Help your child read: letter sounds and vowels



Drawing by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)   

We worry about vowels because we know vowels are the variable sounds within the alphabet. Vowel rules are usually taught in 2nd Grade. Start by help your child learn the ABC basics: recognize each letter shape, name, and sound: Aa apple, Bb bear, Cc cat, etc. 

Ignore backward letters. Your child will self-correct by mid 2nd Grade, it is rarely dyslexia, will not slow your child's advancement. 

However, b, d, g, p, q must be correctly printed and must become instant, even when inside words. Getting confused by b /d and p / q / g when a child starts reading words in early 1st Grade will cause a child to fall behind. 

Goal: by the start of 1st Grade your child will identify b /d and p / q / g in words like: about, by, and, quiet, snag. Getting confused by these five letters when trying to read words will cause a child to fall behind.

During kindergarten, work on learning the first ten sight words as you read stories together:  the, of, and, a, to, in, is, you, that, it. All sight word lists are the same and in the same order.

Consonant letter blends, like bl, br and cl, cr, fl, fr, etc are also good to watch for and practice as you read stories together. And play, "I am thinking of something that start with br," etc. 

Parents do not realize a small set of letter teams will be equally important to their child's success. By the end of 1st Grade, help your child start learning that teams ce, ci, cy always say s: cent, city, bicycle. Look at bi cy cle: the 2nd c says k because e, i, y are not the next letter. Note: British boys created the slang word soccer to distinguish it from rugby. Sometimes slang words follows the phonics rules; sometimes not.

Each vowel has a long sound (called long when you hear the letter name of the vowel: snake, play, leaf, pie, pipe, nose, rule, ruin, type. Long y uses the long i sound.

  

Long vowel rules: 1) The vowel will say its letter name when there is only one consonant between two vowels: snake (consonant k; note: e at the end of a word is nearly always silent.)

2) When two vowels are side-by-side, the 1st vowel says its letter name: ear. (Smart rhyme: When two vowels go walking, the 1st vowel does the talking.)

Short vowels do not say their letter name. Rules: 1) When there is only one vowel in a word it is usually short: bat, bet, bit, bot, but, myth. Short y uses the short i sound.

2) When there is more than one consonant between two vowels, the 1st vowel is usually short: basket, father, better, bitter, bridge, bother, mother, butter. 

All children learn, then forget; this is normal. Your child needs much more review of a "known" lesson that you would ever imagine. Teachers want every child to be a reading star but there is not enough time in the school day to get the review required by the child to truly anchor these tricky and invisible lessons.

All of my books, starting with the Kindergarten Panda bear, include these vital lessons. If your child is already a wobbly reader; you can bet he is fuzzy with this crucial set. I use ebay as my website. Search Instant Reading Help all my books will pop up for you. All are brand new and include my contact info; email or call for help.

Have a great day with your reader! Thank you,   Mary Maisner

short-term memory: help your child read

We all read using our short-term memory, also called the working-memory. The working memory is set up to retrieve information stored in long-term memory.

The short-term working memory is about 1 and 1/2 seconds long.

Successful reading is done by keeping the 1 and 1/2 second loop moving forward, connecting to the next loop with the correct information. 

Not having the correct information stored in long-term memory ready for rapid retrieval results in the brain waiting too long.

This creates an "overload" for the short-term (working memory): the looping process gets broken. 

The brain requires rapid functioning in speeds of 1 / 1000 bits of a second for the smooth merging of information. Too slow, creates a cascade of trouble.

The only way to help your child is to be sure he really knows his basic lessons.

When you are helping your child with reading, think of making sure lessons are securely anchored. Creating the pressure to be fast introduces stress which drains brain energy. Do not put the focus on fast, put it on sure. When lessons are well-anchored in the brain, the brain will be fast and joyfully amazing all on its own.

Think about it this way: You eat the proper foods so that your body can effectively use the best elements to your good health. You do not digest your food, your body's systems do that job.

I have created a few books to help your child master the basics and the tricky parts of reading. Click my link, then click bookstore, scroll down to see books at your child's grade level: http://www.zoomreadingstrategy.com   All books teach a special comprehension method.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Please feel welcome to leave a question for me. 
Mary Maisner

Help your child read

Understanding your child's working-memory, also called short-term memory, will help you be more effective. (For all age children.)

Unknown to your child, his eyes are seeing the upcoming letters and words. The brain wants to pop the letter or word into place as soon as the child needs it.

When your child's brain does not have  lessons stored and ready for instant recall - a cascade of trouble starts. Let's look at the lessons that are often not well enough learned (stored); not ready to go: 

1) b / d and p / q /  g,     2) look-alike sight words such as whether, which, though, thought, etc

. 

