I have a problem with the title of this post. Yes, I wrote it, but it needed to be short, snappy and clear to people who were looking for information.
How I Facilitated my Children in Becoming Confident, Voracious Readers was simply too long and confusing. But I think the second title hits the mark far better.
Here is why…
I haven’t even put in a hundredth of the effort my kids have. All I do is show them how to decode the language, step by step.
They manage to remember it all – the varying letter sounds, the tricky and sometimes senseless digraphs, the spelling rules that seem to have more exceptions than inclusion – and apply it.
It takes me less than an hour a week. They will practice for hours and hours, over years, before they truly master it.
Therefore, the child is the one who deserves recognition of their effort.
From the outset, it serves to put your role into perspective – the learner is the most important part of your duo. You simply supply the tools, the time, and the guidance. And the fun!
With that in mind, here’s how we helped/are helping our kids to become avid and competent readers.
Step 1 – Promote a love of reading
Don’t start with the reading programs! Learning any skill needs motivation. Loving books provides that motivation for your child.
Buy kids books as presents, take them to the library and encourage them to borrow whatever they like, provide quiet time for them to read (yes, just studying the pictures is great), and promote books as precious stores of enjoyment and knowledge.
And of course, read aloud. Reading aloud is the best thing you can do. If you can start young do so, but if they’re older you can’t start any earlier. Read anything that they want you to – kids of most ages still enjoy picture books.
Sometimes you’ll be bored – I have to read our little man his car and digger books ALL THE TIME. But because I do, his main motivation for doing reading lessons has been so he can read them himself. Kids don’t want to wait around until you have the time.
A personalised reading from you is always best, but feel free to supplement with audiobooks. They’ll also help you become a better reader – quality audiobooks are read by people with style and flair, and you can adopt any techniques that you enjoy.
We use Libby and BorrowBox, which are apps we can use with our library memberships that have thousands of audiobooks available free.
Step 2 – Use simple but effective resources WHEN YOUR CHILD IS READY
I know there are all those programs claiming to Teach Your Baby to Read! etc, but they’re not realistic. The National Curriculum isn’t much better, drilling reading skills at a young age.
With such high expectations is it any wonder so many kids end up in so-called remedial reading, with long-term feelings of being inadequate? They’re not remedial, they’re just not ready!
Instead, wait until your child is interested and is making progress. If you begin and your child is struggling with the basics, simply put it off for a few months. When they’re ready they’ll fly through it, so there’s no point forcing it early and making it harder than it needs to be.
The above was integral for our daughter!
If you have followed our family’s story you will know that our daughter started school in 2019. By 2021, for a myriad of reasons, we were homeschooling. Her reading/learning journey was one of those reasons.
In 2019 I had suspicions that she was not benefiting from her school learning environment. Living in Victoria, 2020 saw us spend the majority of the year home learning. It was during this year that my suspicions were confirmed. Her self worth and perception of her ability to read, to learn in general, was heartbreaking.
During 2020, I took a deep dive into the science of reading and completed a couple of courses, including becoming a certified sounds-write practitioner.
Do you need to do to get certified in sounds-write ABSOLUTELY NOT! To be honest as our journey has progressed I have found similar resources that can give you a basic structured phonics framework for FREE.
What I do suggest… is that you do complete some sort of structured phonics with your child.
Why? Because they break down reading in a way that not only makes reading accessible to your child, but usually has them reading after learning a maximum of 10 sounds. And they are usually simple to follow.
I personally created a lot of my own resources… because that is how I roll (sucker for punishment, I know). I am slowly pulling them together for you. But until then here are a couple of suggestions.
Free Suggestions…
Dyslexia SPELD Foundation (DSF)
Has a great Phonics activity pack that can get you started! It includes an introductory video, letter card, a follow along guide to support you teaching your child to blend CVC words and word chains to follow.
If you don’t understand what I am talking about…
Click the link and have a watch, you will by the end!
Check out the DSF Phonics Activity Pack here.
