need reading help

[debdebdebby13]

My three year old began reading on her own about 6 months ago. Since then we've started working through OPGTTR, and we are somewhere around lesson 45 I think, but we haven't done a lesson in a couple of weeks. I've been more informally teaching her some rules using starfall.com and just playing and reading together.

The problem I'm encountering is words that don't follow the phonetic rules, but look like they should. For example she knows "when two vowels go a-walking the first one does the talking" and that the first one says it's name while the second one doesn't say anything. Most words follow that rule like, near, fear, dear, hear, but tonight we encounter the word bear for the first time with a short E sound. Of course she says BEER, but no, it doesn't sound that way.

I don't remember my own reading education, so is there another way of teaching that, or are words like that more sight words? How much of learning to read is just repetitively seeing words and remembering them rather than learning them phonetically? I need advice as to how this will work out.

This is pretty tricky for a three year old and I just want to do it right and not expect too much or too little from her.

[2smartones]

I see in your signature that you're also using ETC. That's what I'd recommend. There are a lot of words that are sight words because they don't fit the rules. My oldest was also reading fairly well at 2.5. We started ETC when he was 3, and it helped a lot.

Look at the library for a book called "How much can a bare bear bear?" by Brian P. Cleary. He has a lot of cool books, but that one is still one of my son's favorites. There's also a book called "Dear, Deer" by Gene Barretta that's kinda fun. It helps teach homophones, of course, but for the younger folks, it shows them how fun it can be to play with words that don't look like they sound.

[kgreenaz]

Look at Spell to Write & Read. "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking" is only true 27% of the time.

Teaching word families does will not teach the exceptions. And it focuses the child on the end of the word rather than left-to-right which is so important.

I just switched to SWR because a good reader will not necessarily be a good speller. But a good speller WILL BE a good reader. My 7yo can read anything and has amazing comprehension but tested at 1st grade spelling. So we switched to SWR. I have all three of my boys on the program and, although my 4yo is not reading yet, he can stand at the white board and write words just by sound out their sounds.

SWR is teacher-intensive and, I believe, requires the teacher training that is occasionally available. But I believe it's one of the best, solid programs out there and will answer your questions. BTW, for my struggling 8yo, we use SWR with ETC and ETC online as backup.

Just my two cents! : )

Kim

[Gratia271]

You could see whether your library has a copy of Phonics Pathways. It may be helpful. There is minimal prep work to use it. I used it with my 3 year old children when they already knew how to read (autodidact)...

[debdebdebby13]

Thank you all. We are headed to the library sometime today so I will if I can find those books.

[fractalgal]

My three year old began reading on her own about 6 months ago. Since then we've started working through OPGTTR, and we are somewhere around lesson 45 I think, but we haven't done a lesson in a couple of weeks. I've been more informally teaching her some rules using starfall.com and just playing and reading together.

The problem I'm encountering is words that don't follow the phonetic rules, but look like they should. For example she knows "when two vowels go a-walking the first one does the talking" and that the first one says it's name while the second one doesn't say anything. Most words follow that rule like, near, fear, dear, hear, but tonight we encounter the word bear for the first time with a short E sound. Of course she says BEER, but no, it doesn't sound that way.

I don't remember my own reading education, so is there another way of teaching that, or are words like that more sight words? How much of learning to read is just repetitively seeing words and remembering them rather than learning them phonetically? I need advice as to how this will work out.

This is pretty tricky for a three year old and I just want to do it right and not expect too much or too little from her.

I agree with the recommendation for Spell to Write and Read. It is especially helpful if you can take one of the introductory classes for it. The classes helps the teacher see the way to teach the phonograms and rules in an organized way. The program teaches both the phonograms and rules at an accelerated pace compared to many programs which would seem to be appropriate for an accelerated reader.

The English language is full of "exceptions" to rules - so much so that even some of the SWR rules don't always hold...as my children love to point out. We use the program, and it is teacher intensive...but the most intensive part is learned at the beginning of the school year and then you practice the phonograms and rules with flashcards so its mainly review after that - at least the way I teach it.

I use Phonics Pathways for review. It groups the words by in an organized way and is also helpful to use.

We also use ETC here. Fun/goofy pictures; good to supplement with.

[Moonbeam Jones]

DS and I are trucking through OPGTtR, trying to get it done before the new brother comes :tongue_smilie:, and I thought I would mention that in Lesson 154 it starts talking about R-changed vowels. In Lesson 166, it specifically teaches that EAR sounds like /a^r/ in hair. I know that you are not close, but I thought you might skip ahead and talk about this with her. Also OPGTtR does not teach the vowels go awalkin' "rule". There are times when ea says a. I would try and talk to her about trying out each rule to see which word matches the picture, etc. Again, she's three, so this might all be too soon, only you can tell :001_smile:!
Have Fun! :auto:
MBJ

[kmacnchs]

OPGTR goes through ALL of the rules. Some are just "this is just how it is..." 3yos tend to go with the flow better on these things rather than older kids. Just tell her that is the way it is...she will remember it. Just remind her when she is reading. The "odd" words (there are many in the English language :tongue_smilie:) are remembered through reading them in context many times.

I would stick w/OPG and when she encounters an odd word when reading, just tell her what it is. There is no reason for her to "learn" it until she gets to that spot in the OPG book, imo. (I also got this from TWTM book)

have fun! I love having young readers :)

[Dinsfamily]

Look at Spell to Write & Read. "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking" is only true 27% of the time.


:iagree:That's why we don't teach that rule, either. Bear is phonetically regular.

I also have an early reader (taught himself phonetically at < 3.) Since we use SWR, I don't teach sight words. When we encounter a word that he can't read and he wants to know how to read it, I help him sound it out using phonograms and explain any rule that might need explaining. He doesn't know all of the rules yet, but he's learning.

I haven't seen OPGTR but from everything I've read about it, it's a complete phonics program and all of the rules are in there. If I were you, I'd read through it to become familiar with the material so you can teach her on the fly if needed. I think early/natural readers need the information faster than programs can provide at times.

[StartingOver]

OPGTR goes through ALL of the rules. Some are just "this is just how it is..." 3yos tend to go with the flow better on these things rather than older kids. Just tell her that is the way it is...she will remember it. Just remind her when she is reading. The "odd" words (there are many in the English language :tongue_smilie:) are remembered through reading them in context many times.

I would stick w/OPG and when she encounters an odd word when reading, just tell her what it is. There is no reason for her to "learn" it until she gets to that spot in the OPG book, imo. (I also got this from TWTM book)

have fun! I love having young readers :)


:iagree: My 3 year old is further along, but I don't teach rules to words he hasnt' learned yet. I just give him the word as we are reading and he repeats it. It hasn't caused any confusion when that word comes up later and he learns the rule.

I call sight words, memory words. We have a white board with the few words that OPGTR identifies as sight words. There sure aren't that many. This is exactly why I like this program so well. In the beginning we use phonics to sound out words, then later we just read them so much they are memorized. But when he comes across a word he doesn't know, he can sound it out.

I would stick strictly to OPGTR till it is finished if it was me.