Have you already started mapping out your summer plans? If you have kids who haven’t learned to read yet, consider using this summer to teach them! All you need is a few minutes every day and this fabulous book, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann. In approximately the duration of your child’s summer vacation, you can teach them one of life’s most valuable – and fun – skills!
When my son (now 6 ½) was 3 ½, I wanted to start teaching him how to read. He knew most of his letter sounds, and he would sit still for any length of story I would read him. It seemed like the right time to get going.
But where to start? I didn’t know the first thing about how to approach it.
At the recommendation of some moms I know, I bought the book mentioned above. It’s a very specific method of teaching reading to children. (The book states that it’s designed for 4- or 5-year-olds, but can also be taught to bright 3 ½-year-olds.) Its huge size seems a bit daunting at first, but the layout is very easy to follow.
Just do one lesson a day (or every other day, whatever your child can handle and your schedule allows). Each lesson is presented with exact instructions, down to a teaching script so you know what to say with each task.
Every lesson includes writing practice, and the whole thing only takes about 10-20 minutes to complete. By the time you reach lesson 50, your child will be reading an entire paragraph! This amazing book completely takes the guesswork out of this process.
One thing you MUST do before you start teaching your child with this book: read the parent instructions. It is imperative that you have an understanding of how the lessons work before you begin teaching, or you will stumble around and lose your child’s interest – which we all know is the kiss of death!
An added way to make the lessons fun (and to incorporate a bit of math, too) is to make a chart of squares numbered 1-100. Each time your child finishes a lesson, they can put a sticker or a stamp in the square for the lesson they completed. Once they’re done with all 100, they earn a prize. Or you can give them a prize after every row of 10 – whatever works for you!
My son reads extremely well now. He’s become a real lover of books, and can read anything we throw at him. Knowing how to read has given him independence and confidence to start him on a path to success in school, which is something that will serve him well for the rest of his life!
That's my boy!
I’m now using my well-worn copy of the book, with its many wrinkled pages and a taped-up cover, to instruct my 4 ½-year-old daughter. She’s coming along great!
If you’ve never taught someone the skill of reading, you’re in for quite an experience. It’s tedious, frustrating, and sometimes seems impossible, but the end result is an accomplishment that both you and your little one will cherish. Summer vacation is a perfect time to do it!
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