Help Your Child Become A Phonics Reading Pro

What is a movable alphabet?

The editors at Phonics Reading Pro have been drilling our readers about how important it is to build words with your child. Look back at our posts about creating word lists, “The Ladder”, name writing, etc. on how important it is to build skills through tactile learning and not just visual or auditory learning. Watch your child build dendrites while they build words with a movable alphabet.  You may find it hard to buy inexpensive movable alphabets, or even find them in stores for that matter. For this reason, Phonics Reading Pro has decided to teach you how to make your own set of movable alphabet letter for your child!

 

Here’s how:

1)   Buy a sturdy paper cutter  and thick white index paper (plain with no lines) from any local office supply store

2)   You will also need to buy red and blue permanent markers

3)   The vowel cards are to be cut 1 ½ inches by 1 ½ inches or 1 inch by 1 inch

4)   The consonant cards are to be cut 1 ½ inches wide by 2 ½  inches tall

5)   The vowels are to be written in red and the consonants in blue

6)   The last supply you’ll need is a small no-heat laminator in order to laminate all the letter cards you’ve worked so hard to make! This way the letters will last a long time and you will be able to periodically disinfect them. The laminator can be used for your own personal office use as well, so think of it as an investment.

 

Have fun using these letters to build word lists with your child and increase their phonics reading skills in the process!

The editors at Phonics Reading Pro have been drilling our readers about how important it is to build words with your child. Look back at our posts about creating word lists, “The Ladder”, name writing, etc. on how important it is to build skills through tactile learning and not just visual or auditory learning. Watch your child build dendrites while they build words with a movable alphabet.  You may find it hard to buy inexpensive movable alphabets, or even find them in stores for that matter. For this reason, Phonics Reading Pro has decided to teach you how to make your own set of movable alphabet letter for your child!

 

Here’s how:

1)   Buy a sturdy paper cutter  and thick white index paper (plain with no lines) from any local office supply store

2)   You will also need to buy red and blue permanent markers

3)   The vowel cards are to be cut 1 ½ inches by 1 ½ inches or 1 inch by 1 inch

4)   The consonant cards are to be cut 1 ½ inches wide by 2 ½  inches tall

5)   The vowels are to be written in red and the consonants in blue

6)   The last supply you’ll need is a small no-heat laminator in order to laminate all the letter cards you’ve worked so hard to make! This way the letters will last a long time and you will be able to periodically disinfect them. The laminator can be used for your own personal office use as well, so think of it as an investment.

 

Have fun using these letters to build word lists with your child and increase their phonics reading skills in the process!

How to "cook up" knowledge!

Who would think there was a practical way to teach phonics reading through cooking? Phonics Reading Pro does! Here’s how:

1)   Recite grocery lists to your child and make sure they spell everything correctly

2)   Have your child spot the listed items at the grocery store and help them read the brand names and ingredients

3)   Once you get home, have them help you read the recipe(s) you’re using to cook the meal as they help you cook everything.

It’s crazy how many reading and writing opportunities there are just by cooking a meal! Do you see how easy it is to be creative in engaging your child’s phonics reading skills? Think of other simple household chores that can become reading opportunities. It’s easier than you think… just look at the world through your child’s eyes. Even the most ordinary tasks can be interesting for them.

 

Does anyone have any ideas on how simple household chores can become phonics reading opportunities for your child? Please let us know in the comments!

Who would think there was a practical way to teach phonics reading through cooking? Phonics Reading Pro does! Here’s how:

1)   Recite grocery lists to your child and make sure they spell everything correctly

2)   Have your child spot the listed items at the grocery store and help them read the brand names and ingredients

3)   Once you get home, have them help you read the recipe(s) you’re using to cook the meal as they help you cook everything.

It’s crazy how many reading and writing opportunities there are just by cooking a meal! Do you see how easy it is to be creative in engaging your child’s phonics reading skills? Think of other simple household chores that can become reading opportunities. It’s easier than you think… just look at the world through your child’s eyes. Even the most ordinary tasks can be interesting for them.

 

Does anyone have any ideas on how simple household chores can become phonics reading opportunities for your child? Please let us know in the comments!

Sugary snacks= concentration?

Most parents and the editors at Phonics Reading Pro would agree that the moment they introduce sugary treats to their kids—bouncing off the wall ensues! Interestingly, scientists often dismiss these claims saying sugar is simply a carbohydrate and is processed as such and shouldn’t cause in difference in behavior or mood. I’d like to invite them into a classroom after lunch period and see if they can tell the difference between the children who ate a balanced lunch and those who ate lots of sugary snacks.

 

The reason we are bringing this up is because parents should be mindful of how their children’s diet affects their concentration. Anytime you or their teacher are trying to give them reading lessons, keeping their attention can be a huge task and not being able to do so could be a possible detriment to their understanding and total learning of phonics skills. So just be mindful of the types of foods you give your child. It’s just as quick to pack them a juicy apple as it is to pack them a twinkie.

