How can I help my daughter get from sounds to words?

Question

My 4 year old daughter is frustrated that she can't read. I know that she is just a little kid and it is not nesecary for her to be readign at 4 but she has a lot of 5 and 6 year old friends who learned to read in the last year. She has worked hard to learn all of her letter sounds. I got her some phonics readers for beginners. She can expertly sound out each word but she has no idea what she has just read. To her it is just a string of sounds and not a word. I worry that if she gets too frustrated she will be turned off to reading. I would like to help her all I can while she is so excited to learn. Do you have any advice on how I can help her to make the jump from sounds to words?

Answer 1

The important thing to note is that spelling words comes before reading...just many people do not teach it that way for whatever reason, most likely because many associate spelling with pencils and paper and the child may not be ready to write out words yet.

If you go on ebay, look for a movable alphabet. You can probably get it on ebay cheaper than you can if you went through a Montessori supply store. This is a big box of wooden letters that the child can move around and create words with. This helps because she can actually feel the letters as she works. If she knows her letter sounds, start with simple three letter phonetic words.

Have her hold up three fingers. Lightly pinch the tip of each finger with your thumb and index finger while wiggling it a little and give her the 3 sounds (one sound on each finger).

Have a chart on the wall that has pictures for the phonetic sound of every letter. Don't have "g" and "giraffe." Make sure it's a "ghost" or something that actually starts with "g." If she needs to, she can go to the chart and think about what sound each picture starts with. Show her how to do that as well.

Other thoughts: Does she associate the sound with it yet or is she just making the sounds to form the words? Do practicing games of things like "I spy." Use something that begins with the sound "/d/ /d/"

You generally want to teach the order of:

1) Beginning sound

2) Ending sound

3) Middle sound

Answer 2

Well point to a object like an apple and say apple slowly sounding out every part of the word. But I think you should start with Mama or Dada.

Answer 3

It is called lap reading.  Every night read her a story while she is in your lap looking at the book.  As you read point to each word that you are reading.  Before you read discuss the title and the author.  Ask her to predict the plot and while you are reading discuss what she thinks will happen next.  Read books with predictable print and have her read that part while you point to the works.  Predictable print are stories that repeat certain lines.  Give her time, it is more important that she learns to love books at this time.

Answer 4

every night, read a short story book to her . it will help her to speak by listening. u also can teach her to speak a few words everyday. if not work u must take your child to the pediatric. ask the doctor advice.

Answer 5

Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons- Siegfried Engelmann

Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble...under $20.... check out the reviews on Amazon.com.  We have had great success with it.  It works with comprehension as well.

We Both Read Series---www.webothread.com has the listings...on a spread of pages...parent reads and then the child reads.  Excellent series...check your local library... Amazon.com carries most if not all for $3.99/book in paperback.  

Good luck!

Answer 6

Make a book with her with photos of family, friends, toys write the name of the person underneath the picture.

Gather as many logos /brand names you can find that your child knows eg McDonalds, bags from supermarkets, cereal packets, sweet labels, television characters. put these in a book. Your child will be able to 'read' every one and this will keep her interest.

Give her her own 'shopping list' with food labels for her to find in the shop.

Put labels around her room / your house eg. 'window', 'door', 'wash your hands' in the bathroom, 'Don't forget your keys!' by the front door.

See if you can find wordless books at the library ( many school reading schemes use these) ask your child to tell you what is happening in each picture - most early readers use picture clues when starting to read.

Buy or make alphabet snap cards / sounds or letters lotto games .

Ask the local school if you can have an old education supplies catalogue - there are hundreds of ideas in these that you can adapt / make to play with your child.

I think the main idea is not to push her to soon (as you said), but to give her activities that she can not fail at - she will 'get it' when she is ready! - oh and give her lots of praise!

Answer 7

The important thing to note is that spelling words comes before reading...just many people do not teach it that way for whatever reason, most likely because many associate spelling with pencils and paper and the child may not be ready to write out words yet.

If you go on ebay, look for a movable alphabet.  You can probably get it on ebay cheaper than you can if you went through a Montessori supply store.  This is a big box of wooden letters that the child can move around and create words with.  This helps because she can actually feel the letters as she works.  If she knows her letter sounds, start with simple three letter phonetic words.

Have her hold up three fingers.  Lightly pinch the tip of each finger with your thumb and index finger while wiggling it a little and give her the 3 sounds (one sound on each finger).

Have a chart on the wall that has pictures for the phonetic sound of every letter.  Don't have "g" and "giraffe."  Make sure it's a "ghost" or something that actually starts with "g."  If she needs to, she can go to the chart and think about what sound each picture starts with.  Show her how to do that as well.

Other thoughts:  Does she associate the sound with it yet or is she just making the sounds to form the words?  Do practicing games of things like "I spy."  Use something that begins with the sound "/d/ /d/"

You generally want to teach the order of:

1)  Beginning sound

2)  Ending sound

3)  Middle sound

If she's having trouble with the movable alphabet, you can go back and do things to work on those 3 areas.

Hope that helps!

Matt

Answer 8

As she is just starting to read I'm guessing she's reading picture books. Remind her to look at the picture as in these books the picture gives you a really good clue about what's going on in the writing.

Also get her to point to each word as that way she won't get lost.

Make a book with pictures/photos about things she has done. This way she will know most of the words. You can make it as simple or as hard as you like all you need is a camera or paper and pencils to do the pictures with and a computer to type the text on plus a printer.

If the story is about something she knows then she's more likely to understand the link between the words on the page and the sounds she's making.

You can also explain any new words to her when she starts a new book. This will mean she has an understanding of the word when she gets to it.