Recommendation for teaching ds1 to read

[Trishy]

I hope that it is ok that I am posting here. My ds1 does go to public preschool but I supplement his public school education with home learning. Ds1 is 4.5 now and is really interested in learning to read. I'm not really sure where to start, I have been working on letter sounds with him for now. Is there a great book that I could read to get me started? He is also starting to add small numbers a bit, like 4+2=6 so I would like to expand on that. TIA!

[Linda on the move]

I think that 4 is way too young for reading lessons. Playing around with letters and sounds is great, reading to him and helping nurture his love for books is super, but turning it into lessons would most likely just turn him off to reading.

[suziek]

I recommend buying the ordinary parents guide to teaching your child to read, along with the magnentic letter board and letter kit that you can buy with it from thewelltrainedmind.com. I also recommend games for reading, games for learning and games for math all by peggy kaye. We also use the book family math for young children.

If you can, buy a copy of the ready to read ready to count handbook by teresa savage. I think it's out of print but I found a used copy and she uses a simliar approach to the ordinary parents guide, but with more games. Her approach is also phonics based but even more simplified than the OPG.

I personally would avoid the teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons. It didn't take with my son, and I found the system of phonetic notation oddly complicated and distracting.

Good luck. I started to teach my oldest at about your son's age and we have had great time.

[Mamax3]

I have an extra copy of The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading I ordered an extra by accident. If you are interested pm me.

I love this book, but I am VERY relaxed with it. My DS age 5 in 2 weeks goes to public preschool, more for fun and friends. It's like a daily playgroup that the bus takes him to....because all the stuff they teach in public pre k my kid already knows.

I have tons of letter magnets, wooden and plastic and several different sets. He LOVES to spell words on the fridge while I am cooking dinner and he spells out the spelling words when I go over them with DS age 8 (3rd grade) and DD age 6 (1st grade), so he is teaching himself. He just recently started spelling out the names of his trains on the fridge, he reads their names off the bottom of the train and then "writes" it on the fridge with the magnets.

He also LOVEs for me to read an easy book to him and then he "reads" it to me. Go Dog Go, comes to mind as a favorite. He isn't really "reading" it but has it memorized and points to the words as he goes along.


So essentially he is teaching himself to read. my DD also practices her word cards from last year with him to help him learn to read.

Also, Leap Frog DVD's....Word Factory, Phonics, etc. There are tons and my kids LOVE them.

[Mamax3]

Boggle Jr. My son LOVEs this game.

Letter tiles you can buy at Walmart....we play with those too.

[vegimom]

My dd was also interested in reading at age 4. Kids are ready to read at different ages and if your child is ready, then go ahead.... If you come to a point where your child doesn't get it, then ease off till they are ready.

I second the suggestions for the Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading.

[Hera]

We used:
Dr Seuss. First the ABC book, then Hop on Pop and One Fish Two Fish.

Also, www.starfall.com

Along with lots of reading aloud, sometimes running my finger along under the lines of text, although only for a little while as it slows me down so I don't sound as fluent.

[Tori Gollihugh]

How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
google it
you could try www.alibris.com too... VERY good prices and I've had great service so far.

I've heard WONDERFUL things about it from a momma who used it with a very bright son. He learned to read before he was 3. It's never too early for anything if you work with your child and know what they are interested in and capeable of accomplishing!