Best Way to Teach Kids to Read

What's the best way to teach children to read? According to the National Reading Panel, "teaching children to manipulate phonemes in words was highly effective under a variety of teaching conditions with a variety of learners across a range of grade and age levels and that teaching phonemic awareness to children significantly improves their reading more than instruction that lacks any attention to Phonemic Awareness." [1] This is a statement made by the National Reading Panel (NRP) in their report titled "TEACHING CHILDREN TO READ: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction."

Phonemic Awareness instruction was selected for review by the NRP in their report because studies have identified phonemic awareness and letter knowledge as two of the best predictors of how well children will learn to read in their first 2 years of entering school. There is strong Scientific evidence to suggest that phonemic awareness instructions are an important part in helping children develop reading skills.

One study discussed the presence of phonemic awareness in Austrian children aged 6 to 7 that were unable to read when first entering school. This study found that many children had not one correct response in their test of a simple vowel substitution task. However, a few children who exhibited high phonemic awareness scored close to perfect on this same task. The study further stated that "there was a specific predictive relationship between initial phonemic awareness differences and success in learning to read and to spell." Even more importantly, the study indicated that it was phonemic awareness abilities, and not IQ, that predicted the accuracy of reading and spelling at the end of grade one. Children with high phonemic awareness at the beginning of grade one had high reading and spelling achievements at the end of grade one, compared to some children with low phonemic awareness who had difficulties learning to read and spell. [2]

In the National Reading Panel report, they also determined that the beneficial effects of phonemic awareness on reading lasts well beyond the period of training. While phonemic awareness instructions are proven to significantly help children learn reading, it is not a complete reading program. What it does, is provide children with a foundational knowledge base of the alphabet language. The NRP analysis also showed that phonics instructions produces significant benefits for students from kindergarten through grade 6, and is also helpful for children with learning to read difficulties.

Children who are taught with phonics and phonemic awareness instructions are consistently able to decode, read, and spell, and even demonstrated significant improvement in their ability to comprehend text. Even older children who receive these similar teachings improved their ability to decode and spell. The NRP made a key statement saying that "conventional wisdom has suggested that kindergarten students might not be ready for phonics instruction, this assumption was not supported by the data. The effects of systematic early phonics instruction were significant and substantial in kindergarten and the 1st grade, indicating that systematic phonics programs should be implemented at those age and grade levels."

However, I would like to further expand on that by saying that children as young as two years old can learn to read through phonics and phonemic awareness instructions. If a young child can speak, then they should be able to learn to read, even if they are as young as two years old. In fact, I have proven this with my own children. We started teaching our daughter at 2 years and 8months, and she was very capable at reading by the time she was just 2 years and 11 months old.

>> Click here to learn more about the simple, step-by-step phonics and phonemic awareness program we used to teach her to read.
 

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Case Study: Teaching a 3 and a 5 Year Old to Read in Just 4 Months

I'd like to share with you an interesting case study of how 2 sisters (a 3 year old and a 5 year old) learned to read in just 4 months - both learned to read using the Children Learning Reading program. They attended the summer reading camp operated by the program's creator, Jim Yang.

Jim has been teaching kids - and teaching parents how to teach their kids - to read for quite some time. During the summer months, he runs a reading camp teaching many children to read. most of the the children he teaches are 4 to 7 years old, with the occasional 3 year old or 8 year olds who are having reading difficulties.

To complete both stages of the reading camp, it typically takes about 4 months - attending 3 times a week and each session is 1 hour long.

This case study is about 2 little girls (sisters) that attended the reading camp. When they started (June), the older sister P. S. was 5 years 4 months, and the younger sister A. S. was just 2 years 11 months old. Probably most reading teachers would not even consider working with a 2 year old - since when can a 2 year old learn to read!?!

Well, no problem for Jim, as he had taught all of his own children to read by age 2. So when their mom asked if she could bring her almost 3 year old, Jim said: "sure, why not? I'll have both of them reading for you in a few months." Certainly, she had a healthy degree of skepticism.

So by the end of 4 months, after completing the Children Learning Reading program, her older daughter was reading at a grade 2 level (reading age 7.3 years), and her younger daughter was reading at a grade 1 level (reading age 6.8 years). I can't embed videos in emails, so please head over to Jim's website, scroll down, and watch the short video posted under "Success Story #3". There, you see just how well her older daughter was reading by the end of 4 months.

