by Ellen Shapiro AsĀ a creator of materials designed to help children learn to read, Iām a longtime champion ofĀ The Cat In The HatĀ as a beginning reader. Itās not only engaging and funny, it helps kids learn to read C-V-C words, three-letter words with a beginning consonant, a short vowel, and an ending consonantā likeĀ catĀ andĀ hat,Ā sitĀ andĀ bit,Ā manĀ andĀ fan,Ā bedĀ andĀ red. When children understand that an alphabet letter is a symbol that represents a sound and begin to decode the basic building blocks of written language, they are on the way to ācracking the code,ā that is, learning to read longer and more complex words, sentences and, soon, books. Itās exciting to see them grasp that when the initial consonant changes, the āatā part stays the same. Aha! Suddenly, they can read a series of words includingĀ bat, fat, rat, mat, satā¦ and are inspired to want to learn more. When the vowel changes and the CVC becomesĀ bit, fit, hit, sitĀ andĀ wit, a whole new series of words is...
byĀ Hazel Goodwin Kim, MD
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician,Ā Brooklyn, NY.
Hazel is also is a much-beloved private reading tutor and longtime Alphagram champion who has helped many inner-city kids learn to read. Here are her tips for you:
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Children love discovering how to put sounds together. When they touch a letter and say the sound, magic happens!Ā Using the āIs It a WordāOr Not?ā flip-book to make that happen will be most successful if you helpĀ your child use three senses to differentiate theĀ letters of the alphabet and understand the sounds they represent:
by Dee Falk
K-12 Resource Teacher, Stromsburg Public Schools, Stromsburg, Nebraska
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If you are the parent of a 6- to 8-year-old (first to second grade) child who is struggling to ācrack the codeā of reading, you are not alone. Donāt panic.Ā Do some observing. What skills does your child have? What does he or she need more help with? Answering the questions below will give you a better idea of what to do next.