There are many different methods and curriculums used to teach children to read. It isn't an easy task and can seem very overwhelming. I have researched a lot of different methods, teaching styles and found the method that works for us.
You are warned. This is not the typical style used in most government or private schools. It works well for us, and I am sharing in case anyone else would find comfort and inspiration from this teaching style.
I hate sight words
When I started to teach reading to my oldest child, I used the accepted methods of sight words, memorization and boring readers with dumbed down story lines. This caused frustration, confusion and removed the joy from a treasured activity. It didn't take long, before I threw away all of these methods and began in-depth research of the topic.
One thing that I learned in my research was that sight words were not designed to be used by every child. Historically, reading was taught using phonetics (sounding out the words by connecting the sound of each letter). Some students were considered "too slow" or "too dumb" to read phonetically. Sight words were developed to ensure that the "slow" child could recognize some words and therefore function at a minimal level in society. Educational methods have evolved significantly since this time but for some reason we still use those dreaded sight words to torture our youngest children. These words on flash cards, screens or worksheets have no context, story or real meaning. It is comparable to adults memorizing the chemical formula for every item on our pantry shelves instead of using the common name. It lacks logic and context to create synaptic connections in our brain.
My philosophy
The mechanics of reading and reading comprehension are two very different skill sets and should NOT be taught at the same time.
The mechanics of reading includes learning the letters of the alphabet, their sounds and placing them together to formulate a word. Comprehension of the written word is understanding the information being shared AND the ability to discuss the story in detail, including insights, questions, etc.
Attempting to teach both skill sets at the same time is like learning the anatomy of the heart at the same time as learning how to surgically repair it. You could get lucky, and experience a successful outcome, but unfortunately too many would be hurt if this was the accepted learning method.
My suggestion: Teach skills of comprehension, interpretation, vocabulary and logical reasoning first. Then, focus on the mechanics of learning to decipher the written word.
How we do it
In our home, we start the reading process by focusing on good stories with rich literary content and extensive vocabulary. These stories are read aloud together and sometimes in audiobook format. We do not limit ourselves to typical children's books that are short for limited attention spans. Instead, we mix short books with longer novels read over a period of weeks.
After each reading, we have a discussion about the material. This is a student-led discussion where I simply listen and ask questions when clarity is needed. Any misinterpretations of vocabulary are addressed and corrected. The storyline is discussed as well as the moral and ethical decisions made by the characters.
During this stage, the student copies passages associated with the readings. The focus of copywork is to practice handwriting skills and learn to recognize the structure of sentences. We will also introduce the alphabet and their sounds. There is no pressure for the student to start putting all of this information together. The focus is strictly on comprehension, evaluation and developing an appreciation for the written word.
After, and only after, the student excels at the comprehension phase of learning and is impatient to move along without assistance, do we begin instruction of the mechanical aspect of reading. At this point, the student has a deep appreciation of the world opened to them with the written word. They are tired of waiting on the teacher to read the next chapter and want to proceed on their own. They WANT to know more. This desire is crucial in teaching the boring, difficult aspect of phonetical memorization and structure.
There are many different curriculums that can be used for this phase of learning. I enjoy the layout and ease of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann. As a bonus, it is one of the cheaper reading curriculums available!
We do not stop the read-alouds and narrations during this time. We simply add the official reading curriculum to our current method. After we complete the curriculum, we pick books for the child to read aloud to me. This helps to identify any weaknesses in their learning and boosts their confidence in their accomplishment of reading. We continue the student read aloud activities until the student is proficient at reading a story with minimal problems, good inflection and appropriately applied pauses for affect.
We continue teacher read-aloud books throughout their educational career. This helps to maintain connections over a shared experience as the child expands his/her learning to more individual activities. This continued activity of reading aloud to older children allows us to address difficult societal and moral issues in a softer way because the characters aren't real. Examples of these books are To Kill a Mockingbird, Mark Twain novels, etc.
Drawbacks to this method
While I love this method, it does have a few drawbacks.
- The child requires more "over-the-shoulder" time with all of their work until their reading skills are quite accomplished. Our curriculum choices remain focused on literature-based educational materials, and it can become difficult to manage several young readers at the same time.
- This method is not widely accepted. My children have been accused of "being behind", "below grade-level" or even "slow" because we simply have not tackled this learning task in the same timeframe as others. While I can tolerate this negativity, I become quite angry when I have to reassure my children when their intelligence is questioned based on an unnecessary and faulty timeline.
- Spelling competence lags for a while. We have tried formal spelling curriculums but find them tedious with minimal improvement. This is another area that I have heard criticisms about regarding my teaching methods. With continued reading, copywork and correcting misspelled written words when they occur, this issue works itself out over time.
- Some of the reading material is more expensive than other options. We choose to focus on classical literature by phenomenal authors. We avoid most abridged versions. The vocabulary and context are not always popular in today's libraries and bookstores and therefore can become difficult to find.
Benefits Outweigh the Drawbacks
While this method isn't perfect, it is my favorite way of teaching this critical skill to my children. The benefits far outnumber the drawbacks.
- I have found that this method develops excited and eager readers at every level. My children still ask for books as gifts in addition to the ones that we read during our scheduled school hours. We have conversations regarding books unrelated to school assignments.
- All humans are better learners when excited about the topic. By waiting to teach the mechanics of reading until after the comprehension phase, my readers are eager to learn this skill. They are willing to put in the required work, even when it gets difficult, because they understand the reward that they are working towards.
- We skip over the boring, dumbed-down "Learn to Read" books. After being exposed to the extensive language and creative styles of great writers, the typical books used to teach reading are too boring. My kids have complained about these types of books. We simply skip them and work through harder pieces together and spread it over a longer period of time. As the teacher, I find it more enjoyable and I think they sense and appreciate it, too.
- Teaching someone to read requires patience. I am not an overly patient person. Using this method allows us to work in a logical fashion that decreases learning frustration. The child doesn't feel forced to complete a task simply because he/she is being told to do so. They are listening to adventures and retelling exciting stories. Then, they are learning the techniques needed to open up new stories on their own.
- I have found that by separating the two components of reading, the comprehension of the written word is improved. The ability to understand, retell and question articles, or even videos, is becoming a lost skill in our society. Comprehension is essential to learning.
- We have a large home library. This isn't a requirement so don't be thrown off if you are a minimalist. However, we have found so many wonderful books that we want to keep, treasure and share that we store them in our home.
- When my children master the mechanics of reading, they bust through "age-level" books and progress onto books considered above their recommended grade level. I have received many comments and expressions from adults who were surprised that my child who was "behind" is now reading at levels considered above "recommended grade-level".
- Once the door to reading has been opened, they don't close it. I received a very sincere compliment from one of my child's teachers (yes, homeschooled children can have other teachers besides their parents!) stating that my children are very well-read individuals. I am happy to hear this as I believe that this ability will benefit them throughout their entire lives.
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts and experiences on this topic. I hope that it has helped to inspire or even relax you on the journey to assist a young reader in your life.
You may have noticed that I utilized quotations a lot in this article. This was intentional. The words in the quotations above are only labels. Your child is much more valuable and complicated than a few descriptive labels can portray. I am guilty of getting caught in this comparison trap. However, when I throw away the unnecessary labels and focus on the individualized education of each child, they thrive. As a result, our home becomes more peaceful. And can you really beat the learning environment of a warm and loving home?