Teaching a Child to Read: Just S-H-O-O-T Me.

I’m pretty sure I’ve vented about trying to teach Graham to read to y’all before.  It’s not like he’s behind or anything…. I mean, he’s 4 1/2 (almost).   It’s OK if the kid can’t read.  But, he wants to learn, so I’ve been encouraging it.  Teaching a child to read can be tough; We’ve done the BOB books, we’ve played literacy games, and I’ve sat for endless hours working with him on letter and sounds.

Sound it out Graham… R-E-D: “ruh-eh-duh.” Graham responds.  “That spells sun.”  Oh, the frustrations.

Lately, though, we seem to have found some books that are doing the trick.  It was a random purchase at the bookstore the other day.  I wanted to try books that had colorful pictures and short words, which is why I picked up Starfall’s Short-Vowel Pals.

For over $20 bucks, I had to think twice, but then when I realized at 15 books, that’s barely over a $1 per book.  Ok, worth a shot.  And, now that I know it works… totally worth it.  Sure, it’s a combo of interpreting the picture and reading each night when we go through the books, but Graham’s excited to do it and is getting familiar with frequent words.  He’s onto book seven or eight now, and we’re building new words into his reading repertoire every night.

It may or may be the solution for your reluctant or beginning readers, but since the holiday season is upon us, it just might be a great gift under that tree for young ones this year!

Have any extra tips for teaching children to read?  I’m open to suggestions for additional ways to support my son’s excitement about learning to read.  What’s worked for your child?

P.S. In doing research for this post, I learned that what I picked up at the store was actually a companion set to the Starfall Learn to Read set.  You can order both online here.  (Apparently, the one I picked up is not actually widely available… go figure.)  The Starfall website also has online games and learning activities that pair with the books if you’re so inclined.  If you’d prefer to order through Barnes & Noble, you can get the Starfall Learn to Read set on their website.

*I wasn’t compensated for this post or receive product by the company. Just loved the books.*