reading

[dexter]

Anyone know anything about encouraging children to read? We read with our three year old son every day and always have done, and he does love stories. He's seems to have a good visual memory i.e will remember some words I wrote on a piece of paper, pointing to the words and telling me what they say after not seeing the piece of paper for a couple of days. He can identify a good few letters of the alphabet but not all.

I want to help him to read if possible rather than just assuming school will do it. I know it depends on his readiness and I'm not wanting to force anything, I just don't know if I'm doing everything I should be to help him along. Any ideas?

Dingdong, thanks - the thing we haven't done from your ideas is the picture only books - brilliant idea, I'll try it. Are you a teacher??

Play lot of games with words and letters - Jolly Phonics (in elc) do a bingo game for example, use picture/word dominoes, do i-spy using letetr sounds, collect things beginning with one letter sound or cut out pictures from magazines (or by colour, season whatever) and make a collage or pictures, look for signs when you are out, get some finger puppets and make up stories together, write letters with fingers in sand, finger paints or in the air. You can get books and puzzles (Galt and Ravensburger are good) with really detailed , large pictures and no words so you could discuss some of the details and make up stories.

Dingdong - really interested to know your opinion - I did a school visit recently as my son will start next september (06). Teacher was lovely but really sniffy about a couple of reception kids this year who could already read - seemed to prefer kids who were a 'blank canvas'. Any idea why this is? Am I going to be seen as pushy mother if son can read when he starts school?

Also, off the topic a bit, my son will literally just have turned four when he starts and it seems so painfully young to me. Does it to you or do you see the really young ones thriving at school? If we were in other european countries they would be starting at 6 or 7!

Can I recommend this book?

Why children can't read

I'm reading it at the moment and it's fascinating. Even if you don't agree with what she says, it's a great read.

thanks caligula and lizs!

too early to be doing any more than what you're doing if you ask me .. he's only 3 and I for one think that racing to get them reading is counter-productive. I would say to let them do what they enjoy and no more

Teaching is probably easier if all the kids start at the same point without preconceptions. dd was just 4 when she started full time this September. She is already almost through the Jolly Phioonics sounds and brings home 2 simple reading books each night . She loves it and it really doesn't seem like a lot of pressure. ds started school when we lived in Switzerland. He didn't start to read until 5 1/2 (International School) but picked it up really quickly and is in line with his UK peers 2 years on, who began at least a year earlier than him. He was frustrated as he was ready to do formal stuff earlier but we didn't know how to begin and the school discouraged us.

Rosie's Walk is a good one for getting children to make up the story,