learning to read

[jollydo]

I was wondering how those of you whose children have learned to read at home went about teaching them/helping them and how their reading developed.
My ds1 (4) is showing lots of interest in what things say, knows letter names, letter sounds and a few words, learned through conversation and him asking.
I know the current 'school' approach is teaching phonics / synthetic phonics, but wondered if anyone had success stories about other methods of learning to read.
My ds seems to have a very good visual memory - I don't know if that means he will suit any approach in particular.

Just continue enjoying books with him, reading to him and letting him ask questions. Stop and ask him questions sometimes too.

Not that my dc learned to read at home.

I think all children learn differently. My ds1 learned the sounds of letters fairly easily. He loved books and we read to him loads. I bought a simple set of phonic books as he seemed to be following a phonic way of learning. He just progressed from there. He turns 7 next month and is reading at the level of a 10 or 11 year old. He spends hours each day reading.

Ds2 is totally different. He turns 4 next week and is desperate to learn to read. He knows the names of the letters of the alphabet but has just not made the connection that letters have a sound. I have tried to teach him, but it is a nonstarter. On the other hand, he totally understands what words are and can recognise simple ones if they repeat in a story. Phonics is just not going to work with him.

I had the same thing with my dd1 who is 5 and HEed, and she was doing really well, and was reading really well and then one day last week said no more, and could not read an 'a', so they have ups and downs and we have agreed that we will start again in a few months and just enjoy reading together a variety of books. there is no right or wrong way to learn to read, just go with the flow! there are some lovely books on the market it all depends how structured your child would like it to be!