SPELD SA
Have Phonic Books support the teaching of reading by using a structured synthetic phonics approach. They are made for Sounds-Write and Jolly Phonics series. BUT both series will easily work with the DSF program above. Just wait until you have gone through the first two word lists and then start the books.
You can buy printed copies BUT they also give you the option to download a PDF or PowerPoint version for FREE. Each book has an introduction with learning tips and also shows you the sounds being practised. Although they are Australian based they also have a North American version of the books. So YAY for everyone!
Start your child’s reading journey with SPELD SA Phonic Books HERE (Sounds-Write).
Start your child’s reading journey with SPELD SA Phonic Books HERE (Jolly Phonics).
Start your child’s reading journey with SPELD SA Phonic Books HERE (North American Version).
Low Cost Add Ons…
You can supplement the two resources above with early readers borrowed from the library, lots of reading aloud (by them and you), while snuggling up together.
Most Australian Libraries carry the Fitzroy Reader Sets, which are great!
I found borrowing Phonic Books hard where we live… lots of wait time etc. So I chose to invest in the App versions of some of the books.
Here are some low cost add on suggestions:
Sounds-Write App
This app takes kids through their initial code and supports, blending, segmenting and reading. Click HERE to go to the App.
Fitzroy Readers Sets
Search for Fitzroy Readers in your apple or google app store, and they will show up… they have some great sound out features attached. Fitzroy Readers has a whole program that goes with these readers that could also be an option for you to follow. Not free, but I have used parts and it is great for comprehension.
Dandelion Readers
My son loved these, you can only buy the initial readers digitally. At the end of each book you can press a button and the last page comes alive. A little reward for getting through the book. Which is why my son loves these readers. I downloaded my set in ibooks.
Paid Resources that I use….
Most kids will grasp their fundamental basics using the above suggestions. But when it comes to reading and spelling I decided I wanted to be thorough and was happy to invest. So here are my top picks in the paid resources area of the literacy world.
Fitzroy Readers Word Skill Books
If you decide to grab the Fitzroy Readers App, they actually have Word Skill Books that go along with every set of readers. Within the books they introduce sounds, have fun activities such as word searches and also have comprehension work connected to the readers… I have used these as extra activities for my kids and they really enjoyed them.
Cost is around $19-$20 per Word Skill Workbook. So pretty reasonable.
All About Learning
We have recently begun using All About Reading and All About Spelling with both kids. I am incredibly IMPRESSED – it’s straightforward, simple, and not cluttered up with superfluous characters and activities.
It’s simple to use, it teaches every single thing needed (great for kids who won’t join the dots independently) and it’s entertaining enough to hold their attention.
It’s not a cheap option. But if your child has a diagnosis that impacts their learning or if you want a resource you know will cover all your child’s reading and spelling needs, this is it.
On the PLUS SIDE You can re-sell the majority of the resources, once you are finished!
I wrote a detailed review of All About Reading and another specifically covering All About Spelling – if you’re interested in a complete homeschool reading curriculum I highly recommend it.
Unfortunately All About Learning no longer delivers to Australia.
But the amazing Engaging Minds, run by a beautiful New Zealand homeschooling family, is a stockist of both All About Reading and Spelling.
They are working hard to esure they keep all their resources affordable.
Reading Reflex
Stairway didn’t provide quite enough practice for my kids. It’s fair enough, it’s a supplement, not a full program. Reading Reflex is also a remedial program, with plenty of stories. It has a great introduction section for the parent which I found reassuring – it’s very confident about your ability to help your child.
There are plenty more options out there…
If you choose to use another program, make sure it gives your child instant results. Kids want to read, and they don’t need to learn every single letter sound, digraph, and phoneme before they do. Some programs don’t provide reading material until lesson 30 or later – it’s simply too long to wait. Most of the above provide reading practice after the first 10/12 sounds.
Step 3 – Rinse and repeat for children with special needs, or those who need more practice
Any of the resources above will be enough for most children to master reading.
However, if you have a child who struggles with reading or has additional needs I would be having a deeper look at All About Reading and All About Spelling. It’s approach allows you and your child to feel extremely supported throughout the process.
