One of the boys I nanny (note: nanny not teacher) is 5 years old and learning to read. We practice his sight words every day after school, he is required to know them in order to progress to the 1st grade. Turns out I may have needed more than one semester of Elementary Education in college. If teaching him how to read was recorded it might go something like this...
1. Don't forget the song we learned from the Leap Frog video..."when two vowels go walking the first one does the talking"...
See...
Day...
Pie...
Read...
New reader: Yuh-oh...Yoh.
Ms. J: No, it's Yuh-oo...Yoo.
New reader: But there's two vowels.
Ms. J: I know, but that's just how it is.
New reader: Why?
Ms. J: Because.
2. Remember the rule the silent "e" makes the first vowel say its name ...
Came...
Pole...
Tape...
New reader: K-oh-m...Kom.
Ms. J: No, K-Uh-M..Kum.
New Reader: But there is a silent e, so the "o" says its name.
Ms. J: I know, but that's just how it is.
New reader: Why?
Ms. J: Because.
New reader: Huh-ay-v...Hayv.
Ms. J: No, it's Huh-ah-v...Hahv.
New reader: But there's a silent "e"...
Ms. J: I know, but that's just how it is.
New reader: Why?
Ms. J: Because.
3. Sound out the word! Don't make words up, if you sound out the letters you will know what word you're reading....
Cat...
Big...
Dog...
Ms. J: No, it's Wuh-N...Wuhn.
New reader(confused): Okay.
(2 minutes later I go back to this word to see if he remembers)
New reader: Aw-nuh-eh...Awneh!
Ms. J: No it's..Wuh-n...Wuhn. Don't sound it out...
you just need to know it....that's just how it is.
New reader: Why?
Ms. J: Because.
New reader: Wuh-h-ah-T...Wuh-Hat.
Ms. J: No, it's Wuh-uht...Wuht.
New reader: No, I see "hat"...wuh-hat.
Ms. J: No, it's Wuh-uht...Wuht. Don't sound it out...
you just need to know it...that's just how it is.
BECAUSE.
Needless to say, I prefer babies.
But of course, if you are interested in enrolling your child(ren) in
Reading Lessons with Ms. J feel free to send a message.
