Learning the alphabet starts a lifetime of reading pleasure for kids




Test scores indicate that teaching a child to read through distance learning does not necessarily lead to an acceptable reading level. This is frustrating for many parents who feel incapable of teaching their child to read.

After 30 years as a teacher specializing in reading, I can offer parents simple but effective methods for teaching reading.

Begin by making reading sessions fun. Be enthusiastic about spending time together, and create a cheerful environment with colorful art and comfortable seating.

Beginning readers should learn the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they stand for. Make sure the child knows both uppercase and lowercase symbols and understands that they represent the same letter.

Hang a colorful alphabet chart on the wall. Say the name of each letter while pointing to it. Place a letter sound chart, such as “A is for Apple, B is for Bike,” on the wall near the alphabet. Create flashcards of each letter and sing the letters of the alphabet with the child while slowly flipping through the cards. The website heidisongs.com is a good source for educational songs.

Let the child form letters using clay or play dough. Have them close their eyes and trace the shapes to see if they can identify the letters. Use chalk or washable paint and have them draw the letters on the sidewalk or patio, then walk around the letters, saying or singing the names.

Use cookie or pizza dough to form the letters of the alphabet. As a reward, bake and eat the dough.

Fill a box with sand or sugar and having the child trace the letters of their name and the alphabet in the box.

Once your child knows the names of the letters and the sounds they make, show them how to put the letters together to make simple words, such as bat, cat and hat. Tape cards around the house with the words for objects, such as table, wall and chair.

Now you are ready to create simple sentences by placing nouns and verbs together.

Discuss with your youngster a happy experience they had. As your child talks, write down what they say, then help your child read the story several times. Save stories in a colorful folder titled “My Experience.” Experiences could include My Family, My Pet, My House, My Vacation, My Best Friend, etc.

Read to your child at bedtime. Cuddling and talking about the story together will be a memory they will treasure forever.

Once the child has basic reading skills, usually in fourth or fifth grade, it’s time to concentrate on reading comprehension. Start by having them read a single page of information, then talk about what they read. As time goes on, increase the number of pages, and continue discussing the content.

Here are some questions to ask after each reading session:

What did you read about today?

Who were the people or characters you read about?

Where did the story take place?

When did it happen?

Why did the characters behave the way they did?

How did the story make you feel?

When a young person is capable of reading a book alone and can enjoy and understand it, they will become a reader for life.

A few books that my upper grade students enjoyed reading are books written by Roald Dahl, Katherine Applegate’s “The One and Only Ivan,” Ellen Raskin’s “The Waiting Game” and, my personal favorite, E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web.”

Writer Linda Levine lives in Agoura Hills.