"Mom, is there a store called 'Staples?'" my son asked from the back seat.

"Yes," I responded, confused at the sudden interest in office supplies. Then I realized that we had just passed Staples. "Did you read the sign?"

"Yes," he answered with a pleased tone in his voice. "I like it when I get it right. My cheeks light up!"

He should be proud of himself; learning to read is a big step. It's amazing to watch a child learn to read; amazing to see him make that leap that enables him to decode the symbols on a page and understand words, sentences, and stories. There are many important things that a child must learn; reading is only one of them. But reading is special, an important step, because it gives him (or her) the ability to learn about the world on their own.

Parents play an important role in helping their child learn to read. First and foremost, the best thing you can do to help your children is to read to them early and read to them often. Reading to your children does more than teaching them that books are fun. It also teaches them that books are supposed to make sense, that the words on the page are connected to form meaning. Children who have been read to at home have an easier time learning to read than children who haven't.

Even after they start to be able to read themselves, it's important to continue to read to your children. The closeness of reading together continues to provide the child with positive reading experiences, and helps promote a strong parent-child bond, as well. You can read books to your children that are more difficult than they would read to themselves, and discussing the books with them can help improve their reading comprehension. Sometimes, they will want you to read books to them that are at or even below their reading level, and that's OK too.

Some parents may want to go beyond this, and work with their child directly on learning to read, even if the child is learning to read at school. And parents who homeschool their children are their children's primary teacher. If you are going to work with your child on learning to read, you may want to educate yourself about the methods and techniques for teaching reading.

Theory

There are two primary schools of thought on teaching reading: whole language and phonics. For much of the history of education, these methods have been supported by opposing camps, and they have alternated being the dominant method. But today, there is greater recognition that both are needed, that the two methods can complement each other.

Teaching reading through phonics is a methodical approach of teaching the child the sounds of individual letters, then moving up to letter combinations, simple words, and finally more complex words. The phonics method teaches a child to sound out words. Educators generally agree that phonics is an important part of learning to read. Phonics teaches the child how to read, so that they can figure out on their own words that they don't know. Even a child with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, can learn to read using the phonics method.

But as important as phonics is, a program that emphasizes phonics alone can alienate the child. A child, particularly one who has not been read to at home, may not understand why the sounds are so important, may not get that eventually these sounds will help them learn to read.

Whole language takes the approach of teaching reading in the context of literature. A child learns to enjoy and appreciate reading by reading books and writing his own stories. Traditional whole language programs put an early emphasis on learning to recognize words, so that the child can make rapid early progress in reading, and experience for themselves the pleasure and pride of achievement in reading by themselves.

But while some children thrive in whole language programs, others don't do as well. And reading by word recognition can only take the child so far; eventually they will need to learn to sound out words in order to progress. Today's educators are learning to draw the best from both methods; to use phonics as the methodical underpinning and whole language as a way to encourage enjoyment of reading. The other advantage of using both methods is that different children have different learning styles. Some children learn best initially by one method, while others favor the other method.

Practical Steps

Once you understand the theories, you can begin to take practical steps to help your child learn to read. But before you begin, you should ask yourself why you want to work with the child on reading. Some good reasons for working with your child on reading are:

• You are homeschooling your child.


• Your child is behind where he should be at this age and needs extra help.


• Your child is ahead of his class and wants to learn more than is taught in class.


• Your child has a different learning style and has difficulty learning in class.

• Your child's learning style.


• His (or her) attention span.


• Whether or not the child is in school.


• Recommendations from his teacher.


• Your own schedule.

Decide how often and for how long at a time you will work. You may want to set aside a specific time for reading work, to make sure that it doesn't get pushed aside. But whatever approach you decide on, make sure to pay attention to your child's signals - if he is tired, sick, or cranky, he won't be as open to learning. Remember - you want reading to be fun!

There are many good materials available to help you, ranging from free to expensive, and you need to decide what program will work best for you and your child. If you have more than one child, remember that they may have different learning styles, and may need different approaches.

My son attended a Montessori school for a couple of years, and they have some good methods that you can use. In a Montessori school, the child learns the letter sounds using sandpaper letters. The child traces his finger along the letter and repeats the sound that the letter makes. This engages the sense of touch as well as sight and sound. And tracing the letter helps develop prewriting skills. You may be able to buy sandpaper letters, or you can make your own using cardboard and sandpaper.

Once the child learns the letter sounds, he begins to make his own words using the sounds. Montessori schools use a moveable alphabet to allow the child to make words even before they can write. You can simulate your own moveable alphabet using one of the many sets of magnetic letters available. Just make sure that you have several of each letter available - some of the sets come with only one of each.

If you are going to be your child's primary reading teacher, you may want to buy a complete reading program. It's not necessary to buy a complete reading program, but some parents are more comfortable following a packaged curriculum. We used the Hooked on Phonics program, and have found it to be an excellent program. The thing that I liked best about Hooked on Phonics is that the books that came with it for the kids to read were interesting - even at the earliest letters. I've found a lot of the "easy read" books to be, quite frankly, boring. The Hooked on Phonics books engaged my son and kept his interest.

Whatever method you use, keep it fun and don't overdo it. And remember that no matter what else you do, reading books to your child is one of the best and most important things that you can do. Finally, enjoy this time with your child! Learning to read is one of the most exciting steps that a child makes on the journey towards independence.

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Related Links

Teaching Reading to Children: Part 1 - Building the Foundation

Hooked on Phonics - Buy Now!