as Ranger Rick and ask your child to circle
every was on the page. She gets five points for each was she circles, and
loses two points for every was she misses.
On a different day, play this same game with the word saw.
Don't let was, saw, b's and d's drive you crazy. Just do a couple of minutes of
review each night, and pretty soon your child will know her p's and q's too!
牋牋牋�1 Random House Webster's Dictionary, Third Edition, (New York: Ballantine Books, 1998).
牋牋牋�2 Sally Shaywitz. "Dyslexia," New England Journal of Medicine 338, no. 5 (January 29, 1998): 307-312.
Top of Page
Question: My son is in fourth grade. He definitely isn't fluent when reading out loud.
Should I make him read out loud every night, or should he be reading silently?
Answer: Silent reading is more efficient than reading out loud. Your child can learn
to read faster, and possibly have better comprehension when he reads silently.
After third grade, the emphasis in school is on silent reading. Therefore, your child
should practice five to ten minutes of each: reading out loud and silent reading when
you work together on reading skills. It is more difficult to know what's going on
when your child is reading silently. You will have to ask questions to monitor his
comprehension after he has read a selection silently. Make sure the reading
selection is on your child's Independent Reading level-no more than one or two
mistakes for every twenty words. For your child to be successful in reading silently,
preteach the most important vocabulary words and concepts. This gives him the
necessary prior knowledge for good comprehension. Silent reading is an important
skill that your child must develop to do well in school. Do some silent reading
yourself while he's reading silently. He might become interested in your book
someday.
Question: My child reads easy books. He is eleven years old and he only likes to
read Dr. Seuss books. He's not going to get to college this way.
Answer: If you are in this position, your child needs your intervention right away.
Many parents blame their child for being lazy. They don't realize that their child is
missing necessary tools for better reading. You can't build a house without hammer
and nails! Begin by looking at his personal gaps in reading skills. Test his knowledge
of alphabet letters and sounds. Don't make him work by himself reading books.
Create a bridge from Dr. Seuss to fifth-grade books for him. Take time to read short
selections using the To, With, and By technique every day. Over time, he will feel
more successful in reading. He will discover new topics that interest him. Eventually,
The Cat in the Hat will be put in the closet to make room on the shelf for Summer of
the Monkeys or The Chronicles of Narnia.
Do you have questions? Please feel free to e-mail Peggy Wilber at:
Frequently asked questions (FAQ's) will be answered here in the future, so please
check back.
Reading Rescue 1-2-3
Reading Rescue 1-2-3
by Peggy Wilber, M.Ed., Prima Publishing, ㏒ eptember 2000
The author of this web site has put this information,
and much more, into a book called Reading Rescue
1-2-3, published by Prima Publishing. It is a hand's
on manual geared towards parents, teachers,
grandparents and caregivers of the ten million
children who struggle in reading.
Reading Rescue 1-2-3 can also be used to teach a
young nonreader how to read. It contains auditory
games to improve children's ear/brain connection,
phonic skill sets with cartoon stories that make
reading interesting and fun for children, and other
whole language applications.
This easy-to-follow, step-by-step book paves the
way for children to develop better fluency,
comprehension, and language skills. Using Reading
Rescue 1-2-3 can help your child succeed to read at
her grade level or higher.
Click here for more information about Reading Rescue 1-2-3
and to view sample pages from the book.
Look for Reading Rescue 1-2-3 at your local bookstore or
click here to order a copy of Reading Rescue 1-2-3
About the Author
Peggy M. Wilber is a teacher, author, and speaker
with a mission of helping children learn to read well.
She has been diagnosing and remediating elementary
and middle school children's reading disorders since
1987.
Motivated by an escalation of needy students she
co-founded a tutoring program servicing local
elementary school students and their families. As
Instructional Coordinator, Peggy trained tutors in
auditory reading techniques resulting in students
advancing two or more reading levels per semester, far
outperforming non-tutored peers.
Peggy involved parents and grandparents, as valuable resources, by creating Parent
Training Seminars. Her Succeed to Read website is based on information presented
in these parent seminars. Having conducted seminars during the past three years in
public schools, private schools and churches, she is convinced that parents are able
to absorb and utilize this information making significant impact on their children's
literacy.
Reading Rescue 1-2-3, published by Prima Publishing, 2000, and authored by Peggy
Wilber, is a complete manual offering auditory training techniques, phonic
worksheets, and cartoon stories that help children improve in reading skills.
Her education includes a Masters of Education from Boston University and
Certification in Early Childhood Reading Instruction from University of Colorado,
Colorado Springs, specializing in integrating reading methodologies.
Peggy lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, David, and their two children.
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