| If you have worked with me using my five | | | | differently, even within a family. There is the fast |
| secrets of child literacy, your child can now | | | | learner, the slow, deep thinker, the sideways |
| recognize every sound of the alphabet. You have | | | | learner ( our little lateral thinker), the average |
| played the games: | | | | plodder, the prodigy and combinations of two or |
| "Let's see who can find 'a'." | | | | all. There is no right or wrong way, no good |
| "I wonder where 'z' is hiding." | | | | learner or poor learner, they are simply different. |
| You have walked along alphabet roads, zoomed | | | | They must never be compared or labelled. Every |
| your sports car around Formula One alphabet | | | | child must be allowed to learn and develop in the |
| circuits and taken 'y' and 'p' for a ride in the pram | | | | way his brain has been programmed and so, in |
| with teddy and a doll. Alphabet letters are fun, | | | | order to maximize your child's potential, he must |
| they are friends. | | | | be permitted to learn in his own way. |
| Now we approach the magic of those letters. | | | | The following 'stories' are straight from my series |
| They make words, which make stories. | | | | of books 'Alonah Reading Cambridge.' They have |
| Begin sounding out the words of your alphabet | | | | been used for many years and are excellent |
| chart.: 'a' (slither) 'n' (slither) 't' then say the word | | | | beginners. |
| ant. Then in the same way, b..e..d, c.a..t, d..o..g, e..l..f, | | | | Story One |
| f..r..o..g, g..i..f..t, h..a..t, i..n..k, j..u..g, k..i..d, l..o..g, m..u..m, | | | | C-a-n a f-r-o-g j-u-m-p u-p? |
| n..e..s..t, o..x, p..i..g, qu..i..l..t, r..e..d, s..a..d, t..o..p, u..p, | | | | Y-e-s a f-r-o-g c-a-n j-u-m-p u-p. |
| v..a..n, w..a..g..o..n, f..o..x, y..a..k, z..e..b..r..a. | | | | P-i-g-s a-n-d c-a-t-s c-a-n l-e-t u-s p-a-t a-n-d |
| If your new reader finds it difficult to slither | | | | p-e-t. |
| across a word, set the letters out (written on | | | | Hens can run fast and jump on logs. |
| postcards in red) on the floor, then slither across | | | | Frogs can hop, hop, hop and hip, hip, hip. |
| together, taking care nobody falls! | | | | Pigs and cats can sit on red mats and folded rugs. |
| Now try:j..i..g, n..o..t, s..i..t, c..a..b, h..o..t, s..a..t, f..a..t, | | | | Story Three |
| r..a..t, f..l..a..p, c..o..l..d, f..l..a..g, c..r..a..m, s..t..e..p, t..r..a..p , | | | | Len is a pink pig. |
| and any others you can think up. At this stage | | | | Len has a Mum pig. |
| the words should not have 'e' on the end as in | | | | Len sits on an old qu-i-l-t. |
| page or line and nor should they have a final 'y' as | | | | Len can sit and hop and run and jump. |
| in happy, silly, funny. These words come soon. | | | | Len's best pal is Dig a golden dog. |
| Slithering is especially important, it is the way your | | | | Len's next pal is Cam, a crab. |
| child will read for the rest of his life. Start the | | | | Len has a red hat and Dig has a pink hat, Cam |
| habit young and he will do it automatically and | | | | has a box of old tins. |
| won't ever be tempted to guess. | | | | Len and Cam and Dig had a bun and a drink of |
| The complementary skill of comprehension. | | | | milk. |
| If you want to hand your child the very golden | | | | Story Five |
| gift of comprehension (understanding what he | | | | Stan has a van and Gus has a bus. |
| reads) as well as the skill of reading, simply laugh | | | | Stan's van is red and Gus's bus is pink. |
| at the silly stories. Joke about the hen running | | | | Stan can t-r-a-v-e-l fast in his red van. |
| fast, the frog hopping, the ten frogs in a van. | | | | Gus's bus is old and can not travel fast. |
| Bring the stories to life, and by doing this your | | | | Stan went fast in his van and went plop in a pond. |
| little reader will understand that a collection of | | | | Gus did not travel fast in his bus and Gus's bus did |
| words has a meaning, it tells you something. | | | | not plop in a pond. |
| Above all, encourage your child to draw the | | | | (travel is read t-r-a-v = trav e-l = el. Put them |
| pictures of these funny stories. | | | | together and we have trav -el) |
| You will bless these early comprehension | | | | Story Six |
| exercises when your son or daughter is doing final | | | | Ben is a piglet. |
| Secondary School exams or is working through | | | | Ben can sit and run and bend and twist. |
| the challenging test questions of a degree. | | | | Ben can clap hands and stand in a tub. |
| Remember, reading must be a game. | | | | Ben can hop fast on his Mum's c-r-i-m-s-o-n rug. |
| "You read one word I'll read the next." | | | | Ben and his dog Pip can stomp on a log and trap |
| "Let's sit in the garden and read to each other." | | | | sun on a mat. |
| Write the words on cards as suggested above, | | | | Ben and Pip put rags, pegs, hats, figs, mugs, |
| and walk along a word road to the beach or the | | | | maps and specs in a big bag and jump on it. |
| fairground or to some shopping. This way, not | | | | I have been using this method for over forty |
| only will you be teaching your child reading and | | | | years, it works brilliantly, the exercises cannot fail |
| comprehension, you will also be developing his | | | | as long as you follow closely and never force or |
| imagination ready for the stories he will have to | | | | 'teach' your child. Children are full of fun and that's |
| dream up at school by age seven. | | | | how they learn, so keep your reading lessons full |
| I have mentioned previously that you are your | | | | of happiness and laughing. If you set out to enjoy |
| child's finest mentor, but only if you keep it | | | | yourself your child will be only too eager to come |
| simple, non demanding and happy. As you | | | | along. Lastly, if your reader sketches the stories |
| progress you will not only achieve the objective | | | | he reads, he will be getting ten times the benefit |
| of teaching your child to read, comprehend and | | | | from the exercises. He will be learning to look for |
| imagine, but your relationship with that child will | | | | a meaning in everything he reads. He will be |
| develop, grow and deepen as you laugh together | | | | learning comprehension. |
| and enjoy this time. | | | | In my next article I shall be giving you a handful |
| As this closeness is established you will identify | | | | of sight words, like you, the and little, which can |
| and evaluate the manner in which your child | | | | be included in the next set of stories extending |
| learns, this awareness will stand you both in good | | | | your child's reading to the next stage. |
| stead throughout his education. Children learn | | | | |