Teaching your child how to read-Pt. 2

As I wrote in my previous post, I really wanted to log our journey of learning how to read. Mainly for myself so I can look back and see how much we have progressed, but also for others down the road who might need a little direction and encouragement in this area.

It may not seem easy, teaching someone to read, but in a short time you will be amazed how quickly children learn to read. Please bear with me, as I will be quoting from one of the master educators, Charlotte Mason, about this topic because my words will definitely fall short in explaining how children learn to read. She does such an amazing job in eloquently explaining this process. First let me start off by saying that you can read all her explanations in her own words here, starting on page 199.

This week I wanted to start off with a very quick overview of how we are able to read words. Once you understand this, the concept of reading will be easier and hopefully the teaching process easier as well. In Chapter 6, "Lessons as Instruments of Education" CM said,

"Learning to read is nothing more than figuring out, however we can, the arbitrary symbols for objects and ideas. There is no one 'right way,' and no necessary sequence of steps. There is no beginning, middle and end. The arbitrary symbols we must know so we can read aren't letters. They're words." (Pg. 215)

In other words, words are merely symbols of objects or ideas. As we build relationships with words, reading becomes easier. Since words mainly express an idea or an object, it comes to no surprise that the more interesting the idea or object the better the child will remember it. We've all learned to read by association with the printed word and the idea that it conveyed. This is what CM wrote about this:

"He should be given real words that mean something interesting to him from the very beginning. It's easy to read 'robin redbreast' or 'buttercups and daisies.' The number of letters in a word doesn't matter because the words themselves convey such interesting ideas that it's easy for the child to fix his attention and make the association to the thing. Once the child has made the association between the printed word and the idea that it conveys, it will be easier for him to use what he knows about the sounds of the letters to make other similar words by building on that word. For example, once he knows butter, it's easy for him to change the b to an m to make the word mutter." (Pg. 216)

Reading should be taught not only by sound (phonics) but by sight as well. Reading should also be a multi sensory approach, not only using the sound and sight sensory but also the touch sensory which is necessary for kinesthetic learners (those who learn by touch rather than sight). Adding this sensory to our reading, here at home, is what made Brianna take off in her reading! I personally believe children who struggle to read need this extra sensory approach to help them grasp reading. It helps to make words real for them and it helps them understand that words are simply symbols of things and ideas. So... for my next post I will cover how we do reading in our home. I'll give some step by step examples to this process.