Thread: learning to read

Nichole is showing some interest in learning to read. I of course want her to learn but not be too pushy that she gets turned off being only 3. So JEN (or other homeschooling mommas or BTDT)
what a good way to start? Sight words? what should I do. She already knows all the letters but does not know all the sounds yet, so I know thats a good place to start but not sure how to go about it?

I labeled everything in our house. Wall, chair, etc. We had post it notes everywhere. So she would see the word on the object all the time. Sometimes I would take them down and give them to her to stick up as a game (I would help).

ooh I like the take them down and stick them back up game! think I will get some post it notes next time I go to the store

Yeah I did something similar (I also am going to put them back up to refresh my daughters French). If you have letter flashcards have her do the sounds instead of the letter and she can spell sight words. Start with a base like "at" and have her add another letter to spell a word (like cat, hat, mat). My kids treated that like a game and loved it.

she needs that part. She knows her letters but she doesn't know sounds yet.

Kaytee, how is Nicole doing with reading and basic math? (several months later)

she knows the sounds letters makes, though she can get confused occassionally with like Y and V or M and W kinda things. If you give her basic 3 letter words, she can sound them out and read them. Very basic though like CAT or Pet. And she doesn't always get them either, like we did pet the other day and then I changed it to wet, well all of a sudden she couldn't make the E sounds, kept changing it to short i. So she would say We-it. but whatever, she is only 4. lol and another year before kindergarten even.

math I think she is doing good with. My friends dd goes to a private pre-k and she said that Nichole is getting more then average. Not genious level of course but her love of learning shows. She understands the concept of adding. So if I hold up one hand with 3 fingers and my other hand with 2 fingers, she can count them to 5. Evidently that's good, not all kids her age get that. They will count them separate, so 3 and 2, but not together if that makes sense?

She loves the learning games on the internet and at the library. They use LeapSatart I think. She also LOVES doing workbooks. Though I wish she would do the harder ones. We have a few and she always chooses the Dora one which is not as hard for her. More basic things like "circle the w's" or "Color the square orange" as opposed to some of the harder pre-k books of "circle the words that start with C"

Hey that is great! Kids learn things are different rates and at different ages\stages. It is always interesting to see how they learn things.

Have you ever considered trying a different language?

not really, not against it, just never have. Just like I use dot be fairly good with Sign Language but never taught the girls lol