Don't set sail without it!
Farmyard Tales book with 30 stand-up pieces, wind-up tractor, and 3 tracks.
Help on Choosing Books
How do we learn to read?
Learning to read is actually a pretty complex thing. There is good reason that it is surprisingly difficult to figure out how to help when a child is not reading at the level expected. Reading requires co-ordination of the eyes, understanding of sound, and use of the memory. Reading aloud is even more complex because it involves making speech sounds and coordinating speech and breathing with reading. Drs Brock and Fernette Eide are leading contributors to the understanding of the neurology of learning. Read what the Drs Eide have to say about what is required for reading.
My child doesn't read, should I panic? Does s/he have dyslexia?
Hmmm... Panicking is not usually helpful. Should you be concerned? Children do learn to read at different ages.
Check whether your child has necessary pre-reading skills. Are you observing something about your child that is concerning you, or has your child's teacher or another adult expressed concern? If you child used to be interested in books and in learning to read and is losing interest then it is time to take action. Children may lose their motivation to read if they are finding it difficult, or they are not being given books that interest them. Get help on Choosing Books. A child who is being expected to read in school in order to succeed is in danger of falling behind. It is best to identify any issues and get help sooner rather than later. Get help with figuring out reading problems.
On the other hand, if you are homeschooling your child you may be prepared to wait and be less concerned about the timetable for them learning to read. In the homeschool environment your child can be happily learning without any pressure to be reading. Many homeschoolers ascribe to the opinion that learning to read late is better than early.
Help your child learn to read sooner
Kids tend to learn on their own individual developmental time-table. It's hard to say whether you can advance kids beyond this by working with them. Most folks believe that learning should be natural and enjoyable. When you are working with your child keep this in mind. Forcing learning on your child is likely to be detrimental rather than helpful. If in doubt about what to do, make sure you are modeling reading by enjoying reading with your child every day and by letting them see that reading is part of your life. Choose great books to read with your child.
If you want to try some activities that may help prepare your child for reading try these pre-reading ideas.
There is some research to indicate that your child can learn to read at the same time as s/he learns to talk. If you are interested in this idea check out Your Baby Can Read.
