Learning Joy Resources

Good News just 10 to 15 minutes a day of reading activities can really help children. There are even activities you can do while you cook or drive or clean house that can improve children’s reading skills by improving phonemic awareness. Below is a short list of activities and scroll down to check out the resource list.

Phonemic awareness activities

Talk about words – ask questions that are suitable for your child’s reading level. Make it a game. Examples of questions to ask: What is the beginning sound of cat? (use words suitable for your child’s skill level ask for the sounds not the letters) What is the ending sound? Middle sound? Beginning and ending sounds are easier to recognize than middle sounds. Words that start with blends (ch, sh, spr are more difficult). Learning to recognize sounds in words is a necessary and sometimes difficult step in learning to read.

Ask you child to look at a book or magazine and find words that begin or end with a certain letter or blend or have a certain vowel or vowel combination (ex. words with a silent e on the end or words with ai like in rain or ow like in mow). Try to relate this activity to what they are working on in school.

While shopping, driving or at home ask children to find or point out objects with names that rhyme, or have names that begin or end with a letter or sound that your choose. Play with words ask what word will I have if I take the d off of date (ate) or add a h to ate? (hate) What word will I have if I change the s in sat for the letter m? (mat). Use the letter sounds rather than the letter names when asking these questions.

Make up rhymes. Ask does bat rhyme with cat? (yes) Does pig rhyme with cat?(no) Practice with rhymes helps teach awareness of word sounds which is necessary for learning to read.

Teach reading by teaching phonics (see Free phonics info link above) Phonics is a method of sounding out words and is the most effective method of teaching reading. Phonemic awareness is a necessary step in learning phonics (sounding out words).

Most important do find some time to read to your child and encourage your child to read to you. Be patient and encouraging (no matter how slowly the child reads). It can be helpful for your child to read the same story over, even many times to develop fluency. Children often like to reread stories. Make reading time fun don’t use it as punishment. Learning to read is a complex task for many it is very difficult, but there is help available. To learn more about teaching reading and learning difficulties such as dyslexia click on link above for Overcoming Dyslexia  by Sally Shaywitz M.D. or Phonemic Awareness Activities by Wily Blevins

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Try this book for good ideas on easy, fast, convenient ways to help your child learn to read.

To purchase phonics DVD's easy to use $7 Click here

For Free Information on Phonics Click Here

For Second Grade

For Fourth Grade

Helping readers become fluent is very important. Once a student has acquired skill at sounding out words, The next step is learning to read smoothly so that the reader does not become bored with what he or she is reading. Developing fluency takes time and practice, like learning to play  a  musical instrument.

Poetry and plays, are often helpful ways to get a child interested in what is being read. Getting a reader interested in what he or she is reading is very helpful in improving reading comprehension. Reading poetry and plays often help improve fluency. Encourage the child to read the parts in the play as if actually performing.