Sounding Out Words

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

DD knows all of her letter sounds and can sound out each word. First she says c-a-t. Then she can put that together to say cat. But unless it is a two letter word she always says each separate sound first. Is this just a developmental thing or is there something I can do to explain it to her? She seems to need help getting things sometimes. For the longest time she couldn't draw and was starting to complain about it and asked me to show her how. We picked out a book from the library and she's been drawing well and a lot ever since. I guess I'm just wondering if there is something similar that I can show/do for her now that will help her over the hump. Or you can just tell me that she needs more time if you think that's the case! She is my first child so I don't really know what to expect. Thanks!

[A home for their hearts]

It sounds to me like it'll just take time. Every child when learning to read will stretch out the sounds to say the word. Over time as she develops fluency her reading won't be so choppy. HTH!

[ElizabethB]

It just takes time, and a lot of practice and repetition.

Developmentally, 2 letter words are much easier than 3 letter words.

I'd switch to Webster's Speller. That way, the 2 letter "words" (syllables) she's ready for now will later this year or early next year directly help her read 2, 3, 4, and 5 syllable words. (ab, eb, ib, ob, ub; ba, be, bi, bo, bu, by become ab in ab-stract and ab-ject, ba in ba-ker.)

The thread about how to use it is here, I used it with my daughter in K.

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70153&highlight=phonics+syllabary

There is also more info about how to use it below, and both the thread and the link below link to a movie where my daughter and I show how to use Webster's Speller.

The work on spelling also helped her really cement the principles in her brain.

[Pretty in Pink]

Totally normal. One day I think it just clicks and they get it. Before that you just read and read and read to them and let them practice a little bit each day. My ds5 does the same thing.

[Amber in AUS]

I have never had this problem with my DD. We used 100EZ and they teach you to say the words slowly sounding each sound but with out the clear break between the sounds. The more my DD has read the faster the words have come out. She has gone from sounding (saying slowly) cccccaaaaatttttt, then saying it fast, cat, to now just saying it the fast way. I really love that about their program.

We are also using Websters which EllizabethB already recommended above and it is wonderful. We only started using it recently and it is working really well for us at the moment.

[Wildiris]

I just had this experience a month back. My dd (5) was stuck and it seemed at the time it was never going to change. We took two weeks off at Christmas. When we came back from our break, her understanding make a giant leap forward is all areas. Yesterday she was working her way through the first story of a first grade reader.

Wildiris

[Tonia]

It sounds to me like it'll just take time. Every child when learning to read will stretch out the sounds to say the word. Over time as she develops fluency her reading won't be so choppy. HTH!

:iagree: My dd did the same thing and she's reading fluently now. It just takes time.

[Melenie]

DD also does it. I see it getting less and less as we do more reading together. I would say it is pretty normal and your DC will improve with practice.