Click Here to Watch Video (See Success Story #3)

The Initial Reading Assessment

At the start of the reading camp, there is a quick reading assessment. The younger girl A. S. did not need an assessment as being just 2 year 11 months old, she did not know any letters or sounds, yet. The older sister P. S. knew most of the alphabet letter names and "sounds", but she was pronouncing some of the sounds incorrectly.

No surprises there, as almost every single child that attends the reading camp are taught many phonemes incorrectly (!!), either at preschool or in Kindergarten. Such is the state of our education system.

Learning to Read

Being 3 years apart, there's a big difference in how quickly the older sister will learn compared to her younger sister. They start off with the Children Learning Reading program as usual, except after a few lessons, adjustments were made to accommodate for the different learning paces of the older sister and the younger sister.

This system of teaching reading is a unique combination of synthetic phonics with phonemic awareness that produces amazing results in children (even adults) of all ages. Obviously, one of the initial goals was to REALLY correct the incorrect phonemes the older sister had learned in pre-school! She was starting kindergarten in September. The primary goal of the Children Learning reading program, however, is to always develop rock solid phonemic awareness skills. After just the first week, the older sister P. S. caught on and was doing great with PA activities such as blending and segmenting. Little A. S., being a lot younger, took about 2.5 weeks before she started catching on.

The Results

With such a logical and sequential order of learning, the results are always phenomenal, and parents are almost always flabbergasted at what can be accomplished in just 3 to 4 months.

By week 4, the older P. S. was already reading simple, short, decodable sentences, and the younger A. S. (just turned 3 now) is able to phonetically read many many words. After 2 months, every time they came to their lessons, their mom (always with a big smile) was always telling stories about how the 2 of them are reading everywhere they go!

After 3 months - at about 3/4 way through completing the reading program - the older sister P. S. was already reading simple, short stories independently. Little A. S. (now 3) could also read (phonetically) an amazing amount of words, sentences, and even some very simple short stories. Keep in mind she just turned 3. At 3 months is when their reading abilities really took off, and their mom just could not believe the type of results she was seeing in her children - she kept on saying that she did not think this was even remotely possible.

Indeed, it is. You just have to have the right techniques and methods when it comes to teaching reading, and one of Jim's favorite comments he received about his teaching methods is that:

"It totally de-mystifies reading."

The girls completed the reading camp by end of September, and their mom said it was unbelievable how far ahead both of her daughters were compared to other kids. In the video (see success story #3), you can see just how well P. S. was reading by the end of 4 months.

Teaching reading is something that Jim does extremely well. While you and your child may not live in the same city (or even country) as him to attend his classes, his Children Learning Reading program is available for parents to purchase online. Thousands of parents have used his methods to successfully teach their children to read with amazing results.

>> Click here to watch a short video presentation to learn more about the Children Learning Reading program, and see how you can effectively teach your child to read.

Here's what their mom had to say about their experience:

My children loved the program and so did I. I am extremely pleased with the results. My children started the program at 2 years 11 months and 5 years 4 months with Jim, and neither child was reading before the program. My children loved the program, and Jim is an excellent teacher. After 4 months, my 3 year old is reading at a grade 1 level, and my 5 year old is at a grade 2 - 3 level. I never expected such amazing results.

Jim's program takes the mystery out of teaching children how to read. It is so well organized that any child can learn to read with it. The outcome exceeded my expectations. At the start of the program, I thought my 3 year old might learn some letters and my 5 year old would learn some words, but after completing the program in 4 months, my 3 year old could read long sentences and simple short stories, and my 5 year old could read level 2 books on her own.

>> Learn more about Jim's super simple, logical, sequential system of teaching reading, please click here to watch a short video explaining his methods.

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Teach Your Child to Read and Help Your Child Become Smarter

Reading is known to have numerous benefits. It increases your world knowledge, enhances your vocabulary, and works to improve your reading comprehension abilities.

But did you know that reading can actually make you smarter?

In fact, reading not only can make a child smarter, the very act of reading can even help to compensate for modest levels of cognitive ability in children by building their vocabulary and general knowledge! This is a finding reported by researchers Cunningham and Stanovich in a report titled "What Reading Does For the Mind".

The simple fact here is that reading can make your child smarter, and that learning to read early on is directly linked to later success in life.

1) Did you know that your child's vocabulary at 3 years old predicts his or her grade one reading success? [1]

2) Did you know that vocabulary and reading ability in first grade strongly predicts grade 11 outcomes? [2]

3) Did you know that your child's reading skill in grade 3 directly influences high school graduation? Studies have found that children who cannot read proficiently by grade 3 are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers! [3]

>> Teach your child to read today. Click here to learn how.
 