You may need to show your child something lots of times before it sinks in. They may not pick up patterns automatically and may need a lot of extra help.
Most importantly, don’t have any expectations. When a child is running to their own schedule you need to accept that they may not read until much older than you want them to.
And that’s OK.
Stick to their ability, keep it fun, and stay patient. Easier said than done sometimes, I know.
Reading Reflex
I personally haven’t used Reading Reflex, but I have heard good things. So I thought I’d add it in.
It is also a remedial program, with plenty of stories. It has a great introduction section for the parent which many have found reassuring – it’s very confident about your ability to help your child.
Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
This book is designed to teach your children from the start. It uses symbols and bolding with letters to show different sounds, which is fantastic for children who need things pointed out to them.
Bob Books
Other homeschooling families rave about these phonics readers! They’re simple but interesting, and the grading in them is gradual and logical. Their progression matches all the programs I’ve listed
Hopefully, this has encouraged you to let go of some of your stress around learning to read, and to give it a try. You really CAN do it, I promise! All you need to do is keep it positive and keep working at it.
I began teaching my little boy his letters and sounds at age two. He picked up on it pretty quickly, so we went on to phonemic awareness (rhyming, beginning letter sounds, etc.) Just before he turned three, he began sounding out words and reading small sentences. I haven’t bought any curriculum or reading program. I wrote little books that I knew he could read. It wasn’t that difficult to teach him. I know that every child is different, but it is quite possible to teach your child to read.
Exactly Laura – it’s really not that hard in a literature-rich home. Well done with your efforts, it sounds like it’s all going well.
Kelly.
Thank you so much I just came back from a parent teacher conference with my son’s 1st grade teacher and I’m sitting in my Room in tears and frustrate …not knowing what to do to help my son. Your post has given me so much strength and courage thank you so much!!!!
So glad to hear it Nicole, I hope it all works out well for you and your son loves reading when he’s ready for it!
Another successful idea: A few years ago, pre- and elementary schools in Israel started a national project: Put aside specific time each day when parents and kids sit together and read for an agreed time.Mom can read to the younger ones and dad can read the newspaper. In addition, first 20 minutes at the beginning of the school day, the pupils would sit and read their favourite books AND the class teacher would also. She did not use this time to prepare work, etc.
The pupils were so used to doing this in their home language- i.e. Arabic or Hebrew that when they started to learn English, they could not wait to a period of silent reading in English. Worked very well after sport as it helped to quieten them down.
Barbara.
That’s a brilliant scheme Barbara, thanks for sharing.
Hi Kelly, is there an Australian supplier of All About Reading & Spelling products? I went to buy some online which is an American company & it won’t let me purchase as it says it can’t be shipped to my location. I’m in rural south WA. Chantelle
Hi Chantelle,
Unfortunately All About Learning had to stop shipping overseas due to the pandemic – but another company resumed shipping last week, so fingers crossed everything will be available again soon.
The Educational Warehouse might have some in stock.
https://www.theeducationalwarehouse.com/all-about-learning
Hope that helps,
Kelly.
Love this post! Link to your Facebook group doesn’t work. Please could you email it to me? Louisajones10@gmail.com x
Hi Louisa, I closed it down a few months ago because of lack of time. So sorry! I’ll remove the link now.
My daughter is 5 and my son is 3 and I can’t even get them to sit still to even teach them….I checked out “teach your child to read in 100 lessons” asks never got past the first lesson! I feel like i’m already behind with her and I just feel like i’m failing them both😞
Hi Dona,
I wouldn’t worry at all about that! Only one of my children began reading lessons at 5, because she was ready. The rest didn’t begin until 6 or later. They weren’t capable of mastering it before then. Keep reading aloud, play word games, do all of those pre-reading activities, and when they’re ready they’ll fly through it. Don’t stress for AT LEAST a year though!
Hello. I am new to homeschooling. How do you know when your child is ready to read? When they ask to learn it? Thanks.
