I must make a note about when you teach your child to read or when your child learns to read. Reading is as much developmental, as it is about teaching a child specific skills. There are children who read at age 4. There are also children who don’t read until age 9. Both are considered within the range of normal.
If you happen to have one of those early readers you should not be too eager to pat yourself on the back as early reading is not necessarily a sign of superior intelligence. Likewise, if your child is a late reader, it is not a sign that his intelligence is inferior. However, we all know that our school system works such that by the end of first grade, all the children must be reading.
If your child is not reading yet, don’t fret. Keep reading to him (in fact research suggests that you should read to kids until about 8th grade), and reinforcing concepts. I cannot tell you how many parents I’ve run into that talk about how one day their child wasn’t reading at all and all of the sudden they just got it.
Reading
– Phonetic analysis
– Structural analysis
– Establishing sight vocabulary
Here is a list of sight words. It actually includes lists up to 3rd grade so you should be able to find something that would meet your child’s needs.
Also, Starfall.com is a website that teaches kids how to read. I know that I’ve mentioned it in other blogs but I think it is a resource worthy of mentioning again.
Reading informally: names, labels, signs
Simple pantomimes and dramatic play
Creating stories and poems
This is my favorite handwriting paper because the top is blank. You can let your child write a few sentences and then draw a picture as appropriate in the blank space on top.
Telling favorite stories
You should read to your child and have them retell the story. Retelling the story helps to aid in listening and comprehension skills. At our house, we read during the day and then the children tell their dad their stories over dinner.
Organizing ideas and impressions
Enunciation and pronunciation
Presenting information orally, in sequence and with clarity
Book reports and critiques
If you are looking for book report forms look no further. This site has a comprehensive list of book report forms. What’s great about this site though, is not the selection as much as the fact that the forms are customizable.
Discussion skills: taking part in group discussion
Beginning dictionary skills: alphabetizing
Beginning spelling
Beginning grammar: nouns, verbs, adjectives
Introduction to punctuation and capitalization
Manuscript handwriting
Handling books
Using table of contents
Development of a class newspaper/family newsletter
Related Articles:
What Your Kindergartner Should Know: Language Arts