Any Teacher Mommies Out there-What Is the Best Way to Teach a Child to Read?

I agree with the mother moms...READ, READ, READ!!! My daughter was reading by 5 and is now 10 and still loves it!!

Have fun with it, too .. she'll learn and not even know it!!

Hi T.,

I used "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons" for all four of mine. Each lesson is 20 minutes or less when first getting started. By the end of the book, they are reading on a 2nd grade level. It worked for all four of my kids, although they each learned at a little different pace. You can get the book at Amazon.com. They also have several reviews by customers, worth reading.

Hi T.,
I hope this doesn't sound too bad- but my son and I love the DVD- "Talking Words Factory" from Leap Frog. Be careful though, because there are 2 of these. You want the one with the word CAT on the cover.
It is such a great avenue for teaching basic reading- it only uses short vowel sounds and it is very entertaining. As a teacher, I can say this was one of the best methods we used. I also use hooked on phonics and love their stuff, as well.
R. B.

Ditto..... read, read, read. I also highly recommend the Bob books. I used them w/ my daughter and had great results. Her pre-school teacher recommended them and they were great. They're very short and each book builds on the next. It gave her so much encouragement when she realized that she'd read an entire book by herself ( although initially it was only about 12 words) and she was excited to keep going.
You can find them at Half Price Books, Learning Express and sometimes even Costco. I bought the whole set from their website. www.bobbooks.com

This is also a very good step by step book. In fact, I may still have it. http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Made-Easy-Guide-Teach/dp/18...

I thinks it's great, but I only got about 15 lessons into it b/c I work full time and had a hard time fitting it in with everything else on my plate.

Read, read, read to her. The best books are predictable books like "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." Here is a link of some others..http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/predict.html
Track the words with your finger as you read to her. If she is ready, she will start asking about the words and identifying some of them. If she is not ready (many are not at this age) at least you will be laying a great foundation for the future.

I agree with the other responder to read, read, read, and reread everything. Also, find very simple books for her to begin with like the "Bob" books. You can find them at any bookstore. Another idea is to take pictures of your little one doing things. Then help her to write a book about herself. For example, if she is eating you could write, "Ashley is eating." If she is playing, "Ashley is playing." Keep it simple. Keep it fun.

Hooked on Phonics worked like a charm for both of my children. We bought ours on e-bay, but I saw it on sale at Costco for the same price I purchased a used one for. It's incredible!

If you haven't already noticed your local library should have books in the children's section that are very similar to the reading books your child will use in kindergarten. They will be really short and often focus on one main phonic skill. For example, some books may may focus on words that have the -at ending or -it, etc. Some will focus on blends like st-, br-, etc. If you get ahold of one or two of those a week and while at home get her to help you make a list of all the words you can think of that have those particular phonetic patterns (and always underline the pattern), you'll be well on your way to successful reading. Also, the English language is made up of several thousand "sight words" which are most commonly spoken and read. I would use the books above to pull out some of those words and use them in flash cards. Maybe 5 - 10 at a time is great to begin with. Then with each new book, add some more with the already learned ones. That is why they are called sight words because eventually your brain just memorizes what they look like so you just know them without having to sound out or figure them out. Also, if you can find them, there are some wonderful phonics puzzles out there (check your nearest teacher supply store) that will make learning to read a delight. But everyone is right so far, read read read :-)

Read to her...every day and lots! :)

I homeschooled my daughter during her kindergarten year & I'm convinced that she picked up reading so well and quickly because we'd spent the last 5 years with our noses in books together.

I just have to say that I am a teacher myself and have read the responses and I am sooooo proud that there ARE moms out there that make it their priority to get their children a jumpstart on reading. Where I teach, its "here...take my kid and teach them how to read and dont expect any help from home".

So as a teacher I want to thank you!

I agree with the others...READ a lot and choose predictable words and stories for her to be able to feel confident in her reading skills. And most of all, she should see her parents reading for fun too so that she knows reading is fun and not a chore like they will likely make it in school for her.

Good luck T.!