Cherububble
Reading and LearningTogether
Help your Child to Read
! Raising successful readers begins in the home.
How do children learn to read?
There are six essential components that must be taught in order to read.
Adults can help by practicing these components.
* understanding the squiggles
* phonemic awareness
* phonics
* reading fluency
* vocabulary development
* reading comprehension
Phonemic awareness:
The following are the last two of the activities that parents and teachers can do to develop phonemic awareness before children enter school and in the first few years of schooling.
7. Two Phoneme Words
Many words that children quickly become familiar with have two phonemes, that is, two sounds. Children learn to say these words quickly and easily but learning to read them can be much more difficult. The lists below are only a few of hundreds of words that children have learnt to speak before they begin school. Confusion reigns when learning to read them simply because these words, although small words to say, have two phonemes. Furthermore, the spelling of many of these words often involves more than two letters. For this reason, reading must be taught separately from other concepts in language.
The following are examples of two phoneme words with initial consonants and long vowels:
|
Day |
bee |
bye |
bow /bô/ |
boo |
two phonene words with final consonant sounds and long vowels:
|
ace |
each |
ice |
oak |
two phoneme words with final consonant sounds and short vowels:
|
add |
edge |
ick |
odd |
up |
8. Phoneme by Phoneme Reinforcement
A simple word analysis game of enquiry that can be played easily is a good way to help children learn to read these words. It is a game that helps children grasp the phoneme by phoneme concept and reinforces it. All you need are two different coloured blocks and two phoneme words cards.
Ask a child to pick a card and tell you what it is. For example, it may be a picture of a bee. You repeat the word, but slowly and clearly with a pause between the phonemes – “b” … “ee”. Then ask the child to repeat the word in the same way. To demonstrate that the word consist of two separate sounds, place the blocks underneath the picture as the child is repeating the word. Then get the child to place the blocks under the picture him/herself as s/he is saying the word. This game can also be played with a group of children.
Word Pairs A: Taking A Sound Away
a different word results.
This also helps them to understand the sounds of words from their meanings.
Say it again but have your child repeat the “d” after you and then “ear”.
Then ask if they can determine which sound has been taken away.
Repeat the word again for them constantly taking away the first sound – “d-d-d” “ear” “ear” “ear”
In this way, children are challenged to listen to the initial phonemes of words,
eventually realising that the presence or absence of the initial phoneme results in two different words.
Note: Most children can identify the "hidden word" but have a great deal of difficulty
in identifying what is taken away.
In the word “dear”, for example, a child will hear the word “ear” but may not be able to tell you
it was the “d” that was taken away to make a different word.
Word Pairs B: Adding A Sound
Adding a phoneme - sound – to a word is a very similar concept to taking a sound away.
Explain that sometimes a new word can be made by adding a sound to a word,
for example, “ox”. Have your child say the word “ox” after you.
Repeat it a couple of times. Then ask what will happen if a new sound is added to the
beginning of the word, for example, “b”.
Have your child repeat “b-b-b” “ox - ox- ox” after you and eventually they will say the whole word “box”.
Until your child catches on, keep giving your child words to work on with you.
For example, f - ox, t – ear, r – ice, m – ice, d – ice, b – ear, b – all, f – all.
Until your child fully grasps this concept keep the words simple.
Don’t move on to words with consonant blends, for example, c – lock (clock) until s/he is ready.
Understanding that spoken language is made up of sequences of small sounds – phonemes - does not come naturally or easily to many children. Why is understanding phonemic awareness so difficult? As we are learning language, to speak it and to read it, we do not focus on – attend to - the sounds of phonemes as we produce or listen to speech. Instead, we process phonemes automatically, innately, with all our attention being given to understanding the meaning of the utterance spoken. Because phonemes are the basic building blocks of spoken language, babies innately become attuned to the phonemes of their native language in the first few months of life.
Phonemes are also represented by the letters of the alphabet. Developing readers must learn to separate these sounds, one from another, and to categorize them in a way that permits understanding how words are spelled. It is this sort of explicit, reflective knowledge that falls under the rubric of phonemic awareness. Conscious awareness of phonemes which is taught in the first few years of schooling is distinct from the built-in, innate sensitivity that supports speech production and reception from birth.
The challenge, therefore, for parents and teachers, is to find ways to get children to ‘hear’ phonemes, and to discover how they exist in each word they speak and eventually read. For example, the differences between the sounds of two phonemes are often very subtle: Compare /b/ with /p/. These subtle differences in sounds can signal dramatic differences in meaning. For example, bat and pat.
It is also important to note that phonemes are not spoken as separate units. Rather, they are co-articulated; that is, when we speak, we fuse the phonemes together into a syllabic unit. For example, when we say the word dark out loud, we do not produce four distinct phonemes: /d/, /a/, /r/, /k/. Instead, our pronunciation of the initial consonant is influenced by the middle vowel which in turn is influenced by the consonants before and after it. This is why it is so important for children to be able to listen to and distinguish between each phoneme and what the phonemes represent as developing readers before they can put the phonemes together to make words.
Phonemic Activities
There are 8 specific activities that parents and teachers can do to stimulate phonemic awareness in the first few years of children’s lives and schooling that can develop their understanding, therefore, helping them to get ready for reading. The activities are specifically done in this order as each one progresses on from the other. The 8 activities are:
1. Listening to sequences of sounds
2. Making nonsense words
3. Clapping games
4. Finding initial phonemes
5. Word pairs A – take away a sound
6. Word pairs B – add a sound
7. Two phoneme words
8. Phoneme by phoneme reinforcement
4. Finding Initial Phonemes
Finding initial phonemes aids in the development of identifying initial sounds in a variety of words. This is also a listening activity that helps the pre reader gain skills for reading readiness. The best way to play this game is to look through magazines and cut out pictures that begin with the same sound.
