IS YOUR 5 YEAR-OLD READING?

Whether you plan to use a homeschool curriculum or public or private school, there is no greater gift you can give your preschool child than for you to help her or him learn to read. You can do it with the Little Nibbles Reading Program, in 5 minutes a day, available in the 2006 Ringbound Edition of "You Can Teach Your Child to Read in 5 Minutes a day."

I used the scientifically-validated¹ concepts of this program to help my own four kids learn to read before they turned six. If I can, you can too. And now the information has been compiled into a complete instructional package that anyone can easily read and follow, and help his or her own child learn to read. This is the first step you should take before you invest in any early "readers."

My four children had always been in the top readers groups at elementary school and they always won their pizza certificates. My last one had just turned 5 years-old when she was already reading! Your child can be reading by age 6 or even before, too. And it really does only take you 5 minutes a day.

Is your 5 year-old reading?

From the booklet:

"The Program is based on the idea that humans learn best by progressive revelation in small increments, i.e., little nibbles. A foundation for the skill of reading is laid down by interconnecting the separate core functions of reading: alphabet recognition, letter sound recognition, letter combination sound recognition, and finally, word and sentence recognition... When a child is led through the progressive steps, each in its own order, and not rushed, but allowed the time for each new piece to settle in, the groundwork is then prepared for the child to begin to build upon it by his or her own initiative..."

This Little Nibbles reading program appears to be quite simple to follow, and it is, but once you have gone through it with your child, you will realize each little step, although easy to go through, is very important to establish with your child before going on to the next one. Then once you have finished one step, it is wonderful to see how quickly your child picks up the next step from the previous one.

It is like seeing your child's mind grow right before your eyes.

Here are some links to selected web site articles that offer additional information for parents on early childhood reading:

Quote:" When parents help their children lean to read, they help open the door to a new world." www.kidsource.com/learnread

Quote:" If you add a little to a little, and then do it again, soon that little shall be much." – Hesiod www.fcrr.org/forparents

Quote:" Children's brains are not automatically wired for reading. Your child needs your help to become a successful reader." – Peggy Wilber M.Ed. www.succeedtoread.com

Quote:" When children become good readers in the early grades, they are more likely to become better learners throughout their school years and beyond." www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading

Quote:" During [the preschool] years, one thing is certain - a child's language skills and pre-reading skills are critical to that child's later reading ability and academic success." – First Lady Laura Bush www.whitehouse.gov/news

You could probably use the same one booklet to help a couple of your kids learn to read, like I did, because it comes in a sturdy 3-ring binder, and the pages and the flash cards are of a heavy card stock, so they last for years.

There are 76 pages in the ringbound book, plus the Alphabet Flash Cards in the back pocket of the binder. (You do have to cut apart the cards yourself, since four flash cards are printed on one sheet. That's just the way they come. This helps keep the cost low.) This is the 2006 Ringbound Edition, and it will be shipped to you via USPS Media Mail™ (for domestic destinations) in a commercial grade shipping box.

You will really appreciate the 3-ring binder, because it lays flat on your lap or table as you and your child point to the letters and words; no frustration at losing your place because of pages flipping back on you.

I had originally considered using the 100 "easy" lessons program, but I didn't like the idea of teaching all those new symbols for letters that I thought already stood for a sound. The Little Nibbles program is based on the simple idea that each letter of the alphabet does stand for a sound. And it really simplifies the "rule" for when a vowel changes from short to long, so even your preschool 4 year-old can understand it.

My last child went directly from finishing the Little Nibbles reading program into the "I Can Read It!" book by Holzmann from Sonlight Curriculum, a homeschool curriculum first reader (it assumes you have already taught your child the basic lessons as found in the Little Nibbles program). It is the perfect next step first reader to go into from the Little Nibbles teach your child to read program, and has humorous stories kids really enjoy. But any first reader book would be appropriate as the next step for your preschool child to begin reading real books after first finishing the ten little nibbles of this First Step teach to read program, including the Dr. Seuss books.

If you would also like to use the three " I Can Read It!" first readers by Holzmann after completing the ten nibbles, you may visit Sonlight Curriculum's web site here (you are given the option of purchasing the individual books in the three volume set separately):

Quote:" Three volumes of controlled-vocabulary stories with real plot, action, and humor, engage your child's attention and interest." www.sonlight.com

Here are the ten nibbles the 2006 ringbound edition covers, with full directions you can understand, in order (which is really important):

1. Teach Your Child to Recite the Alphabet
2. Teach Your Child the Sound of each Letter
3. Teach Your Child the Sight of each Letter
4. Teach Your Child the Sound of Two Letter Combinations
5. Teach Your Child to Add a Beginning Letter (3 letters together)
6. Teach Your Child Simple Sentences using Three Letter Words
7. Teach Your Child alternate Letter Styles (important for actually reading printed books)
8. More Three Letter Word Combinations
9. Four Letter Word Combinations
10. Teach Your Child the Long Vowel Sound (this includes an introduction to 'sight' words)

These ten instructions are what the Little Nibbles reading program calls the "bricks" to the foundation of reading. If you are trying to skip any of these steps, by going right into a reader with your child, or not presenting these steps in the correct (that is, natural) progressive order, you may actually be making the process of reading harder for your child. For every new nibble my child went through, I could see how she was building on the previous nibble, and my prompting her on the new information got less and less necessary with each new nibble.

Feel free to e-mail me at yephiah@yahoo.com with questions about the Little Nibbles reading program, as I believe it is the very first thing parents should get to help them teach their child to read (ESPECIALLY if you are BUSY). You can!

It works, it is simple and easy to do, and the directions are clear and in every day language, not in academic or technical language (I should know, I've been a professional technical and creative writer in the manufacturing and marketing industry for the last twenty years).

It was written by a parent (me) for parents (like you), and I think this program will take over as the number one teach-to-read program for you, a parent, to teach your child to read. I tell all my friends with preschool age children about it.

Enjoy! — Jeffrey Ahrendt