Hi Erica, we waited until they asked, or until they were attempting to read. We always had lots of activities to do with reading and writing – games, toys, writing stories etc., and it was fairly easy to judge when they were developmentally capable by doing these with them. Hope that helps!
My twin sons are almost 8. They learned their ABC’s at 3 and locked down their letter sounds by 5 but are still not confident readers. We read everyday and they can read beginner easy readers on their own but they haven’t fully accepted that they can read. 2 months ago it really clicked for them and they began to read outloud but they get stressed if they read for too long. They have advanced days and days where they’ve forgotten the easiest sight words. I feel like we have hit a plateau and need to completely overhaul their curriculum. Or maybe there is something we are missing but I can’t figure out what it is.
That sounds pretty normal to me Corinne! I’m not an expert but my kids have all had plateaus, then bigger jumps. School lays out learning in an incremental, progressive way but I’ve found the jumps are more normal. If they’re still reading and still enjoying books there’s probably nothing to worry about. It is a hard skill and tiring to do and many kids don’t have a long tolerance for it – it took a long time for my youngest son to be able to sit and read for 15m.
My daughter is 8 (almost 9 now) and it “clicked” for her recently. We still didn’t force reading, except for lists or instructions (that she had to follow) and helped her whenever she stumbled so she didn’t learn bad habits. She has had phonemic awareness since she was 6 and knows all the sounds, just never wanted to put them together. Then one day she started reading signs as we drove past them. Not sure how long she had been doing it in her head but she just started reading them aloud. The real breakthrough is when I bought her a Percy Jackson novel. We have been listening to them on audible forever, but I bought her the guide to the greek gods which she hasn’t heard before. Because she knows the characters and is interested, she is reading ALL the time now – even when it’s screen time she chooses to read and the other day we were out and she pretended she was sick so we could leave early and she could read her book! Talk about reading for pleasure! Maybe your boys just need the right book to hook them in? And if not yet – soon. My girl always said reading isn’t her thing, and that she would never love to read (I’m a big reader and I think she was rebelling!) and now she’s off and away. It will happen if you don’t force it or tie it up with pressure. Audio books are excellent for extending their concentration span and also getting them into longer chapter books while they still can’t read fluently (and you have a household to manage and can’t read allllllllll the time) so I would highly recommend that as a tool to teach a love of reading also 🙂 good luck!
Thanks so much for this! We went through ‘letting go of comparison to other kids’ with my daughter when we pulled her out of school in year 1 (with no reading skills and a belief that she would NEVER be able to read – that took a loooooong time to unravel!) but now that my son is in year 1 I have somehow slipped back into the “oh no – he has to learn to read this year!!” mentality when frankly – he’s not ready! I really needed a gentle reminder and your post was just the thing. Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome Kea!
Hello, Thank you so much for sharing this. At this moment I am very overwhelmed with the fact my 3rd grader is having a hard time reading and writing. I asked for help and even summer school, but it just feels as if I am all on my own and that frightens me. I want the best for my boy and I just know that if he is able to read and right fluently all will be ok for him in school. At this moment he don’t enjoy school and that makes me sad. I am going to give your advice a try, and I already printed everything out and I am ready to teach my boy at home this summer. I wont give up on my boy even if the school system has. Thank you so much and God bless. I will let you know how it goes.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for commenting. Your boy is so lucky to have you, best of luck to both of you!
Hi l am mother off 9 year old who has adah,ocd, and the some has your son.
I have a really big issue and would love to hear what you think.
I am homeschooling at the moment with every thing that’s going on.
My self are unable to read and spell at the right age leavel. My reading is getting better but my spelling is vary bad.
How do l teach my son??
Emma
Hi Emma,
You can learn right along with him, lots of parents do. I knew very little about history or grammar before I taught my kids so we just did it together. All About Spelling is a fantastic program, very step-by-step, and you don’t need to be good at spelling to deliver it, it’s all scripted and set out clearly.
https://www.allaboutlearningpress.net/go.php?id=1445&url=3765
There are resources like this for every subject, you can be a co-learner instead of teacher for virtually everything.
Hope that helps!