 

A balanced diet is big key in helping your child become a phonics reading pro :)

How to introduce your child to the library!

When your little Phonics Reading Pro has advanced through short vowel and long vowel reading it’s time to make that all important trip to the local library. We strongly encourage cultivating a love of reading in your child by taking them to the library at an early age. They can first go to activities like “story time” and slowly progress into exploring the library on their own.

 

Once they have an idea of basic phonics reading skills you should take them to get their very own library card! It will be a major event for them and a wonderful memory for youJ

 

 Here are some tips to get you started:

 

--Look for award winning books and classic children’s stories such as “Little Red Riding Hood” , “ Little House in the Big Woods”, and “Island of the Blue Dolphins”

 

--Ask friends, neighbors, and teachers for reading suggestions

 

--Get help from the librarian for book suggestions!

 

--Have fun exploring books with your child and be tuned into their interests and promote them with specific book choices

 

So as you can see, being a Phonics Reading Pro is easy with the help of libraries!

When your little Phonics Reading Pro has advanced through short vowel and long vowel reading it’s time to make that all important trip to the local library. We strongly encourage cultivating a love of reading in your child by taking them to the library at an early age. They can first go to activities like “story time” and slowly progress into exploring the library on their own.

 

Once they have an idea of basic phonics reading skills you should take them to get their very own library card! It will be a major event for them and a wonderful memory for youJ

 

 Here are some tips to get you started:

 

--Look for award winning books and classic children’s stories such as “Little Red Riding Hood” , “ Little House in the Big Woods”, and “Island of the Blue Dolphins”

 

--Ask friends, neighbors, and teachers for reading suggestions

 

--Get help from the librarian for book suggestions!

 

--Have fun exploring books with your child and be tuned into their interests and promote them with specific book choices

 

So as you can see, being a Phonics Reading Pro is easy with the help of libraries!

3 steps to help your child love reading!

A true Phonics Reading Pro has a love of reading. Here are three way to make sure your child becomes a Phonics Reading Pro:

1)  Read to them first! Who didn’t love Mom and Dad reading bedtime stories to them? Discovering the wonderful world of fantasy and knowledge that books can give you should come early for everyone!

2) Have them read to you! Once they’ve grasped the basics of reading have them read bedtime stories to you! They’ll think it’s hilarious that the tables have turned! Only you will know the real reason for the switch is for the fact that it will strengthen their reading skills even more ;)

3) Buy them books that interest them… Once they’ve moved past beginner books and express interest in new topics—go with it! A good example is one of the editors of this blog loved Babysitter Club books growing up. I’m sure her mom wasn’t thrilled to have bought 375 Babysitter Club books for her, but you know what? From that book series she learned so much about other topics that it led to her exploring other literary areas and before long she was reading classics like ‘Jane Eyre’.

Opening up the world of phonics reading to your child will make the leap from “baby books” to literature that much easier!

A roadblock to reading?

A hidden challenge to your child's developing reading skills can be found in an unlikely place: jealousy.

Take this scenario, your child is excelling past his or her fellow classmates in their reading lessons. Pretty soon they are reading books that are in the next grade level and get special attention because of it. Their other classmates start to get upset because of the extra attention the teacher shows them and pretty soon the kids start snubbing them on the play ground and tell them they should go play with the older kids since they are doing class work with them. Facing this situation, your child starts to regress in their reading to fit in with their peers again. Meanwhile, you have no idea why they've been starting to fall back.

Do you see how easily jealousy could interfere with your child's budding reading skills? That's why, as a parent, you should try to be as aware as possible to how outside influences are affecting your child's self esteem. Even sibling rivalry can effect how each child develops. The more aware you are, the more likely you'll be able to help keep your child's confidence high and reading skills soaring! :)

Debating homeschooling Part 2

The argument against homeschooling usually lies in the belief that children will lack social skills as a result of not being around children their age consistently or that they can’t receive as good of an education with parents being their teachers instead of trained educators. I can understand the idea that children can end up lacking social skills by only interacting with adults (namely their parents), but one thing to consider is all the options parents have to still immerse their children in social activities while educating them at home. Extra curricular activities are practical options for getting children involved in activities with other kids all while learning valuable skills. Think: sports, the arts, 4H, church youth groups, etc. Most public schools are open to allowing homeschoolers to take certain classes through their curriculum as well, so when those driver’s education days roll around you don’t have to have that scary job :)  Your kids could also attend prom in most cases depending on the school district’s rules.

 

As far as parents not being adequate educators, I can understand that train of thought as well. After all, how can someone who hasn’t been trained to educate children know how to make lesson plans and keep their children up to date with learning standards for their age range? 20 or 30 years ago I wouldn’t be shocked if certain children who were homeschooled didn’t have consistent learning goals and ended up with a sub-par education. The good news is in today’s world there are so many support groups and teacher’s associations out there that parents have no excuse not to find all the tools they need to give their children a stellar at home education. For that matter in many states it’s now necessary for parents to take training courses on how to teach effectively and/or have a full fledged teacher’s license or they are not allowed to be home educators for their children. Thankfully with the resources the internet provides it is possible to learn how to be a great teacher for your children whether you are their after school tutor or their main educator.

