Here at Phonics Reading Pro we’ve discussed many ways you can reinforce your child’s reading skills, but one technique I want to highlight is role-reversal. The way to really tell that your child has a mastery of whatever reading lesson you happen to be working on is to have them give the lesson back to you. Tell them that you want them to be the teacher and show you the lesson you were working on just like you had shown them.

The easiest lessons to do that with include working with the movable alphabet (which we’ve recently taught you how to make), hands on games like the ‘mystery box’, and lessons like ‘The Ladder” which we’ve discussed in the past. Make sure when they are teaching you that they are able to explain the phonics rule(s) and show you examples of how the rule(s) works. When they can demonstrate this, you know they’ve got it down and can move on to the lesson!

Another way to explore your child’s absorption of lessons is to have them read to you! Tell them you want to hear a bedtime story tonight and have them read either a book that you’ve read together before or a book that you know is at their reading level so they can build confidence. There’s another easy way to help build your  child’s phonics reading skills!

Every Phonics Reading Pro knows there are certain go to reading rules that you can teach your children to build confidence. For example, here’s a rule to share with your children early on in their reading lessons that’s easy to remember:  "Whenever you see a word with ‘Q’, a ‘U’ is sure to follow". Words with ‘QU’ are reasonably plentiful so it’s worth it to point out the rule and even do a word building exercise with a movable alphabet to give your child a visual. Read back a few posts to learn how to make a movable alphabet of your own!

This is a more advanced reading rule and I’d suggest introducing it sometime when they’re in the long vowel sequence of lessons. Make sure you use words that start with ‘QU’ and words that have “QU’ within the word. Some words you can use include:

-queen

-sequin

-quest

-request

-quake

-quilt

Introducing simple reading rules is another way to help your child become a Phonics Reading Pro!

A hot topic Phonics Reading Pro is no stranger to is homeschooling. We’ve discussed the pros and cons of homeschooling in the past and we feel that homeschooling is something all families should consider. To an extent all parents home-school, right? Even if your child goes to school every day, it’s our responsibility as parents to make sure they understand their homework, complete it, and bring it to school the next day. We act as tutors on a daily basis and help them practice skills to make sure they are assimilating all of their lessons. I think some parents enjoy it so much, they make the decision to do it full time. Depending on what state you live in, most parents who choose to home-school must have a teaching certification in the state.

Despite what some may see as obstacles to homeschooling their children, the U.S. Dept of Education has actually seen an increase in the number of children being homeschooled in our nation: http://news10now.com/content/all_news/473821/homeschooling-on-the-rise/ .  That’s definitely food for thought isn’t it? With all the phonics lessons you give at home, do you think you could ever home-school full time? Do you think being homeschooled would be a disadvantage or advantage for your child? Please give us some feedback on this exciting subject!

The editors at Phonics Reading Pro have been drilling our readers about how important it is to build words with your child. Look back at our posts about creating word lists, “The Ladder”, name writing, etc. on how important it is to build skills through tactile learning and not just visual or auditory learning. Watch your child build dendrites while they build words with a movable alphabet.  You may find it hard to buy inexpensive movable alphabets, or even find them in stores for that matter. For this reason, Phonics Reading Pro has decided to teach you how to make your own set of movable alphabet letter for your child!

Here’s how:

1)   Buy a sturdy paper cutter  and thick white index paper (plain with no lines) from any local office supply store

2)   You will also need to buy red and blue permanent markers

3)   The vowel cards are to be cut 1 ½ inches by 1 ½ inches or 1 inch by 1 inch

4)   The consonant cards are to be cut 1 ½ inches wide by 2 ½  inches tall

5)   The vowels are to be written in red and the consonants in blue

6)   The last supply you’ll need is a small no-heat laminator in order to laminate all the letter cards you’ve worked so hard to make! This way the letters will last a long time and you will be able to periodically disinfect them. The laminator can be used for your own personal office use as well, so think of it as an investment.

Have fun using these letters to build word lists with your child and increase their phonics reading skills in the process!

Who would think there was a practical way to teach phonics reading through cooking? Phonics Reading Pro does! Here’s how:

1)   Recite grocery lists to your child and make sure they spell everything correctly

2)   Have your child spot the listed items at the grocery store and help them read the brand names and ingredients

3)   Once you get home, have them help you read the recipe(s) you’re using to cook the meal as they help you cook everything.

It’s crazy how many reading and writing opportunities there are just by cooking a meal! Do you see how easy it is to be creative in engaging your child’s phonics reading skills? Think of other simple household chores that can become reading opportunities. It’s easier than you think… just look at the world through your child’s eyes. Even the most ordinary tasks can be interesting for them.

Does anyone have any ideas on how simple household chores can become phonics reading opportunities for your child? Please let us know in the comments!

A simple and fun idea to do with your child is to talk about your family tree.  All you have to do is set aside the time to reminisce with your child. A part of learning to be a Phonics Reading Pro is learning the how to tell a story: the sequence, the imagery, the conclusion. You can start by telling some of your favorite stories about your childhood. Talk about school and your teachers and what some of your favorite lessons were. Hopefully some of them will involve learning about phonicsJ

You can tell them stories about what your parents and grandparents were like and the things you did with them. Can you remember stories they told about their childhood? Explaining history through your parents and grandparents lives can be a great way to explain historical events to your child because it makes them personal and not just something read in a text book.  Don’t forget to whip out the family photos to make the stories that much richer!

As a final exercise you can help your child make new memories with your family by keeping journals on family vacations or other big events. They will build their phonics reading skills, writing skills, and storytelling skills all at once! How’s that for a great way to help your child become a Phonics Reading Pro?

Most parents and the editors at Phonics Reading Pro would agree that the moment they introduce sugary treats to their kids—bouncing off the wall ensues! Interestingly, scientists often dismiss these claims saying sugar is simply a carbohydrate and is processed as such and shouldn’t cause in difference in behavior or mood. I’d like to invite them into a classroom after lunch period and see if they can tell the difference between the children who ate a balanced lunch and those who ate lots of sugary snacks.

The reason we are bringing this up is because parents should be mindful of how their children’s diet affects their concentration. Anytime you or their teacher are trying to give them reading lessons, keeping their attention can be a huge task and not being able to do so could be a possible detriment to their understanding and total learning of phonics skills. So just be mindful of the types of foods you give your child. It’s just as quick to pack them a juicy apple as it is to pack them a twinkie.

A balanced diet is big key in helping your child become a phonics reading pro