3) and, comprehension skills. 

For children 3rd Grade and up, use my search box - top left corner - put in help struggling reader for fast help with comprehension skills.

Preschool - 2nd Grade: Children know the name and sound of b, d, g, p, q but cannot identify b from d and p from q and g when the child sees these letters within words. Goal: check your child on these five letters. Be sure your child does not get confused by these letters because this confusion causes a child to fall behind.

Parents depend on preschool and kindergarten but there is not enough time for the required repetition; parents must monitor and help.  Ignore all other backward letters, they will not slow your child's progess, are rarely dyslexia, and will self-correct by mid 2nd Grade. Better to use your time teaching my tricky letter rules: 

Bb rule: b is the 2nd letter in my ABCs and its round face looks the way words go in a story >.    Help your child draw lots of giant b's with a smile and eyes looking the way words go >. Take turns saying b words, like boy, bear, bus. Repeat the b rule together. Using a story, have your child find and point to b at the start, middle, and end of words. 

Dd rule: d's straight line blocks d's round face from seeing the way words go. Help your child draw lots of giant d's with sad eyes and a sad mouth. Tell your child d is sad because it cannot see the way words go in a story. Take turns saying d words: dog, dragon, door. Repeat the d rule. Look for d words in a story; d at the start, middle, and end of words.

Gg rule: g's fancy tail tries to reach up to tickle g's round face. Help your child draw lots of giant g's with eyes looking down at g's fancy tail. Take turns saying g words: green, grass, goat, go. Find and point to g at the start, middle, and end of words in a story. Repeat the g rule together. (Beware: Handwritten q looks like the opposite of g.)

Pp rule: the round face of p looks the way words go in a story, just like b; b and p can see. Help your child draw lots of giant p's with a smile and eyes looking the way words go. Find and point to p at the start, middle, and end of words in a story. Take turns saying p words.

Qq rule: the straight line of q blocks the round face of q, online and in print. The round face of my q is blocked by my pretty hook which curves up and away from q's round face.  Help your child draw lots of giant q's with sad eyes and a sad mouth. Find and point to q in stories - always with a straight line - at the start and middle of words: quick, quack, squirrel, squeak; q says kw in English words and letter u always comes next.  Also, have fun making the handwritten q with a hooked tail curving up and away from q's face.

I know this is alot already but try to help your child start collecting sight words when you are reading stories together. Make a list for the frig. with stars and stickers. The 1st ten: the, of, and, a, to, in, is, you, it, he.  All sight words lists are the same and in the same order. 

I use eBay as my website. Search Instant Reading Help Kindergarten all my books will pop up. All are brand new and include my contact info; email or call for help. Have fun reading with your child. Thank you, Mary Maisner

The wonderful lion at the top was drawn by Albrecht Durer in 1521.

Reading help for 4th grade, 5th grade...fun side of words

Once children have turned away from reading it is a real trick to get them to take a second look.

One of the tricks you have is the history of the words themselves.

Look at the word fence.  Fence comes to us from a short-cut slang word for defense.

A swordman fencing was defending himself:

Alfred was lunging with a glimmering sword to thrust away danger. Parrying with a low feint, before swooping in with a surprising upper-thrust assault. (feint say faint.)

The art of fencing gives us several words to entice our reader: 

1) foil: means to stop something, frustrate the opponent's goal, thwart an action: Alfred foiled his sister's plan to snack on a cookie by gobbling down every last one.

The word foil comes to us from a short-cut for foliage - leaves and flowers - a foil being like a little leaf stuck on the tip of the sword to avoid injury during practice. (also called a button)

2) from foil comes foible (say foy b'l): meaning the little weaknesses people have, habits and mannerisms that can get them into trouble: Alfred's foible of exaggerating minor mishaps into huge events gave Ajax the chance to tease Alfred in front of the prettiest girl in the world. 

Foible originally referred to the weakest part of the sword, running from its mid-point to the tip. Feeble comes to us from this word family.

Another fun word is defeat, meaning to thwart another from gaining a feat. Feat: an unusual act of daring, a remarkable deed, a prize.

I have created books to make reading much more fun. I use ebay as my website. Search Instant Reading Help all my books will pop up. All books are brand new and full of the skills and comprehension exercises your child needs. All books include my contact info; email or call for help.  Rule: ce, ci, cy always say s. Rule: ge, gi, gy most often say j. 

My wonderful graphics are from Corel Clipart; put together by the talented group at Micrografx.

Thank you for visiting my blog, Mary Maisner

Sight Words: the transfer skill helps your child read

  

Teachers use the word transfer to mean your child has learned a lesson and knows that lesson can be used in several places.  New readers do not have enough experience of the world to realize, for example, that the word the - is used forty times in his favorite story. 

