Another Education Question--reading

Excellent answers!! Yes, most schools are using multiple stategies. The one thing I can absolutley suggest is that parents be involved!!! The most important thing for a pre-reader to know is that reading is important. Let your child see you reading-whatever it is you are reading - books, magazines, newspapers, instructions, cookbooks! Point out signs while you are driving and ask them if they know what that says (they will recognize a sign (such as McDonalds) as a "picture" in their minds and there is the beginning of sight reading. Read to your child every day and let them "read" to you (it doesn't matter if they get every word right- or even one!) Hope that helps!

2 moms found this helpful

Every school/district is different and within schools teachers often go back-and-forth depending on the children. This is often the reason for establishing reading groups in the primary grades. Kids learn differently, especially when they are so young- some need a phonics based program; some whole language; some multisensory. For the most part, schools are moving towards a balanced literacy approach, which means that children are exposed to a little of everything.

1 mom found this helpful

both, all. :) I sell kids books and the best sellers, the favorites of my 4 year old and the ones that have the parents with readers who come back over and over for more utilized as many parts of the brain as possible. For example for younger kids if there are textures and flaps as well as hidden objects along with a story book it gets the kids involved more and more. Recently I came across this and found it really helpful.

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/10-reading-facts-broch...

Schools teach different methods, but I will tell you what I believe. Whatever the name of the program is doesn't matter to me, but teaching both phonics and whole-language together make the best readers. Whole language emphasizes that children should focus on meaning and strategy instruction, and language is treated as a complete meaning-making system, the parts of which function in relational ways. Phonics emphasizes decoding and spelling.

My kids learned using both these systems - kudos to a teacher who employs both methods!

All my best,
D.