 

So now that you’ve heard the arguments, where does your opinion lie?

Debating Homschooling

If you want a hot topic for discussion you should bring up homeschooling in America. For most people the issue is black and white: A) Homeschooling is highly beneficial for most children because parents can adjust the speed at which their child’s curriculum progresses (i.e. if their child is in 2^nd grade but has a 7^th grade reading level, they can give them lessons to support that and not have to hold them at a certain speed because of lesson plans)  or B) Homeschooling is detrimental to children because they’ll develop a lack of social skills and won’t get as good of an education through parents rather than trained educators. Let’s talk about argument A for this blog post…

Homeschooling has been a viable option for education in America for a long time. Many people decided to homeschool their children in the past based on religious reasons, but now homeschooling is becoming more and more about improving the quality of education children will receive, safety, and convenience.  Public schools have been struggling for a while in terms of being able to serve large numbers of children on various learning levels who learn differently from one another. Some kids excel in the social environment and are able to keep on pace with lesson plans and learning in a mainly auditory based system. Other children slip through the cracks because either they are bored to tears and aren’t challenged academically or they become victims socially through many forms of bullying. Safety in schools is another issue parents are leery about. The rise of school shootings and drug sales amongst students is enough to help parents consider how much safer it would be to have their child at home rather than in an area that may turn out to be a ticking time bomb. Also, the convenience of homeschooling plays a major factor in its popularity. Families that move around a lot (such as military families) can save their children a lot of strife by homeschooling them. In addition, certain families that own home-based businesses may feel their children would benefit from going to school at home, while also learning the family trade at the same time.

“According to a report by the U.S. Department of Education, about one and a half million students were homeschooled in 2007, an increase of about a half million students from four years ago.” (http://news10now.com/content/all_news/473821/homeschooling-on-the-rise/) . Huh, definitely something to think about, right?

To homeschool or not to homeschool?

A hot topic Phonics Reading Pro is no stranger to is homeschooling. We’ve discussed the pros and cons of homeschooling in the past and we feel that homeschooling is something all families should consider. To an extent all parents home-school, right? Even if your child goes to school every day, it’s our responsibility as parents to make sure they understand their homework, complete it, and bring it to school the next day. We act as tutors on a daily basis and help them practice skills to make sure they are assimilating all of their lessons. I think some parents enjoy it so much, they make the decision to do it full time. Depending on what state you live in, most parents who choose to home-school must have a teaching certification in the state.

 

Despite what some may see as obstacles to homeschooling their children, the U.S. Dept of Education has actually seen an increase in the number of children being homeschooled in our nation: http://news10now.com/content/all_news/473821/homeschooling-on-the-rise/ .  That’s definitely food for thought isn’t it? With all the phonics lessons you give at home, do you think you could ever home-school full time? Do you think being homeschooled would be a disadvantage or advantage for your child? Please give us some feedback on this exciting subject!

 

How to make your child the teacher

Here at Phonics Reading Pro we’ve discussed many ways you can reinforce your child’s reading skills, but one technique I want to highlight is role-reversal. The way to really tell that your child has a mastery of whatever reading lesson you happen to be working on is to have them give the lesson back to you. Tell them that you want them to be the teacher and show you the lesson you were working on just like you had shown them.

 

The easiest lessons to do that with include working with the movable alphabet (which we’ve recently taught you how to make), hands on games like the ‘mystery box’, and lessons like ‘The Ladder” which we’ve discussed in the past. Make sure when they are teaching you that they are able to explain the phonics rule(s) and show you examples of how the rule(s) works. When they can demonstrate this, you know they’ve got it down and can move on to the lesson!

 

Another way to explore your child’s absorption of lessons is to have them read to you! Tell them you want to hear a bedtime story tonight and have them read either a book that you’ve read together before or a book that you know is at their reading level so they can build confidence. There’s another easy way to help build your  child’s phonics reading skills!

Here at Phonics Reading Pro we’ve discussed many ways you can reinforce your child’s reading skills, but one technique I want to highlight is role-reversal. The way to really tell that your child has a mastery of whatever reading lesson you happen to be working on is to have them give the lesson back to you. Tell them that you want them to be the teacher and show you the lesson you were working on just like you had shown them.

 

The easiest lessons to do that with include working with the movable alphabet (which we’ve recently taught you how to make), hands on games like the ‘mystery box’, and lessons like ‘The Ladder” which we’ve discussed in the past. Make sure when they are teaching you that they are able to explain the phonics rule(s) and show you examples of how the rule(s) works. When they can demonstrate this, you know they’ve got it down and can move on to the lesson!

 

Another way to explore your child’s absorption of lessons is to have them read to you! Tell them you want to hear a bedtime story tonight and have them read either a book that you’ve read together before or a book that you know is at their reading level so they can build confidence. There’s another easy way to help build your  child’s phonics reading skills!