When learning to read you'll need to have a variety of materials to teach your child such as alphabet manipulatives, alphabet books, puzzles, flash cards, phonetic readers and phonics readers. Some people like to use worksheets with their children. I am not a proponent of worksheets, but when I have used them I have made them interactive by using do-a-dots or manipulatives.
Alphabet Manipulatives
I recommend that you have a variety of lower case alphabet manipulatives to keep your witty little one interested. At the very least, consider choosing a set or two to teach with, a few sets to leave available for your child, and a bath set as well. Flashcards and charts are also good to have posted in your environment. My witty little learner even plays with them in the bathtub. This is not to say that I don't monitor her use because I do. The last thing I want is to be lose them. Who wants to waste money? So, just a caution, be prepared to be the caretaker of these at least unless you have a child who is older.
With infants and toddlers, as a safety precaution, I would start with the bigger letter manipulatives. As your child becomes older you can allow them to work with smaller ones. From my experience, your child may sometimes appear to lack interest in letters or learning to read. This is normal and exactly why I recommend using the Witty Little Advantage approach to reading. It is stress-free, pressure-free, and also time efficient.
Phonics Manipulatives
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To learn sounds, a child needs to associate sounds with words they know. If you notice in some charts and also alphabet books pictures are associated with a sound.This helps the child connect the abstract (letter) with the concrete (sound).
Phonetic manipulatives such as magnets, objects or pictures are a must have and so are books with alphabet and corresponding pictures.
Phonetic manipulatives such as magnets, objects or pictures are a must have and so are books with alphabet and corresponding pictures.
Phonics Readers
Once your child has started to blend you will need a variety of print material to read.If you look at the pictures below for resources I use. Some of these have a nice manageable mix of decodable phonetic words with a few sight words. My first recommendation would be Bob Books. I used these over 20 years ago with my oldest daughter. My second pick would be Tug the Pup. This book set also comes with a few sight word cards. I don't have first hand experience with the others, but I have heard very good reviews on Primary Phonics.
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Sight Word Readers
Sight word readers mostly consist of text a child could read without sounding out words. All of the words are words that have been memorized by sight.To minimize confusion, I recommend using these after your child is a proficient phonetic reader.
Sight words will enable your child to read more fluently. One of the sets I own is the Lake Shore Readers set. These have picture support for some words which increases the confidence of new readers. I also own the Dick and Jane series, Bob Book Sight word readers and the Creative Teaching Press books. Initially, I alternate between the phonetic readers and sight word readers. Then as the reader picks up speed, I return to phonics readers that include sight words in the text. The Dick and Jane series was used when I was a child and is purely sight word reading. Children find them engaging because of the illustrations and appealing stories.
Sight words will enable your child to read more fluently. One of the sets I own is the Lake Shore Readers set. These have picture support for some words which increases the confidence of new readers. I also own the Dick and Jane series, Bob Book Sight word readers and the Creative Teaching Press books. Initially, I alternate between the phonetic readers and sight word readers. Then as the reader picks up speed, I return to phonics readers that include sight words in the text. The Dick and Jane series was used when I was a child and is purely sight word reading. Children find them engaging because of the illustrations and appealing stories.
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