But how do you teach a young child to read, and isn't that the job of the school and teachers?

You can't be more wrong...

With the right tools, knowledge, and techniques, teaching young children to read can be a simple and effective process. I'd like to introduce to you to a fantastic reading program called Children Learning Reading, which works amazingly well to teach children to read - children as young as just 2 or 3 years old.

The creators of this program have used it to teach their children to read before age 3, and by reading, I mean real, phonetic reading.

I can understand if you find that hard to believe... In fact, I had a tough time believing it myself as well... that is, until I saw the videos they posted. After learning more about their methods and techniques, it became clear how it's possible to teach young children to read effectively.

It is truly within your ability to teach your child to read in a relatively short period of time spending 10 to 15 minutes each day.

>> Click here now to watch the videos and start teaching your child to read.
 

1. Vocabulary Development and Instruction: A Prerequisite for School Learning
Andrew Biemiller, University of Toronto

2. Early reading acquisition and its relation to reading experience and ability 10 years later.
Cunningham AE, Stanovich KE.

3. Double Jeopardy How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation
Donald J. Hernandez, Hunter College and the Graduate Center,

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Phonemic Awareness Research

 

Phonemic Awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds which make up words. In the past few decades, large amounts of research have improved our understanding of phonemic awareness and its importance in helping children learn to read. There are hundreds of research studies conducted on all aspects of phonemic awareness, and how it affects and benefits reading and spelling abilities of young children. The National Reading Panel of the US have stated that phonemic awareness improves children's reading and reading comprehension, and that it also helps children to learn to spell. Based on the research and reviews done by the National Reading Panel, they have concluded that teaching phonics and phonemic awareness produces better reading results than whole language programs.

When teaching phonemic awareness, children are taught the smallest units of sound, or phonemes. During the teaching process, children are taught to focus on the phonemes, and learn to manipulate the phonemes in words. Studies have identified phonemic awareness and letter knowledge as the two best school-entry predictors of how well children will learn to read during the first 2 years of instruction. In a review of phonemic awareness research, the National Reading Panel (NRP) identified 1,962 citations, and the results of their meta-analysis were impressive as stated in the NRP publication:

Overall, the findings showed that teaching children to manipulate phonemes in words was highly effective under a variety of teaching conditions with a variety of learners across a range of grade and age levels and that teaching phonemic awareness to children significantly improves their reading more than instruction that lacks any attention to phonemic awareness (PA).

Specifically, the results of the experimental studies led the Panel to conclude that PA training was the cause of improvement in students' phonemic awareness, reading, and spelling following training. The findings were replicated repeatedly across multiple experiments and thus provide converging evidence for causal claims. [1]

As can be clearly seen, teaching children phonemic awareness early on significantly improves their reading and spelling abilities. Furthermore, the NRP research stated that these beneficial effects of phonemic awareness teaching goes well beyond the end of training period. The NRP phonemic awareness research also found that the most effective teaching method was to systematically teach children to manipulate phonemes with letters, and teaching children in small groups.

Phonemic awareness (PA) teaching provides children with an essential foundation of the alphabet system, and a foundation in reading and spelling. The NRP has stated that PA instructions is a necessary instructional component within a complete reading program.

Below are two other studies done on phonemic awareness, and its effects on reading abilities. In a study involving children aged 6 to 7 years old, researchers found that the few readers at the beginning of grade one exhibited high phonemic awareness scored at least close to perfect in the vowel substitution task, compared to none in children of the same age group who could not read when they entered school. The research also stated that phonemic awareness differences before instruction predicted the accuracy of alphabetic reading and spelling at the end of grade one independent from IQ. Children with high phonemic awareness at the start of grade one had high reading and spelling achievements at the end of grade one; however, some of the children with low phonemic awareness had difficulties learning to read and spell. The study suggested that phonemic awareness is the critical variable for the progress in learning to read. [2]

Another study looked at phonemic awareness and emergent literacy skills of 42 children with an average age of 5 years and 7 months. The researchers indicated that relations between phonemic awareness and spelling skills are bidirectional where phonemic awareness improved spelling skills, and spelling influenced the growth in phonemic skills. [3]

It is clear that with the conclusions made by the National Reading Panel and other research studies on the benefits of phonemic awareness, children should be taught PA at a young age before entering school. This helps them build a strong foundation for learning to read and spell.

>> Help your child develop phonemic awareness and teach your child to read today
 

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