Reading to 3 1/2 year old?

Question

Should I be pointing out the words as I read them? I'm trying to get him to pay "some" attention to the words I'm reading to him. Also, any thoughts on the Hook on Phonics program?

Answer 1

You should always read to your children. they enjoy it and like the fact they are being treated as special during the time.

From all I have ever heard Hooked of Phonics is one of the best reading programs around and has been around for quite some time now.

I am proud of you spending that extra time with your child it will pay big dividends in the future.

Answer 2

I don't know about the Hook on Phonics program but I say that point out what you read will definitely help the child learn to read... they associate what they hear with what they see. I know a 8 year-old girl who could read simple book at the age of 4 (even before she went to school) and as a matter of fact her mother used to read to her by pointing out what she was reading....

Answer 3

Can your child recognize all the letters in the alphabet?  If not, you should work on that before moving on to words.  You should definately read to him though, maybe get him to recognize environmental words first (Stop (on the stop sign) the names of places he frequents (wal-mart, or whatever store you go to, or fast food places.) Hooked on Phonics is a really great system.  It has a dramatic results, but I would suggest waiting till your child is about 4.  But, it depends on his maturity level.  Good luck.

Answer 4

I liked Polar Bear's answer...I point out the words to my son, too-I work for Head Start and the teachers tell me (i am in the human services dept)  that is a great way of getting him to see a connection between the spoken and written word. Kudos!

Answer 5

When reading to your three and a half year old make sure you let them see the pictures and definitely point out the words as you read. Another important thing to do is to sound out the words as your reading. Take it very slowly.

Answer 6

Just read to your child and you can start to point out some of the easier word and that way he can learn how you read from left to right and from the top to the bottom. It isn't that important that he learns to read at this age, but is very important that you read to him every opportunity you get. You want him to have a love of learning and reading so don't push if he isn't ready. Go on his timing. If you feel he is ready to start learning certain sounds than starfall would be the best place to start. Hooked on phonics is only used once they know all their letters- upper and lower case, know what sounds each letter makes and then you can start on the phonics.

Answer 7

You should definitely point out words as you read. In most states it is a pre-k skill just to understand that the letters on the page are words that don't change. It's also important that they understand that you start at the top and read right to left. What you're doing will really help his/her pre-reading.

Answer 8

I'm sure Sundee made a typo in her response.  Few books are read from right to left in our language :)

(Don't worry...we all make simple mistakes.  Just think it's fun to smile about them)

I think it's important to point to the words.  It's not because the focus is on the words themselves at this age as much as it is getting an understanding of how the written language flows and a clear understanding of where you're getting the words from.  

The left --> right and top --> bottom is a pre-reading skill that has to be mastered before any reading actually takes place.  Same with any written words.  That's why so many things in the classroom are structured that way ~ from the way the children scrub tables to the order things are on the shelf.  

Matt

Answer 9

As a teacher, I think it is more important at 3 1/2 to focus on the pictures and what is going on in the pictures as opposed to the words at the bottom/top of the page.  Typically 3-5 year olds, when reading, we focus on the following things in school:

1. Holding and handling the book properly.  Turning pages, holding the book right side up and not throwing/hitting/ripping etc...

2. Prediction-

What do you think this story is about? (looking at cover of book)

What do you think will happen next in the story?  Why?

(What do you see in the picture that tells you ____ is going to happen?)

What are some things the character could do, to solve the problem in the story?

3. Recalling information- (Summarizing the story)

What happened in the beginning of the story? (Or first)

What happend in the middle of the story? (Or next)

What happened at the end of the story? (Or last)

What is your favorite part of the story?

Who was your favorite character?

Where did the story happen? (school, their home)

When did the story happen? (seasonal answers or day/night)

These are just some ideas that I use with children depending upon their age and cognitive levels.  Some questions listed may still be too abstract for your 3 1/2 year old.  Stick to the more concrete ideas and less prediction until you feel he understands that concept.

Answer 10

I started to read to my daughter when she was born. Her favorite book when she started showing a real interest was "Whale Baby". I read it as a song, since it was rhyming.

When she was about a year and a half I began pointing out sight words ( nouns) and chunk words ( at, or, er, th, sh, ch etc.) Now that she is 4 and in preschool, we are working on letter sounds.

My favorite phrase:

"Letter sounds are all you need, put them together and you can read".

As far as "Hooked on Phonics", My mother -in -law gave it to me for assistance with my son. I was impressed but, didn't use it as he was further advanced in reading and I only used it as a reference. If you can find a cheap set I would recommend it for reference only.

Things you could ask during reading time to get his attention.

~ask him what happen after each paragraph

~choose a word and ask him what also rhymes with that word

~ask him what do you think would happen next.

~ask him what would happen if "YOU ate Green Eggs and Ham"

~how did that make you feel

Show LOTS of expression when reading!!!!!

Answer 11

I wouldn't point them out ALL the time, but if he likes it it's fine. However, one of the most important parts of reading in school is having a smooth reading style, and if you are pausing and pointing at words, the model he has is very stilted.

At this point I wouldn't worry about teaching him to READ, per se, but modeling for him a love of language, of reading, and pleasure in books. Talk a lot about the pictures, point out letters, etc. Keep reading, and let him 'read' to you, making up his own story, trying to remember what he can of what you've read to him. Read some new books, but have a few favorites that you read consistently.

Hooked on phonics works for some kids. As pointed out, it has to match their learning style and MUST be developmentally appropriate. It's an expensive program to look at for a three year old, especially when you seem to be doing a wonderful job. Most kids do not need HOP to learn to read, they pick it up naturally. Good luck!

Answer 12

Yeah for reading!!  One thing you want to do while he is young is  help him LOVE reading.  He is a bit young for Hooked on Phonics, and a lot of it is when the child is developmentally ready.  It never hurts to point out the words if it doesn't bother him.  Sometimes it is just fun to be read to.  I used to ask 'where's the bunny?'  'point to the red flower' ... stuff to pique his interest.

You are giving him an amazing gift for life!!