Thursday, July 29, 2010

Making Them Into Little Readers


Sometimes I'm a little slow.  The boys have been recognizing words for awhile.  When AJ sees the word Wiggles, he points to it and says "yes".  Zack does the same thing when he sees "Diego".  And they shake their little blonde heads and say "no" when I highlight a show on the computer that they don't want to see.

I just realized what this means.  It means they can be taught to read!  That they actually are already reading.  As an avid reader myself, it's important to me that they are able to read and that they love it.  Aliza reads, although she enjoys torturing me by saying "I don't like to read!"  I beg to differ.  She just has to have the right book.  That's all anyone needs, and then absolutely anyone can become a reader.  I honestly believe that.  I gave my friend Bobbie what I thought would hook drag her into the reading pool; I gave her "The DaVinci Code."  It took her around 18 months to read it.  I give her kudos for finishing it, but clearly she didn't find it a page turner (how could anyone not?).  Then recently, with no help from me, she found "A Child Called It" and she read it in just a few days.  Then she read the sequel.  Then she picked up a book at the library about Mother Theresa.  And now she's a reader!

I saw a video of a kid reading from flashcards at the conference, that I mentioned in this post, and I am making flashcards like the ones from the video.  I have around 23 so far, I hope to have 200 by the time I'm done.  Why 200?  Because, again as mentioned in the post before this one, if a child can read 200 words, they are considered officially a "reader."  And wouldn't it be great if they could start kindergarten already recognizing a bunch of words?  Here's what my flashcards look like on one side.  On the opposite side will be just the word, no picture.

One problem is, this method limits me to nouns and verbs.  But, you gotta start somewhere.

If you want them, email me -- I'd be happy to send them to you.  I'm just printing them out on cardstock, cutting them apart, and covering them with clear contact paper.  I priced laminating machines and decided to start with contact paper, and see what my level of commitment is here before investing.  I hope we use them so much they destroy them.....but we'll see!

3 comments:

Jen said...

Very cute picture! Yep, they WILL learn to read...because like you said they already are! I'm guessing you already know the site, but just in case... starfall.com is wonderful! Our older boys can both read, yes, not like young adults their age, but they can read. Kyle's learning was heavy in memorization of words (Edmark), and Matt had a combination of phonics and memorization. Every time I see a commercial for that program that teaches "babies" to read (four our 4 year old), I'm so tempted to look into it, but I'm guessing it's pricey. Have you looked up Dolch words? I think many schools use these lists. Here's a site that I was just checking out http://www.kidzone.ws/dolch/kindergarten.htm
Good luck!

Jen said...

Evan and I have been doing starfall for a couple of years now. We started off with the letters...they each have something after them when you click on them. He can't control the mouse, but he points or tells me where to go. There are so many other good activities. One favorite is in the section: I'm Reading, click on "fiction & nonfiction" and then click on "puzzles."
There's probably a really good chance you already know about this site, but I just wanted to post this just in case. :) Love it!

Salt in Suburbia said...

I have never heard the stat about if you know 200 sight words you can basically read! Encouraging to know as we are working on sight word flashcards at our house too. I love your strategy. Back to positive town.

Labels

#youmightbeanautismparentif 2012 in review 9/11 memories ABA therapy Acceptance acronyms advocacy affection aggression AJ Aliza Aliza the playwright All I really need to know... Alphabitty Moments American Girl Ann Coulter antibullying anxiety anxiety in parents of children with special needs apple orchard apps for autism AppSmitten Arbaclofen Arbitrary Thoughts ARC autism autism brushing autism portrayed in TV shows Autism Shines awareness backyard band baseball bath toys beds behavior problems being tall Birthday Boys biting blog change blog hop blogging books bottles brushing bubbles Burnsville Fire Muster bus Cabin Fever in Minnesota candy Carly Fleischmann Carly's Voice cats cats and dogs chewys Chicago childcare for special needs children childhood Children's Museum chocolate Christmas Church circumin clinical trials Clonidine CNN Hero of 2011 coffee communication comparisons computer Conference cost of special education Courage Center Curcumin daddy dance dance competition dance moms Dental surgery dentist developmental milestones diagnosis diapers Diego Disability Day dogs Dolphin Tale Doomsday Preparation Dora Doritos drug trials DVD player early intervention earrings Easter ECSE Parent Retreat electronic gadgets electronics Everything I need to know... Evil Overlord fall falling asleep at school families family fashion fear Featured Feel Good Friday field trip fireworks first day of school Flash Gordon Food Chronicles food issues in Fragile X and autistic children forms forts Fragile Face of God Fragile X Fragile X advocate Fragile X and autism Fragile X Awareness Day Fragile X carriers Fragile X in the news Fragile X presentation Fragile X statistics Fragile X Writers friends fundraiser for Fragile X funniest Funny Gabrielle Giffords Galveston games getting carsick Girls' Night Out Giving Spirit glasses global warming going home Good Morning Great Quotes guest blogs guest post haircuts Halloween hearing test Heaven is for Real hippotherapy holidays Holland Holly home life homework hotel hugging human behavior hyperactivity IEP Meeting IEPs in the news inclusion inspiration integration iPad iPad apps iPad apps for autism IQ testing Jack Jablonski January First Joke journal entry kids with Fragile X and animals Kindergarten Kindle kisses language study learning to talk leaves lemonade stand Lily Little Einsteins losing teeth Mad Gab makeup mall Mall of America marcia braden McDonalds media sensationalization medications Melatonin Miami MIND Institute Minnesota Bloggers Conference minocycline Miracle League monkeys mosquito bites Mother's Day movies MVMOM Used Clothing and Equipment Sale nail trimming names naughtiness neighbors nicknames nightmares normal off topic one thing leads to another online dating Operation Beautiful oral sensory orphan drug act other bloggers Our Wedding outside overstimulation panic attacks parade parental stress Parenthood park Partners in Policymaking penicillin people with disabilities pets pharmacy fun photography Photoshop picnic Pictures pinching pink shirt Pinterest playing outside playing with toys poem politics poop potty training Presents protecting autistic children rash reading to kids research Retreat riding a bike Robin Williams Roger Ebert routine RSS feed RUSH University San Diego Sandy Hook Elementary Santa schedules school school bus school notes school pictures screaming self image self-checkouts sensory Seroquel siblings with developmental delays sick kids sippy cups sleep smile snow pictures Snowstorm social situations speaking of the unspeakable special education special education evaluation special needs kids special needs parents Special Needs Ryan Gosling Special Olympics spelling spoon feeding spring break staying positive stimming Strep STX209 Stylish Blog Award suicide summer Sunday School Sundays sunshine survival mode swimming talking talking to kindergarteners Target teacher's aides Teeth brushing Tegretol Temple Grandin Ten Commandments textbook case of Fragile X thankful thanksgiving that window/mirror thing The Autism Store The R Word the rapid passage of time The Right Things to say to parents of special needs children The Santa Experience the Shedd Aquarium The Twin Thing The Wiggles therapeutic horseback riding therapy This is Autism topless trampoline traveling with special needs children TV twins with special needs Twitter typical Fragile X characteristics typical kids typing vacation Vacation Bible School video games videos volunteering Waisman Center water play way-back-Wednesday What I've Learned What's your song? when a special needs parent dies Wiggles Wii games Winner Winner Chicken Dinner winter wonder Wonder Pets Wordful Wednesday Wordless Wednesday Words of Wisdom World Autism Awareness Day YMCA You Tube Zack Zoloft zoo animals

Fragile X Blogs