DD starting to talk about 'learning the words' in books

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DD1 is 4 in June. She has started talking about 'learning the words' in books. I am wondering how you know they are ready to start learning to read and how the heck you go about it?! She can recite the alphabet (by rote) and can name most letters.

Where to I go from here? Or should I just leave it?

Read lots of books together and talk about letter shapes and sounds that they make but I wouldn't push it too much.

Might not be a popular opinion around MN but for me reception year at school will handle learning to read.

If she is interested you might try phonics. "Fun with phonics" or similar.
There are some 12 book (tiny books) sets like Curious George where each one focuses on one sound. You read the books together and the child identifies the "H" sound or specific words etc.
My 3 yr old and my 4 yr old are just starting to do this together with me as both are interested.

Thanks, I might get a phonics book from the library and see if she is interested.

My dd2 loved the jolly phonics DVD. She also liked the alphablocks game on the cbeebies website, it teaches the children phonics and blending and it may be why dd2 was such an early reader (she used to sneak off and play it when I was busy!).

When DD1 was 3 she started getting interested in letters, so I did some research on how to best approach it. We live in the UK and English is not my first language, so I had no idea how to approach it.

The best explanation - although lengthy - I found in DfES ?Letters and Sounds: nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/84969

If your daughter knows the letters, the next step is to teach her what sounds these letters stand for. And then to start showing her that words consist of sounds. And that several sounds together can make up words. The Letters & Sounds booklet will walk you through all of that.

One of the first literacy games she continuously played at her Nursery school was Metal Mike. It teaches blending sounds into words ? a basic reading skill. It is basically a shoe-box with a picture of a robot on it and a slot where the mouth is. You put several picture cards in front of the kid and say in a robot voice ? ?Metal Mike wants to eat D-O-G. They need to blend the sounds and realize that D-O-G is dog. It sounds easy enough, but normally it takes them a while to figure it out. Later on you can get to more difficult words, or replace picture cards with written word cards. Here is where you can find it: www.sparklebox.co.uk/cll/lettersandsounds/phase1.html

They will be doing all of this at the Reception, but my philosophy ? and the approach of DD1?s Montessori nursery is ? if the kid is interested in something, let them do it and help them. DD1 played with Metal Mike constantly last spring when she turned 3 both at the nursery and at home. Then I got her magnetic letters and she started spelling simple words on the fireplace. Now at 3 ¾ she can read short sentences with simple words. I got her some simple early reader books and we read them together now.

Don't touch Sparkle Box.

Maverick: what's wrong with Sparkle Box?

Our Montessori nursery recommended it to me. I have downloaded Metal Mike and probably a couple of other games from there that we liked.

try letters and sounds
or twinkl
instead

Sparklebox is run by a convicted paedophile who still earns money from the site through advertising.

Most schools in the uk have banned the use of it and there are now several very good websites who do similar resources.

I had no idea. Thanks for letting me know!!! I won't go there again.

I also had no idea about Sparklebox, thanks for info I will not use again.
My DS has enjoyed reading some love2read books which I made using photos - he loves them and can now read the I see book

This might help?

Help Your Child to Read - A Guide to Understanding & Reinforcing School Teaching Methods at Home

This guide includes an introduction to helping your child to read, an outline of methods of teaching reading in primary schools and suggestions of ways to reinforce these methods at home.Find it on hernhillforum.wordpress.com.

• you could try 'Alphablocks' on the CBeebies website. Hope this helps