As each picture is found and cut out, ask your child to
say its initial phoneme and name.
For example, f -f- f-/ f - ish/fish, f - f- f-/ f- ood/ food.
Once you have a whole lot of pictures with different beginning sounds, ask your child to randomly identify the initial phoneme and name of each picture.
For example a – a- a- apple, c- c- c- cat, p – p – p – plate.
This can also be turned into a game of memory if you cut out enough pictures. Place each picture down and ask your child to turn over two pictures, saying each initial sound as they turn them. If the pictures have the same initial phoneme your child can keep them as a pair then select another two cards. If they are different your child turns them back down again.
When you first introduce this game, model it by using words your child knows of contrasting length. For example your pets name, their favourite food, vegemite, cat, sandwich, drink etc. Make sure you don’t forget to use your Childs own name.
Pronounce the word syllable by syllable, for example, veg – e – mite. Say it aloud a few times with your child firstly, just listening then secondly, saying it with you. Finally clap the syllables out together. After each word has been clapped out ask your child “how many syllables did you hear?” Count them out loud together.
Once your child has caught on, ask them to clap out their whole name for you as well as other objects in your surrounds. When this has been mastered ask your child to place a finger or two under his/her chin so they can feel their chin drop for each syllable. You can also, to add to the fun, vary your voice – shout out the syllables or alternately whisper them, click your fingers, stamp your feet for every syllable and so on.
Making nonsense words helps to develop a child’s ability to listen to differences between what they expect to hear and what they actually hear.
When reading with your child, ask them to close their eyes so they can concentrate on what they are listening to. Read aloud a familiar story or poem, but every now and then change a word so that the story changes from making sense to nonsense. The challenge for your child is to tell you when a change is noticed. Its also important to ask your child to explain to you what was different; what was wrong.
The text can be changed in a number of different ways as suggested in the list below. Because the text can be changed differently, the game can be played over and over.
· Dumpty Humpty sat on the wall reversal of words
· Baa Baa green sheep word substitution
· Twinkle twinkle little moon word substitution
· Humpty Dumpty sat on the floor word substitution
· Humpty Dumpty wall sat on mixed word order
· I’m a little flea pot word substitution
· Jack and Jill flew up the hill word substitution
· Jill and Jack went hill the up mixed word order
· Eensy Weensy dragon word substitution
· Eensy Weensy spider went down the … word substitution
· Goldilocks went inside and knocked
on the door changed order of events
· Jack broke his crown and then fell down changed order of events
· Little Jack Horner, sat in the pond word substitution
As you go along and your child becomes more familiar with the game, allow him/her to switch or change words for you. This empowers the child, giving them confidence and makes for more fun.
1. Listening To Sequences Of Sounds
Aim: To develop listening skills so children can tune in more easily to each sound of their native language which is necessary for reading and writing achievement. Any sound can be made interesting; the important objective is to keep the sounds distinctive. For example, banging, clapping, bubble blowing, scratching, bells, clicking, paper rustling, tearing, laughing, dry leaves crunching, whistling etc.
Ask your child to firstly identify each sound separately and then to identify them as a sequence of sounds. This can be done firstly with the child ‘watching’ the sound and then again with their eyes closed. By listening carefully, without peeking, children need to draw on their auditory skills – listening skills – more deeply. Begin the activity with 2 sounds. With your child say out loud,
|
|
|
"There were two sounds. First we heard a ____, and then we heard a ____."
When your child is comfortable listening to pairs of sounds construct a series of more than two sounds to be identified. Again, say out loud with your child how many sounds were heard and in the order they were heard in complete sentences.
This activity can be varied. For example, swap roles and ask your child to make pairs of sounds or sequences of sounds for you to listen to and tell or with your child’s eyes closed make a series of sounds, repeating the sequence but on the second or third repetition omit a sound. Also read out loud rhyming stories/ poetry and together pick out all the words that sounds alike and those that are different. Also talk about the rhythm of the story or poem and see if your child can distinguish between a story/poem that is rhythmic and one that isn’t.
Column by teacher and author Jenny Sharp
The Read Aloud Process
Before reading any story aloud introduce the story by stating the title, showing where it is, then the authors name and illustrator and explain what the author and illustrator does. The author writes the words, the illustrator creates the pictures. Allow the child to ask as many questions as he/she wants to.
Show the child where the front of the book is, the back and the spine. Ask the child questions such as “where do you think we begin reading from?” and have the child show you, not just tell.
Discuss the pictures on the front page. Talk about how the pictures help tell what is going to happen in the story, what it might be about, who is in it etc. encourage your child (depending on his/her age) to answer in complete sentences. The more you help your child answer in complete sentences the richer his/her vocabulary will become. Generally speaking, the greater the child’s vocabulary, the greater his/her understanding (comprehension) of the text will be.
Encourage the child to draw upon his/her own life experiences. For example, if the story is about a goldfish, does the child have or had a fish? What was/is its name? What colour is it? Where does it live? etc. If the story is about a teddy bear, does the child your reading to have a favourite teddy or toy? Does it have a name? When did they get it? etc.
3. After
Continue the talk. Ask the child what s/he liked best about the story. Allow the child to go back and show you to help them explain. Allow the child to tell you what they didn’t like about the story. Did it make them feel good, sad, scared, happy etc. Tell the child what you did or didn’t like about the story and use complete sentences. The more you can model speaking in complete sentences the more readily the child will model what you do. This enhances the child’s ability to expand his/her vocabulary which is essential to understanding the meaning of any text they are exposed to.
Most of all make reading fun. If the child wants to stop reading half way through the story that's OK.
© Jenny Sharp