It is important to help your child; let's get started:

The first ten sight words are:

the,   of,   and,   a,   to,   in,   is,   you,   that,   it.

Begin with the word the. Put your child's finger under the the first time it appears in the well known story. Hold your child's finger under the.

Tell him that when we talk our words run together like water coming out of the faucet but when we read, each word is separate. When we read, words are like cars on the street. There is space between each car - there is space on the page between each word. (A tiny space but a space.)

Tell you child that each word has its own letters.  Ask if your child knows the word he is pointing to?  Tell him it is the word the. (Fabulous if he knew the word.)

Take a minute to see if he can name each letter in the >  t   h  e. 
Tell him the is a word we use when we talk. We say things like: close the door, where is the phone, who has the answer. Help your child make up a sentence using the.

Now ask your child if he sees any other the words on the page?   Ask him to point, help him find the throughout the story.   Read the story, asking him to point to the each time it is used in the story.  

After reading the story, find a piece of paper for keeping track of your child's growing word list.
Title the paper with your child's name: Adam's word list
Below the title write his first word the, or allow your child to write the word the.

As you read other stories ask your child to point to the.  When you child recognizes the in several stories, then, and only then, he actually knows the word the. This is called transfer.

The second sight word is of . Proceed with these same steps with the word of. And, add of to his word list. Remember that review is a critical part of keeping these words well anchored.

I have created a few books to help your child learn all of the tricky lessons plus a special comprehension method. My books are full of color pictures and special tools to help your child be a reading star. I use ebay as my website. Search Instant Reading Help all my books will pop up for you.  

Thank you for visiting my blog. Please feel welcome to leave a comment or question.
Have a great day, Mary Maisner

Short vowel rhyming families

Short vowel rhyming families are an easy way for your child to slide into reading.  You and your child can print these exercises but you can also provide your child some action while learning.

For example, ask your child to stand with his back to the wall and permit him to take one step forward with each correct answer.

You say, "Our rhyming family is cat, sat, that; you can take one step forward if you tell me a word in this rhyming family that starts with r (rat).

OK, now we have cat, sat, that, rat; you can take one step forward if you tell me a word in this family that starts with m (mat.) So, now we have cat, sat, that, rat, mat. 

You can take one step forward if you tell me a word in this family that starts with f (fat.)  This time you say the rhyming family with me: we have cat, sat, that, rat, mat, fat.

You can take one step forward if you can tell me a word in this family that start with b (bat). Say the rhyming family with me: we have cat, sat, that, rat, mat, fat, bat.

If you run out of space, ask your child to take one step backward each time. If you have a set of stairs, you can allow your child to sit on a stair and move up and down - sitting each time - sitting is safer than standing.  Other words you can add to this rhyming family: pat, hat, scat, brat, drat, splat.

Asking your child to repeat the rhyming family each time with you helps strengthen both the rhyming element and your child's short-term memory span.

I have create several books to help your child become a Star Reader. I use ebay as my website. Search Instant Reading Help all my books will pop up.  Being smart from the start is what you want for your child!

By the way, this wonderful squirrel was drawn by Hans Hoffman in the year 1578.
Have a great day, Mary Maisner

                  

reading lessons without paper and pencil

We usually think reading instruction needs paper and a pencil but there are many ways to help your reader while you are riding in a car or waiting in a line.

Sing the ABC song. Knowing the alphabet has many important functions. Even older children need this review.

Your 5th, 6th, 7th grade child needs to be good at alphabetical order. (Exams like to ask students of this age to alphabetize a list of words and often extend the task to the 2nd or 3rd letter: shield / shred and scald / screed, etc.)

Quiz the names of the vowels: Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu, and Yy.

Children forget which letters are in the vowel group. Your child needs to know which letters are vowels:
1) when changing y to i, such a berry to berries.
2) when adding ed, ing, er, able, as opposed to ly, s, or ment. (different rules for vowels)

Play "I spy." With beginning readers stick with single letters at the start of a word, like p or t. Tell your child you spy something that begins with a p (pretzel)  Ask your child to look around and guess what you "spy." Let your child tell you the first letter of something he "spies," and you guess.   

As your child gets more capable, add things that begin with a double letter, like br (bridge, braces, brown shoes, etc.) or ch, th, sh, wh, pl, pr, and so on.

Have fun with these activities; they will make a difference to your child's reading! 

I now use ebay as my website. Search Instant Reading Help all my books will pop up.

I have created a few books to help your child be a star with the tricky lessons and comprehension. Lots of story-reading and skills practice; lots of color pictures, include my contact info. Be sure your child is ready for any challenge!

Please feel welcome to leave a question or a comment. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Mary Maisner